Mankato teen seeks help for suffering service dog

(Mankato, MN) – A Mankato teen is looking for assistance to treat her beloved service dog’s medical problems.

Hailey Schauer’s great Pyrenees, Iuka,  suffers from severe allergies that cause painful ear infections.  Left untreated, the infections could cause hearing loss, facial paralysis, and even death.

Schauer, who deals with some pain of her own, says that Iuka is an integral part of her healing.  In a Go Fund Me post, the teen tells how Iuka helps distract her from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic attacks by pawing at her.  The dog also assists her with mobility tasks, helping Schauer stand on days when her chronic pain becomes unbearable.  Though she doesn’t have a specific diagnosis yet, doctors believe Schauer’s severe joint pain and fatigue could be caused by a combination of myalgic encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis.

Allergy tests for the dog run at about $300 – $400, and vet visits are a $100 minimum.  The teen said her illness has limited her ability to work, therefore making it difficult to afford the treatment Iuka needs.

“Besides my boyfriend, Iuka has been an amazing help for me to get through this,” says Schauer’s Go Fund Me.  “She is truly my guardian angel”

To contribute towards Iuka’s treatment, visit Iuka’s Go Fund Me page.