furkid with calcification of the spine causing neuropathy

[miss&tess'smom]

I am new to this, so here it goes. My 9 yr. old boxer Tess started out many months ago knuckling over her paw on her left rear leg. At first, I thought she had injured herself. Unfortunately, that was not the case. My vet did some neurological testing and concluded that she had neuropathy. She has alot of the same symptoms of myleopathy. I also had him xray her and it showed some arthritis and some calcification of the spine. Wanting to do all I could for her he advised me, if I believed in chiropracters and holistic vets I could go to a vet he referred me to.

When I took Tess to this vet she had some chiropractic adjustments and a few accupuncture treatments. I really didn't see a big improvement. It was expensive and I was unable to take her as much as the vet wanted me to. She also had me put Tess on Glycoflex2, Duralactin (Microlactin), Standard Process supplements-Neurotrophen, and Super EFF. Also she had me use Young Living Oils on Tess. I also massage Tess. I really at this point don't know if these things help or not. Her back legs are getting weaker and she falls more now. I have placed rugs all over my house strategically so she has a better footing and she has learned to use them.

I just have so many questions. Has anyone else had any experience with these things? Have any one of you had chiropractic treatments or accupuncture done on your furkid? I found out the vet I take Tess to for accupuncture is not certified but she has had some training. It makes me wonder if it is being done correctly. I don't mean to sound skeptical. It's just, I want the best for my girl.

Also, I am wanting to get Tess a cart. They are very expensive and I was wondering if anyone has the Walkin' Wheels? If so, do they work well? Is there a place where I could purchase a good used one.

I would appreciate any replies. I love my boxer dogs (Tess has a litter mate Missy) very much and will do whatever I can for them.

Thanks,
Linda

[slshepherds]

Hello Linda and welcome

Being a Boxer, and reading her story (especially about the myelopathy signs) I wonder about degenerative myelopathy, have you had Tess tested? The test isn't definitive in that all it can tell you is if she is not affected, a carrier or at risk, but it would potentially give you more information about treatment going forward.

Regarding the acupuncture, I too used to be a sceptic when it came to complementary medicine, but have seen cases where it really has made a difference and am now going to complete both massage and acupressure training myself. I work with a rehab vet who does acupuncture and tells owners that some dogs respond and others do not. If owners see no response after a couple of sessions other treatment modalities are usually advised.

Wheelchairs. There is an amazing guy named Jerry West. He lives in Texas and makes nice carts free of charge for people who can't afford them. Check him out: https://www.facebook.com/TheRollingDogProject

Wishing you the best
Joanne

[Bobbie]

DM was the first thing that came to my mind, too. Calcification doesn't always indicate a current problem and DM is pretty common in boxers.

[CarolC]

The Classifieds are a good place to find secondhand Walkin' Wheels.

http://useddogwheelchairs.com/

She has alot of the same symptoms of myleopathy.

I have no experience with DM, but I have experience caring for a large, incontinent golden retriever that went down. He fell in 2005 trying to get in the car, he was in pain and could not walk very well, and his reflexes in his hind legs were poor (he didn't flip his foot pads down very well when tested). He recovered pretty well with crate rest and prednisone but gradually became incontinent as he got older. He would doodle in the house or while asleep as if he could not feel it, and he had to have an absorbent pad for his urine. He got to where he could walk if I helped him up, but he had trouble getting up. That went on for a couple of years, with me helping him to his feet many times a day, then he went down completely and couldn't get up with help.

I think you are smart to get a wheelchair and any other preparations lined up now. I was about half ready, so when my dog went down it was an emergency at this house because there was nobody to help him but me and I could not lift him. So you want to be completely ready for that day if it comes. They had Walkin' Wheels at that time but they had not released the large size cart yet, so we never got to try it. I would suggest, even if you can't afford a cart right now, it is a very good idea to take her measurements now while she can stand up for you. Different companies require different measurements for their wheelchairs, so you may want to fill out the measurement chart for more than one company.

Also, a good harness is going to be your best friend, to help you as you assist your dog many times a day. Even just getting a harness was difficult for me. I would suggest you look at harnesses and try to figure out which one will work best for you and try it while she can still walk. That way you won't be stuck with a harness that is ineffective and annoying when you are already stressed out if the time comes your dog really can't get up.

If you have any kind of back problem, shoulder problem, etc, or if you are an older person (like I was) I can give you some tips on the lifting when the time comes, though no perfect solutions. There are things that are not obvious regarding long term lifting. Also, if you are having any issues with her being incontinent, that is something there are good solutions for, so just ask.

[miss&tess'smom]

Thanks everyone for all the information. I really appreciate it. My Tess has also had trouble with incontinence since she was 4. The vet has her on proin. If anyone knows of something better, please let me know. Most of the time the proin helps.

Also, I should probably get some kind of harness to lift her. She ways 71lbs. and I lift her when she goes out so she doesn't have to try to go down the steps. If anyone has had good experience with a certain type, please let me know.

Thanks again for your great responses,
Linda

[Bobbie]

If you do a LOT of lifting and want the best, I really like the Ruffwear Doubleback harness. Great padding, and good support.

[miss&tess'smom]

Thanks alot. I will check into it.

Linda

[CarolC]

I tried a bunch of harnesses with my golden retriever. First I tried the Doggon' Wheels cart saddle that is supposed to double as a harness, and it would not stay up on him no matter how I tightened or adjusted it. It fell down around his ankles in a way that could trip him. The same thing happened with the Dewey's saddle that is supposed to double as a harness. This does not necessarily they will not work for someone elses's dog, though. It depends on how your dog is built. It's like humans, some can wear Levi's and some can wear Wranglers, etc., no single brand fits everybody. Also, the harnesses I tried were in 2006-2009, so they may be made differently now. I believe it is Doggon' that now offers a back strap to keep the saddle/harness up so it does not fall down around the ankles.

I also tried the belly harness from Walkabout Harnesses. It was well made but because of the way my dog is shaped, it did notfit under his belly very well, it was too wide and wanted to bunch up.

Then I tried the Walkabout rear harness (the one that fits like shorts). Good support but not something the dog can wear all day, and I have a back problem and did not want to struggle getting my dog into the harness every time I wanted to move him.

Then I tried the Hartman Harness. It was the best of the bunch. It had a great "grab handle" over the hips for lifting the dog, and is designed to wear all day. The problem I had with it was he would get his knees up in it somehow, I probably didn't have it tight enough. Since my dog was a male and wore a belly band for incontinence I ended up sewing strap handles on his belly bands and problem solved.

If you want pictures of all these please let me know. The brand names I mentioned may mean little to you.

[miss&tess'smom]

Thanks so much for the information. I will check into the Hartman Harness.

Lind