Support Toothpick's Road to Recovery

The day after the 4th of July, Toothpick, our 2.5-year-old Silken Windhound, broke her neck after running full speed into her best friend (Isi, a McNab/heeler mix) while doing zoomies around a park. Luckily Isi was unhurt, but it was immediately clear that Toothpick was severely injured. The emergency vet in Berkeley advised that although Toothpick was not paralyzed, the location of the fracture (her C2 vertebra) put her at risk for sudden paralysis and death if she were to move her neck the wrong way. They offered 2 options: euthanize her, or find a center that could do a CT scan and surgery to try to repair her spine.

Toothpick is a vibrant, gentle babe with so much life in her, and is beloved by many so we knew we had to try to save her. Due in part to the holiday weekend, there were no veterinary centers in all of Northern California able to treat her over the weekend and so we were told that our closest option was to take her to LA. After some pain medication, the vet restrained Toothpick on a backboard so she wouldn't hurt herself by moving, and we immediately drove her the 6 hours to the ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital in LA.

Here in LA she has received exemplary care. She underwent a CT and 3D reconstruction of her fractured spine, which allowed her orthopedic surgeon to 3D print a model of her break for surgical planning. She continued to have mobility in her legs, and we were advised that with surgery she had a "fair to good" chance at a return of mobility and so on 7/7 she underwent surgery with her amazing orthopedic surgeon Dr. Guidot.

She is still admitted to the ICU and recovering after surgery. Her road to recovery is long, but today she stood (with considerable support) for the first time since her accident. Whenever we visit her in the ICU she wildly wags her tail, so although she can't yet stand or walk, we know that our girl is still in there, fighting to get better so she can come home.

Although initially anticipated to be between $11,000-$15,000, so far her vet bills have totaled more than $25,500 and are ongoing as she remains hospitalized. We feel very fortunate that Toothpick has pet insurance which will help cover part of the cost of her hospitalization and her surgery, but we have already surpassed the annual limit they will cover by $8,000, and she will need a repeat CT scan in 6 weeks and ongoing care as we nurse her back to health once she is able to come home.

It is certainly a hit to one's pride to feel like you can't independently provide for the needs of your baby. It is hard to ask for help, but with the rising costs any little bit would be beyond appreciated to assist with her existing vet bill and ongoing care. If you're a Tootie lover and cannot donate, send us an encouraging text or your favorite Tootie picture! Just knowing how many people love her is great encouragement too.