That's amazing! Go Spencer...

You are right Critters, it's doxycycline. Thank you so much for pointing out the error. I corrected the message...

Thanks for the welcome back Carol and Christine. It's good to "see" you two here. This board was a lifesaver when I was going through Tucker's original diagnosis and dealing with his new problems along the way. It was difficult to see so many recovering from back injuries when Tucker wasn't getting better - in spite of hydrotherapy, massage and accupuncture. Thank you two for being there back then and still being here now. I always know I can drop in when I need to. I didn't see people doing long term catheterization when I started on that journey so thought I could encourage others. I'm going to add a disclaimer that people should check with their vets before trying my method. It probably depends on the injury and where it is located. Tucker is different because his problem is a deformity. Tucker and I have been on a lot of adventures in the past 5 years since I last visited. We roadtripped to Arizona in Nov 2009 and then moved to Palm Springs for 6 months starting Feb 2010. I was so fortunate to have people help me out with cathetering when I didn't have a way to do it myself. When he got to needing daily cathetering, I had a crew of people who helped me out. Tucker has that effect on people. He has introduced me to so many kind spirits on the journey, and many say he is the sweetest dog they ever met. I am very blessed to have him with me...

PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR VET BEFORE TRYING MY METHOD OF CATHETERIZATION. It may not work for your dog or cat depending on the situation. Tucker has a spinal deformity, not an injury. Feel free to contact me if you have questions...

PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR VET BEFORE TRYING MY METHOD OF CATHETERIZATION. It may not work for your dog or cat depending on the situation. Tucker has a spinal deformity, not an injury. Feel free to contact me if you have questions...

Hi and welcome to the site. I was just where you are almost 8 years ago when my pug was diagnosed with hemivertebrae as a puppy. This site was a sanity saver for me. He didn't have surgery though. Tucker ended up on steroids for quite awhile which helped a lot. He was lethargic without them. I'm not sure if it was because he was in pain or not. He was on them for several years. How long ago was the surgery? Could she just be recovering and need more time before doing intensive therapy? I'm not an expert on surgery since Tucker didn't have it. You might want to check out Dodger's List too http://www.dodgerslist.com/index/more.htm . They mainly deal with dachshunds but all dogs are welcome. They have a lot of experience with back issues and surgery and probably have advise on the pain. They are big proponents of crate rest for healing. Tucker completely lost the ability to stand up by the time he was 15 months old. It was heartbreaking to watch the progression. I was more disturbed than he was. I too tried acupuncture and water therapy. For some people the water therapy really helps. He is a happy guy and makes lots of friends. People like his hot wheels. He has gone on grand adventures with me and is the love of my life. His health has gone through changes over the years but nothing we can't handle. I wouldn't have signed up for this if I had known about it in advance but he truly is a gift in my life. I hope you will get through this difficult time with Lola and she will be able to recover from the surgery and go on to live a good life. Special needs does not mean a poor quality of life. Feel free to contact me. You are not alone...

I'm so glad Lola got relief from the pain and you got good news from the vet. Tucker was on 2.5 mg prednisone and it made a world of difference. What is Lola on? At first he was only supposed to be on it for a couple of weeks but he didn't do well without it. His vets were concerned about long term use too but it came down to quality of life. He was on it from 2006 to 2011. I tried a few times to take him off of it to try something else but he always deteriorated and nothing else worked as well. For some reason in 2011 it worked to take him off of it and he's doing fine without it now. He's not taking a replacement. The long term use doesn't seem to have caused any new problems. His liver was the main concern. I'll post an account of Mabelline after this message for when Lola gets stronger. She is a bulldog who recovered full mobility through physical therapy at home. Keep us posted...

Here's the information about Mabelline's therapy: I did not go regularly to the therapy hospital. I went one time, and the doctor there gave me a treatment plan. She did not feel I needed to come there regularly at first; she wanted to see how Mabelline did with therapy at home, and then we would gauge it that way. With the swimming, Mabelline has to wear a life vest because english bulldogs cannot swim. They sink like a stone! So, I got her the vest they recommended at the rehab place, which has a handle on top of it like a suitcase. I have two kids, ages four and six, and we have one of those Intex pools for them. It's about three feet deep and ten feet in diameter. I would get in there with her, and let her just paddle herself from one end to the other. With only a ten foot pool, she would get to the other side very quickly, so what I would do is hold her "suitcase handle" on top of her vest, and keep her in one place and she would just keep paddling and paddling. I would do it for two and a half minutes, then lift her out for rest onto this little platform we had, and then put her in again. At first, I limited it, but then would increase it gradually. I would also encourage her to do anything she could to bear weight on her rear legs. We have an ottomon next to the couch, so I'd put her front paws on that and hold her up there for a minute, then release. Using a small yoga ball is good, because you can roll it back and forth with them on it, and it pushes the weight back and forth in "reps." The other thing that I did was to walk her every morning and evening. We have a big fenced in backyard, but I would take her on a leash and walk her at a trotting pace for one block at a time, then rest. At first, we only walked for about ten minutes. Now we walk about two miles a day. I have to always bear in mind that Mabelline is a bulldog and they aren't exactly "athletic" if you know what I mean. But she does enjoy her walks with our other bulldog Romeo. I kept up the above routine just about every day. At first, Mabelline didn't change at all. With her, she got progressively worse, then when I started doing the exercising, she got better and better. It was gradual, but noticeable. There was a point in time when she was literally dragging her rear legs around behind her, and getting all kinds of sores on her. Now, she runs, and I mean RUNS, from one end of the yard to the other. She walks virtually normal. I say "virtually" because she does have a kind of "swagger" to her walk, which is largely the way bulldogs walk. Her main weakness is on her right rear, but you cannot really notice it. She is very active. She jumps on and off the couch; she wrestles with our bulldog Romeo, who is about 55 lbs. She is just not the same dog. I remember at my daughter Brenna's birthday party, which was on June 24th, Mabelline had lost all function in her rear legs, and my mom was almost crying watching her try and walk. By my son's birthday party, which was on August 26th, she was bolting from one end of the yard to the other. No one could believe it. This was what was written on her discharge from the neurologist on June 27th: "Thoracic and lumbar spinal radiographs reveal evidence of five hemivertebrae. An MRI revealed congenital malformation of the spine with multiple hemivertebrae resulting in significant spinal cord compression. Due to multiple sites, surgery is not considered a feasible treatment option. As we discussed, Mabelline's condition is very serious. While she may remain static, she is likely to worsen to the point that she will require stronger anti-inflammatories such as steroids. She may require a cart in the near future to facilitate her movement. She may decline to the point where her quality of life is in question, and euthanasia should be considered." I really intend to take her back to that moronic neurologist, who basically recommended that I put her down right then and there, and show her that Mabelline is fine now. She's healthy and happy. I read somewhere that in dogs with hemivertebrae, their condition is very changeable as they are growing. They continue to grow until they are over a year old. The hemivertebrae are actually "moveable" during that time. As Mabelline was five months old at the time, and growing like a weed, I think that's what happened to her. A couple of other things. During the time of her recuperation, I tried to keep her on the quieter side. I didn't let her climb stairs or jump on or off of anything. I did not let her wrestle with Romey. I avoided anything that could cause a "jarring" of her spine. Now I don't really monitor that because she's like a "hurricane" and just is all over the place. Also, I tried to keep her weight monitored (although, as I told you, she's a total sausage now)...

Hi - glad you found this site! It helped me tremendously with Tucker, my pug with hemivertebrae. Tucker's neurologist didn't recommend surgery 8 years ago when he was diagnosed. However, a recent newcomer here went to a specialist at University of Florida who has many years of experience treating dogs with hemivertebrae. He would have recommended a different kind of surgery than what their westie Lola had. Unfortunately it couldn't be redone. I sent her a message and a link to your message here so she could respond with up-to-date information she received on treatment. In a lot of cases, dogs can compensate for the hemivertebrae and there is little impact on them. Tucker has a severe deformity but he's a happy guy and goes around making friends with everyone. He uses a wheelchair and stroller but he doesn't know he has a problem. Sending positive thoughts for a good outcome...

Hi Feef - I already responded to your personal message and then read your post. I see you already consulted with a surgeon. I don't know about the problem with Finn having trouble bending his neck. Tucker doesn't have that. Tucker has a severe spinal deformity and it's amazing that you can't see how bad it is by looking at him. That's good that you are willing to do whatever it takes to take care of Finn. I'm glad you have an appointment tomorrow. The not knowing what can be done is hard. Sending prayers and positive energy for a good outcome. Let me know how it goes...

I know how you feel. I was scared and devastated when Tucker was initially diagnosed. This forum was a sanity saver for me. Hugs to you and Finn. I'll be leaving for work at 10am pacific standard time. After that, I won't be able to check in until I get home this evening. I'll be thinking of you two...

Finn is a little cuti...

I'm sorry you didn't get good news about the surgery at the neurologist's office. I'm glad Carina has up to date information for you. Tucker's neurologist immediately prescribed a wheelchair. Hang in there - just take it one step at a time. Finn will be happy, enjoying his life and a great companion whether or not he gets surgery or he loses the ability to walk. Tucker was on a low dose of prednisone for over two years. He was lethargic without it. I can't remember when I stopped. He wasn't on crate rest. Maybe Carina has more information on why crate rest was recommended for Lola. You could do a "gofundme" to raise money. People on Boston terrier sites would probably love to help. Here are Tucker's latest x-ray from last fall. He's 9 years old now and going strong. I'd like to see Finn's x-rays. xray 2014 06 3.jpg xray 2014 06 4.jpg...

Hi Rosielou - I'm glad my information could help. You're the first person I've heard from who is also cathetering. How old is Frank? When did you find out he had Hemivertebrae? I found out Tucker had it at 6 mos. He's 9 years old now and will be 10 in March. I was stressed out in the beginning too but now it's second nature. The UTI's and developing a resistance to 4 or 5 antibiotics has been stressful too. The antibiotics usually work for a year or so before stopping. I didn't realize the last one stopped working and he had a UTI for quite awhile before I knew it. Usually I can tell by the smell. He is currently on an antibiotic that he is not supposed to be resistant to - Nitrofurantoin. It's working so far. He's been on it for a little less than a year. I am now having regular 3 month check backs to check his urine. Every other time he also has his blood checked and a culture. I'd be happy to help you in any way I can, and hear about your journey with Frank...

I just realized you sent some private messages. I haven't read them yet but will respond...