Her Mini Dachshund Has Been Right By Her Side During The Hardest Parts Of Her Life, And Now She’s Doing Everything She Can To Figure Out What’s Mysteriously Wrong With Him
Plymouth, Massachusetts. A young woman is facing a potentially heartbreaking decision after her miniature dachshund suddenly fell ill.
Ellie Caramello is pleading for support after her five-year-old dachshund, Frank, out of nowhere began showing signs of complete distress and pain.
His belly had become distended, and Ellie couldn’t touch Frank without him crying out in pain.
“This is when my worst nightmare began,” Ellie wrote.
She brought Frank to her local VCA animal hospital, where they told her that Frank may have intervertebral disk disease (IVDD), which involves damage to a dog’s spinal cord.
According to the Dallas Veterinary and Surgical Center, IVDD is common in dachshunds and can come on very suddenly after a disk in their spine ruptures.
The VCA sent Ellie and Frank home with a prescription.
However, five days later, Frank had to be rushed back to the doctor.
GoFundMe; pictured above Ellie holds Frank
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“He became incontinent,” Ellie explained. “It appeared that he was dying before my eyes.”
This time, the VCA animal hospital said that Frank may be suffering from dehydration and, potentially, worms. They sent him home with yet another prescription.
But the suffering for poor Frank only continued. He kept having what Ellie described as “episodes” of pain, with no clear answer on why that may be.
Finally, he was given a more extensive series of tests. An X-ray had confirmed something was wrong with his back and that his spleen and bladder were enlarged.
Then, Frank later received an ultrasound which ruled out any other kinds of diseases. He was officially diagnosed with IVDD. It was tragic news for Ellie.
Ellie learned that Frank could potentially be able to receive a spinal surgery, which could be risky and extremely expensive. Another option is she could keep administering him medication and see if he improves without needing surgery.
If Frank cannot get the surgery and cannot live comfortably without it, Ellie might have to make one of the most challenging decisions a pet owner has to make, which would be to put him down.
Frank is currently on five different kinds of medication, and Ellie will be monitoring him for the next week. If he shows no sign of improvement, she will see if he would be a good candidate for the spinal surgery.
Ellie has created a GoFundMe for Frank, as all of the vet visits and tests have cost her a fortune. It was a vicious cycle of appointments that left her with a financial burden. She may also need to start saving up for the intense spinal procedure.
“If you know me, you know Frank is my world,” Ellie mentioned. “He has stuck by my side through the hardest years of my life and I do not think I would be here without him.” To read more about Ellie and Frank, visit the link here.
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