Looking for support - Severe VF foster dog
Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:08 am
Hello! I'm so glad I found this forum. I have a foster dog with severe valley fever. She has bone lesions at pretty much every major joint and cannot move independently because of them. I work in the clinic at the amazing animal shelter that took her in and fell in love with her as soon as I saw her. When I first met her she was unable to move any of her limbs, she had to have her bladder expressed, and she was severly emaciated.
It's four months later and shes responded well to treatment but still has pretty nasty lesions. She is still unable to move independently, and I got her a walkin wheels chair a few weeks ago to help her. She can't move in it at all yet. She is able to stretch out her legs and move all four of them while laying down which is a huge improvement. She can also wag her tail now and loves being carried around or sitting in her chair! She is still bored most of the time though and is still in lateral recumabcy 4 months after we started treatment. I really love her but I just feel like I'm not doing enough with her. Progress has been so slow and she has a really hard time keeping on/gaining weight. I do physical therepy with her daily and try to get her to eat 3 times a day and bring her everywhere with me but her progress is just so slow.
I'm mostly just looking for support and success stories! I know her rehabilitation could take years and she may never be able to walk without a wheelchair, but I would really like to see her have at least a little bit of independence and an appetite. Does anyone have good stories about rehabing an animal that is in lateral recumabcy for a loooonnngg time?
It's four months later and shes responded well to treatment but still has pretty nasty lesions. She is still unable to move independently, and I got her a walkin wheels chair a few weeks ago to help her. She can't move in it at all yet. She is able to stretch out her legs and move all four of them while laying down which is a huge improvement. She can also wag her tail now and loves being carried around or sitting in her chair! She is still bored most of the time though and is still in lateral recumabcy 4 months after we started treatment. I really love her but I just feel like I'm not doing enough with her. Progress has been so slow and she has a really hard time keeping on/gaining weight. I do physical therepy with her daily and try to get her to eat 3 times a day and bring her everywhere with me but her progress is just so slow.
I'm mostly just looking for support and success stories! I know her rehabilitation could take years and she may never be able to walk without a wheelchair, but I would really like to see her have at least a little bit of independence and an appetite. Does anyone have good stories about rehabing an animal that is in lateral recumabcy for a loooonnngg time?