HELP !! New @ All of This
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:30 am
Hi Everyone
I'm hoping for some advice, support, ideas anything to make this easier. My cocker spaniel was a rescue puppy at 8 wks, h'll be four in April. In October of this year he had an episode were he was severely limping and would not do the stairs etc. I had no idea what was going on - I took him to the vet, thinking lymes disease only to find out he "broke " a disc near the siatic nerve area. I was told this was the beginning of IVDD. I took him home with meds & rest he recovered quickly like a week or so with only an occasional limp till now ... I rescued yet another 8 week old puppy two weeks ago, brought her home -Dutchie (cocker) was slightly annoyed but it was fine. We did leave him overnight outside of the cage to pick up the puppy, I do not know if he did something during that period (him and the puppy really did not play at all to cause any injury). A day or so in to being home he starts gradually limping then one morning boom- he appears totally paralyzed, dragging his back legs completely. We get him to the vet, they were talking a 6000 dollar surgery right away which is not guaranteed to work !! The Vet gave us an option to see if an overnight stay would get him back on his feet since the last disc healed nicely. It did, two nights, I dediced to care for him at home bc he was not happy there. I am and he is standing now but tipping, he can prob take 7 steps bf hes done again, he is not dragging at all anymore. He does not have full control of his bladder or rectum & he can not fully hold a squat to poop. So here I am two kids 5 & 7, a 8 week old puppy, a disabled cocker spaniel and Im worried.. Is he ever going to recover fully ? How long is too long to wait. I read 6 weeks cage confinement.. the surgery is not an option for us, unfortuanetly. We are really holding out hope he has a recovery and can resume normal activity soon. I dont know what to do at this point. Help
I'm hoping for some advice, support, ideas anything to make this easier. My cocker spaniel was a rescue puppy at 8 wks, h'll be four in April. In October of this year he had an episode were he was severely limping and would not do the stairs etc. I had no idea what was going on - I took him to the vet, thinking lymes disease only to find out he "broke " a disc near the siatic nerve area. I was told this was the beginning of IVDD. I took him home with meds & rest he recovered quickly like a week or so with only an occasional limp till now ... I rescued yet another 8 week old puppy two weeks ago, brought her home -Dutchie (cocker) was slightly annoyed but it was fine. We did leave him overnight outside of the cage to pick up the puppy, I do not know if he did something during that period (him and the puppy really did not play at all to cause any injury). A day or so in to being home he starts gradually limping then one morning boom- he appears totally paralyzed, dragging his back legs completely. We get him to the vet, they were talking a 6000 dollar surgery right away which is not guaranteed to work !! The Vet gave us an option to see if an overnight stay would get him back on his feet since the last disc healed nicely. It did, two nights, I dediced to care for him at home bc he was not happy there. I am and he is standing now but tipping, he can prob take 7 steps bf hes done again, he is not dragging at all anymore. He does not have full control of his bladder or rectum & he can not fully hold a squat to poop. So here I am two kids 5 & 7, a 8 week old puppy, a disabled cocker spaniel and Im worried.. Is he ever going to recover fully ? How long is too long to wait. I read 6 weeks cage confinement.. the surgery is not an option for us, unfortuanetly. We are really holding out hope he has a recovery and can resume normal activity soon. I dont know what to do at this point. Help