Apple's Medical Fund

Hi my name is Apple, I am a 2 years old American Pitbull Terrier Mix. I have two sisters and a brother. My mom and dad are college students at the University of New Mexico. My life started out in Las Cruses New Mexico where I found myself in a shelter at 3 1/2 months old, then a rescue called Watermelon Mountain Ranch transported me to Albuquerque with lots of other doggies. That is where I met my mom, she went down to Watermelon Mountain Ranch to pick up a puppy to foster. She picked me. I was supposed to go to an event that weekened but I ended up being very sick. My mom took me into the vet and I had Giardia, Demodex and Kennel Cough. Swollen gland in my neck from infections and a baseball size lump on my head from trauma. I also had hygromas on my 'elbows'.  When I was about 5 months old I seemed to be all better. Mom offically adopted me! Well time went on and things were still not quite right.  I did not play like a puppy or get into big messes, and I could not take long walks because my legs would give out on me . Mom took me to different vets and since I am so young they would say I am just a lazy dog.  Mom knew that was not it.  Finally our new vet at SouthWest Veterinary Medical Center found I have Hypothyroidism. I am now on thyroid medicine and that seemed to help my hair grow back, and I lost some weight, but I still can't get up from a down position and mom has to lift me into bed and on the couch.  I also have skinny back legs that wobble when I go for walks and having accidents in the house. So we went to our vet again and he took X-Rays he thinks I may have Lumbosacral Stenosis which is, arthritis of the joint between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum, which is one of the bones that makes up the pelvis. This arthritis narrows the canal through which the spinal cord and nerves pass through. The intervertebral disc between the vertebra and the sacrum is often abnormal as well, further narrowing the canal. The arthritis and disc disease put pressure on the nerves coming off the spinal cord. The symptoms of lumbosacral stenosis, then, are a result of nerve injury.  My images and chart were sent to The Animal Neurology & Imaging Center and put he me on tramadol for my pain.  Mom got a call from the specialist and they said I will need my first cosult appontment and an MRI.   That appointment is tommorrow...