Jack (Mae)

This is draft so far…
I can’t yet…but he knows.  He was only 4 years old.  Still just a baby to me.  If anyone reads this, I am begging you to please do DNA a test on any pup.  I just happened to choose Embark. This saved my pup and myself so much suffering.

When he was a puppy, I received results back that indicated he had two chromosomes for high risk IVDD.   I didn’t know what it was, I had never even heard of  it?   But the words “high risk” sent me into  full speed research.   What I learned was a lot!   I won’t get into the specifics of the disease because  I’m sure there’s so many people that may have situations other than this.  This DNA testing process is a game changer…a look into the future of your pups health! Wow.

You can treat them before something happens, you can prevent things from happening, you can change things to ensure you are doing all of the right things for your dog if anything shows up.   Some things that could show up are easy fixes, and some things that you just need to be prepared for.  Being prepared is invaluable and the most loving thing you can do for your pet. 

If you find out your dog does have IVDD… you will never regret you knew and were prepared.    Because when it comes on, it does so in an instant, there is no event or catalyst.  It can happen anytime, anywhere and most likely when they’re young.  I may manifest slowly or can be debilitating immediately causing very serious pain.

Pain that you might not realize they’re going through at the time and you need to act quickly.  It is truly a devastating disease.  The bright side is that until this disease takes hold…they will have an extremely happy and amazing life as if it didn’t even exist in their body. 

When it begins, which for me was literally one night in an instant.  If I didn’t know exactly what was going on I probably would have put my pup through more pain than anyone can imagine.  I may not have known he was in pain or that pain was right around the corner.  At first, I knew…I knew what was happening but all the preparation still made me think…this is NOT happening right now.   Please, please, please, please help me, tell me this isn’t it.    Because I would’ve listened to the doctors who first told me he may have had a tummy ache and I could take him home, a few minutes later, they said it looks a little more serious because he can’t move his back legs..  I kept telling them exactly what he had and they kept wanting me to pump him full of drugs to ease the pain, which, of course I did at the time, he was shaking uncontrollably.  (they used methadone and a few other very powerful pain relievers all at the same time).  They actually told me that I could take him home and spend a little more time with him -  because they still weren’t listening to me.   But they’re the doctors and I believed them for some reason?   Even though I knew in my heart that this wasn’t going to go well.  I took him home for a little 2 hours , thankfully it’s only 5 minutes back ro the Animal Hospital. 

For one of the two hours, he suffered greatly, this was on the way back to the hospital and waiting for more non-answers.  I should’ve listened to myself and believed in the research that I had done about this disease because I feel like I did him wrong in the end.   

Our pets deserve  the best we can give them and I did that daily.  Dogs bring so much joy into our lives, adopting a dog and being a wonderful parent to any pup simply means taking care of their needs, health and taking care of them if they get sick…and giving them all of the love that you possibly can.  Because that’s all that they want from you - is love.  

If I may… and you’re still reading this, please give your pet a huge hug and love them as much as you can today and every day because once they’re gone, they take a part of you with them.   My pup  is at peace however, I wish I could have just one more day.  What gets me through is that I knew exactly what was wrong with him when it happened and what to do..  if you are unfamiliar with this disease, you could end up literally torturing your pet and spending a fortune to do it.  To correct this issue, it will start at  $18,000 (this is in Boston where an emergency visit to  any animal is nothing less than $400 -just some the “doctor”).  I hate to say this, but the doctor that you will be seeing is most likely three months out of veterinary school and simply practicing on your pet.   These new veterinarians are wonderful for the simple things that animals can get into every day such as a broken leg, a broken wing, swallowing something they’re not supposed , etc.). They are not qualified at all for recognizing  IVDD.  Tthey’re not the ones that did the DNA test.  So please do a DNA test that could possibly reveal something  you can either avoid or make much easier for your beloved pet and yourself if you only knew what to expect..

All of our pets are such blessings and we never ever want them to suffer or  leave us.  But if that time does come, you won’t be caught off guard,  you’ll know what to do for them, and that is the most wonderful final act of love that you can give them.   

All of mine and Jacks love to all of everyones amazing pets out there.  ♥️