Help Sultan get Brain MRI
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Hi, my name is Daritza and I am fundraising for my puppy, Sultan.
Sultan was a healthy puppy when I picked him up on September 2021. He was running and jumping continuously! Two months later, from one day to the other, Sultan’s walk began to change. He showed signs of an exaggerated gait and limb incoordination.
As the weeks passed, his gait continued to be abnormal, and was now stumbling and falling after 5-10 feet.
As the weeks passed, his gait continued to be abnormal, and was now stumbling and falling after 5-10 feet.
He was evaluated by two different veterinarians, one of which recommended seeing a Neurologist.
He was seen by the Neurology team at the University of Florida who mentioned his diagnosis is open for cerebellar signs - rule out congenital vs infectious vs degenerative vs less likely immune-mediated or cancer. They are leaning more towards a possible cerebellar issue and suspect cerebellar localization. They recommended a brain MRI with a possible cervical MRI with or without a spinal fluid tap to be done in January 2022. The cost of the brain MRI alone is approximately $4,000.
Unfortunately, Sultan underwent emergency colon resection for foreign body obstruction on January 14th. The foreign body consisted of what appeared to be pieces of plastic and fabric from toys. Thankfully, he tolerated the procedure well with no complications and has had an excellent recovery from that. The total cost of his surgery was $ 4,015. I had to reschedule his Brain MRI.
I was warned by the Neurologist and ER physicians, that his neurological symptoms would worsen after the anesthesia but what I have encountered after his surgery has been different. See Videos.
Sultan can sometimes manage runs of 20-30 feet without stumbling and falling. He does not seem to be in pain and gets right back up after each fall. I'm not entirely sure how that happened but I have been working diligently on making changes to help him:
- several rugs laid out in the house
- wears socks and shoes of all kinds
- completed 2 sessions of acupuncture therapy
- changed his diet
Although these things may be helping, they are not fixing the underlying issue. As you can see, he still struggles with ataxia in all four limbs and has a hypermetric gait in the hind limbs. His Neurologist wants to further investigate the possible causes of his signs with a brain MRI and has deferred steroid or antibiotic therapy as it can affect the diagnostic yield from the MRI or spinal tap.
His positive attitude is admired by our neighbors and friends at Possum Creek Dog Park. By popular demand, I have created this campaign to help cover the costs of his Brain MRI.
Sultan has pet insurance, but because we signed up after signs and symptoms of this condition presented, nothing would be covered.
He was seen by the Neurology team at the University of Florida who mentioned his diagnosis is open for cerebellar signs - rule out congenital vs infectious vs degenerative vs less likely immune-mediated or cancer. They are leaning more towards a possible cerebellar issue and suspect cerebellar localization. They recommended a brain MRI with a possible cervical MRI with or without a spinal fluid tap to be done in January 2022. The cost of the brain MRI alone is approximately $4,000.
Unfortunately, Sultan underwent emergency colon resection for foreign body obstruction on January 14th. The foreign body consisted of what appeared to be pieces of plastic and fabric from toys. Thankfully, he tolerated the procedure well with no complications and has had an excellent recovery from that. The total cost of his surgery was $ 4,015. I had to reschedule his Brain MRI.
I was warned by the Neurologist and ER physicians, that his neurological symptoms would worsen after the anesthesia but what I have encountered after his surgery has been different. See Videos.
Sultan can sometimes manage runs of 20-30 feet without stumbling and falling. He does not seem to be in pain and gets right back up after each fall. I'm not entirely sure how that happened but I have been working diligently on making changes to help him:
- several rugs laid out in the house
- wears socks and shoes of all kinds
- completed 2 sessions of acupuncture therapy
- changed his diet
Although these things may be helping, they are not fixing the underlying issue. As you can see, he still struggles with ataxia in all four limbs and has a hypermetric gait in the hind limbs. His Neurologist wants to further investigate the possible causes of his signs with a brain MRI and has deferred steroid or antibiotic therapy as it can affect the diagnostic yield from the MRI or spinal tap.
His positive attitude is admired by our neighbors and friends at Possum Creek Dog Park. By popular demand, I have created this campaign to help cover the costs of his Brain MRI.
Sultan has pet insurance, but because we signed up after signs and symptoms of this condition presented, nothing would be covered.
If you find it in your heart, please consider donating to my campaign for Sultan. If you are unable to, I certainly understand and appreciate you. Would you share my campaign with your family and friends?
I appreciate your support! Thank you in advance.
Organizer
Daritza Herrera
Organizer
Gainesville, FL