IVDD is cruel in so many ways. The condition itself is heartbreaking and challenging enough, but it can be made even worse when a family waits too long to seek treatment.
Luna was brought to Dr. Weman at Everglades Animal Hospital last week with IVDD. Dr. Weman talked her family through their options, including to see a neurologist. Luna's family chose to do any of the options (including crate rest which is $0) and brought Luna back to Dr. Weman today to be euthanized well past the 48 hour window that is optimal for surgery.
Luna doesn't seem to have deep pain (which makes a recovery even more challenging) but we are not "Dachshund Rescue Only When An IVDD Case Has Deep Pain" and Luna was sure as heck not going to be euthanized on our watch, so Luna is headed to SEVN where she will be examined to see what we are working with.
As a general rule, if there is any chance, we go right to surgery. We do this not because we like to throw money out a window, but because it is essentially impossible for DRSF to place a cart dog and any cart dog we take we essentially, knowingly commit to for life, so any chance of having a walking dog - even spinal walker - exponentially changes a dogs ability to be adopted.
(We have adopted out less than 5 cart dogs in 10 years and all the other IVDD survivors who have not recovered have stayed in foster care until they passed which is a significant expense financially and equally challenging to find fosters to care for them.)
Regardless of what happens for Luna, deep pain, or no deep pain, she was not going to be euthanized today if we had anything to do about it. So now, this pretty girl has lost her family and potentially has an even harder up hill battle because they waited too long.
It is not our place to judge Luna's family as you never know what it is like to walk in someone's shoes until you do. It is, however, our place to let karma handle that as it will and focus on giving Luna every chance. Will you join us in rallying behind her to give her every chance after she has lost so much?
