My family rescued Toby from a backyard breeder in Louisiana in 2021. He had been used as a stud, and never knew the comfort of a home or the love of human interaction. Toby didn’t even have a name – the rescue named him “Bart” to list him on Petfinder. Until that time, at 1 1/2 years old, he was never named. When he moved in with us in Massachusetts, he was such a “Toby” that my husband, two kids, and I were all in agreement over his name. Toby was underweight when we first met him. He didn’t know that it was okay to stop to pee outside – he would just let pee drip out as he walked. He didn’t know how to be a dog and get loved on.
Toby quickly began to accept love from his people and followed around our “mama” dog Maeve, who was a 60 mixed fluffy southern rescue. Toby is a beloved member of our family, smart as a whip, stubborn as a Dachshund, and having him in our lives is one of the best experiences our family has had.
Today, Toby is in the ICU awaiting an MRI and likely surgery for IVDD. Last night he had a 95% chance of a full recovery. Today the neurosurgeon said he has a 50% chance. We brought him to the vet the moment he showed signs of a limp yesterday afternoon, and I watched his condition deteriorate through the hour that I was in the vet’s office. I am in shock over how quickly this has all happened. I keep looking for a reason, and there doesn’t seem to be a reason or a single episode. I had heard of risks of IVDD and was always cautions of Toby’s back – but I never truly understood how quickly a fog can go from happy and healthy to needing emergency surgery.
I believe strongly is quality of life, and won’t ask Toby to do more than he is able just to keep my family and me happy. That said, I will do everything in my power to support him through this time in his life. I am trying to find resources to lessen the financial impact of his surgery and recovery on my family. We are currently recovering from the loss of our house, loss of a job, and preparing for our first child to go to college. Toby is family and I will give him whatever he needs. If you could point me in a direction to get assistance in covering his medical bills, I would be so appreciative.
