Please give me some hope.....

[deb]

I have a mixed dog who is repeat offender of back injury. It is so hard at first.But there is hope!!!!!!!!In Dec 2006 he injured his spine and I had surgery which took about 7 weeks to recover. 3 weeks ago it happened again. This time the vet said because of the previous injury that they didnt think surgery was the answer.We brought him home and had to express him for about 5 days but goes on his own now He couldnt have a bowel movement and someone said canned pumpkin helps He loved it and now goes on his own.Dont give up!!!!!!!! The first time I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown but got through it and am so glad to have him as long as I can!!!!!!

[critters]

deb!

[CarolC]

Sorry for any confusion--I was asking re: whether it was advisable to move Haley for appts--other than regular Vet appts--in case Kim wanted to pursue acupuncture.

Oops! My confusion, I'm sorry. In that case I don't know (but may know somebody to ask) and I'm sorry I was mixed up on your dog.

[DD on Cape Cod]

Carol C--no need to apologize--the information was very helpful! Thank you!

Everyone here has been so helpful and supportive!

Dori

[KimK]

Hi everyone, just wanted to give you all an update on Haley. Went to the vet on Tuesday, Haley has some voluntary movement in her toes on her right foot. I was thrilled, buy I don't know if thats good or not. The pessimist in me says "Is it just a reaction to being tickled?" The vet wants me to order a cart for her, and after 4 weeks of crate rest start putting her in it to get around. She's lost "significant" muscle tone and ability" her in rear, she's down to 4 lbs, 12 oz. She's eating fine....the vet thinks it's probably all muscle she's lost. But she says Haley is little enough, she doesn't want her to lose any more. She loved the idea of the Nutrical...thanks everyone for the idea. Even though Haley is eating fine, I still give her s spoonful a day. She thinks it's her treats. Anyway, after talking with everyone here though, I'm leaning more toward waiting till she hits the 6 weeks of crate rest before I put in her a cart....I have started massage therapy with her, to try to loosen up her little legs. They are so stiff! I lay her on her side in my lap and just gently massage her hips and legs. She seems to like it, except when I get to the "knee" area. Then she tries to move away. She keeps trying to stand in her crate, but the legs are so stiff she can't get them under her. I get so confused sometimes about whats best for her...but like I said, I tend to lean toward all of you that have actually been through this. Keep us in your prayers....KIM

Oh by the way, does anyone know a person on Whidbey Island Washington that makes carts for dogs? The vet says she's heard on one, but doesn't know how to get in contact. I've tried googling....no luck so far. Thanks again, KIM

[CarolC]

Hi Kim,

I agree about waiting on a cart. Muscle tone comes back with exercise, do not worry about lost muscle tone. The cart company I dealt with did not recommend putting a dog into their cart until at least 6 weeks. Nonsurgical treatment for a disk problem may mean 6-8 weeks of crate rest or even more. Here is a quote about crate rest:

The absolute necessity of cage rest in these animals cannot be overstressed. Failure to do so often contributes to disk herniation. Such a dog can never be hurt by too much cage rest, but certainly devastating results can occur if too little cage rest is used.

I think you might want to call Eddie's Wheels and explain about your dog's stiff legs. Stiff legs are going to make it hard for Haley to use a cart. Carts are generally designed so the hind feet are held up off the ground in stirrups with the legs bent at the knees. (see pictures here http://www.eddieswheels.com/html/design_advantages.html ) If she can't bend her knees, she won't be able to keep her feet up in stirrups, the legs will just shoot straight through the stirrups and the toes will drag. I know because my dog did that. She would stiffen her legs when I put her in the cart and her feet went right through the stirrups and would not stay. (Eventually she was not so spastic and now her knees bend fine, but she was during those first few months). If you try to put the cart in a walking position so that all 4 feet touch the ground, you will probably need some kind of protection for her toes. I used vet wrap, and also tried boots.

I think I know what you mean about her trying to stand but she can't because her legs are stiff. My dog also did that. When she finally learned how to stand, she did not do it the usual way by bending at the knees, she did something like a gymnastic move sort of standing on her hands and swinging her hips into the air so her straight legs landed in a standing position.

With a small dog, you can also do excellent free rehab in the bathtub at home. It may be more effective than using a cart. Hydrotherapy allows the dog to move and use the legs while not having to support much weight. The buoyancy of the water supports the dog's weight and helps with balance. My dog was a bit panicky about being in the tub, and did better in an outdoor wading pool. My dog had to get used to being in the water, she didn't like it at first. The trick was putting her in for 5 minutes the first time, 10 minutes the next time, building up the length of time she was in the water. Here are links demonstrating hydrotherapy. I think you will enjoy them.

http://members.rushmore.com/~dds/Inform ... herapy.htm

http://www.abledogs.net/poppy.html

http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/Water%20Therapy2.htm

http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/Water%20Therapy.htm

[amyd]

Kim, Haley is SO cute. She is a beautiful dog. I can't believe you got those sunglasses! I saw some that looked like BabyPhat and I just laughed. Her color is beautiful. I can tell she is your baby and once things settle down, it'll all be so much easier and not so much a crisis. I'm sure we've all cried at times, for us, for our pets, but in the end, I truly believe all things happen for a reason. I strongly believe God put Brooklyn into our lives for a reason. Maybe the reason is for me to throw dog birthday parties, maybe it's to help other pets like Brooklyn. Either way, the stress at the beginning with trying to figure out WHAT to do was way, way worse than the stress of my daily routine with her. Keep up the great job you are doing. Amy

[KimK]

Hello all, wanted to let you know how my HaleyBop is doing. We passed the big 6 week mark, and now I am gradually letting her out of the crate, a half hour at a time every 3 or 4 hours. She almost seems confused when she's out, and stays as close to me as she can. She still stays in the crate at night, and of course, while I'm at work, so she still is getting plenty of rest for her back. She still knuckles under unfortunately, but is trying like a champ to walk. I know that proprioception is the last hurdle/goal, but it breaks my heart to see her. Her little legs are stiff as can be, and she sort of "drags/waddles" around with them. She stands in her crate constantly, she seems to enjoy being upright. I start hydrotherapy at a certified dog therapy spa in W.Seattle on Tuesday, so I'm hoping that she begins to loosen up a bit in her legs, not so stiff and spastic. Can anyone give me some pointers on how long it took your dogs to start bending at the knees? She has some purposeful movement in her right leg, but nothing so far in the left. And joy of joy, she is trying to move her tail! It goes up slightly when I talk to her, so I know she's trying to wag! Still has bladder control to a point....if she gets excited or too long of a wait (more than 4 hours), oops..... But I don't mind, I have pads down in her crate, and if I need to, I put a diaper on her. Thanks Amyd, for your chihuahua diaper pattern, it saves a bucketful of money! Still have crying jags, but I try to keep as upbeat as possible. Haley seems happy, she loves to snuggle with me up by my neck, and fall asleep. If this is all that the good Lord intends for us, we'll accept it. I haven't ordered a cart for her yet, I'm going to wait after a few weeks of hydrotherapy and see if anything happens. Otherwise, my neighborhood park will see the Bop and I out wheeling! That's one thing I think we both miss desperately, being able to go places and for walks together. Hopefully now that she can be out of the crate for stretches, we can start doing things together again. Thanks to all of you for the advice, information, support, shoulders to cry on, etc. I'll keep you updated!