HandicappedPets.Net

Hello!

Im new to this forum, as well as a new mama to a special needs doggo! Her name is Willow, she is a 5 year old weimaraner and hound mix. she is just the sweetest thing! She was taken into the shelter as a stray and they initially thought she had been hit by a car but a scan showed she has wobblers syndrome. She stumbles and sometimes her lower half falls when she walks around. The shelter said their “best guess” is wobblers syndrome. She has a gap in her spinal column (although from what I’ve read about this condition its a compression not a gap so I'm not sure? Im not a vet obviously), if it sounds like something else based on symptoms to you i would love feedback on that as well.

Ive taken in plenty of animals that needed emotional help (abusive pasts) and other various Training needs. But this is my first physical condition/special needs dog! Ive always wanted one (because they deserve a loving home too!) and im just so excited to share my life with her

Tips and advice is always welcome, since I'm a very experienced owner but not necessarily in this area! She is so sweet, gentle, and wonderful so far and i just want to ensure she has the best life possible with me
Thanks in advance!

I'm not familiar with that syndrome, but I've had many with spinal cord injuries. You will want to see the neurological board at viewforum.php?f=4 ; in my experience, SCIs are similar, pretty much regardless of the cause.

Kirby29cares wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:30 pm they initially thought she had been hit by a car but a scan showed she has wobblers syndrome. She stumbles and sometimes her lower half falls when she walks around. The shelter said their “best guess” is wobblers syndrome. She has a gap in her spinal column (although from what I’ve read about this condition its a compression not a gap so I'm not sure? Im not a vet obviously)

I'm not a vet either, but having an unclear diagnosis when you are just starting out with her does not give you much to go on. What kind of scan did she have? If it was an x-ray, did they give you a copy that your personal vet can look at? Did they tell you exactly where the "gap" is? (Like you, I haven't really heard of Wobbler syndrome described as a gap, again I am not a vet.) Does she appear to have any discomfort?

https://vet.osu.edu/wobbler-syndrome

If you don't have a solid diagnosis, it seems like a next step might be to have your own vet look at her imaging and see if it would help to have her checked by a specialist so you really know what's going on. I think they would at least be able to tell you whether there is anything you need to be careful about with her, or whether any lifestyle changes are needed (ramps, mats on the floor for better footing, avoid certain activities, no playing with other big dogs, raise her bowls). There are so many things that can cause stumbling. Some can be helped by surgery, some by physical therapy, some are not even spinal.

Congratulations on adopting her!

CarolC wrote: ↑Tue Mar 24, 2020 12:03 pm There are so many things that can cause stumbling. Some can be helped by surgery, some by physical therapy, some are not even spinal.

Congratulations on adopting her!

That's SO true. My Ares was eaten by a big cat when he was just a few days old, and his throat was ripped out. 3 vets said he had a cervical spine injury and a brachial nerve injury (he's also a functional tripod). Turns out they were parroting each other and were all wrong--he's brain damaged and had a broken shoulder blade.