In January of this year, our 4-year-old Boston Terrier, Sayler, did what she had done many times before—she jumped off the couch. However, this time was different. She wasn’t moving at all, and when she did, she was very wobbly and unstable, not using all of her legs. This was very concerning, and we took her to the ER vet, whose initial diagnosis was Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). While we knew this was common in French Bulldogs or dogs with longer bodies, we did not expect it in our little 18-pound Boston. We were heartbroken, and then they told us the cost to repair the damage, along with the risks associated with the surgery and the likelihood of it happening again, even after paying for the surgery.
We needed time to decide what was best, so we gathered her pain management medication and took her home. Over the next couple of days, we called every vet, teaching vet hospital, Boston rescue, and I researched grants for dogs and surgeries. We even reached out to the rescue we got her from, but no one could offer us a better price or outcome post-surgery. By Friday, Sayler was still not eating, was under constant pain management, and was struggling with having accidents. When we did take her out, she was in a sling and couldn’t use her back legs to stand or squat. She seemed embarrassed and had no interest in anything. That’s when we made the tough call to Caring Pathways for Saturday. I was heartbroken—she was so young, and we were having to say goodbye well before her time.
Enter Dr. Christopher Hoppe. He was so kind and calm. He came in, asked questions about her medication and how she was doing, and we let him know what a difficult decision this was. He gave us what the other doctors couldn’t: hope. He asked, “What if there is another way we could help Sayler without the cost of an expensive surgery that provided no guarantees?” He suggested acupuncture might work. I had heard of acupuncture for pets, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to try that in this situation.
So, he gave her the first treatment on Saturday, another one the following Monday, and then we found a local vet who could continue her treatments. We went twice a week for a while, and now we are down to one treatment every 3-4 weeks. We are also looking into red light therapy and possibly water rehabilitation if her vet thinks it could help. She isn’t cured, but she is alive. She only uses her front left foot correctly 5% of the time, but because of Dr. Christopher, she is here with us today, living a good life. He took the time to investigate and ask questions, and we are forever grateful for more years with our little nugget.
Thank you, Dr. Christopher Hoppe, for your kindness, compassion, and ability to see beyond our present situation.
