new here....any advice welcomed

[joanne26]

hi im joanne new to this forum .......i have a doberman called phoebe who had spinal surgery 4 months ago and is still not on her feet....however she has made some small progress hind legs are doing well front legs are still very stiff....she is currently having hydrotherapy once a week and after doing some online research i have booked her in for some acupuncture, im trying everything to help my baby walk again....everyday is difficult im sure most of you guys on here understand ! if anyone has any advice or tips they would be greatly received ...


heres a pic of my phoebe .......................

[Bobbie]

You might consider using a cart for rehab- several companies make good four-wheel carts that would allow her to walk normally but with her weight supported- similar to the idea of using a walker for a human during rehab. Contrary to what some believe, using a cart does not make a dog dependent on a cart, it allows them to get good exercise (like the treadmill does) and use their legs normally. (Check the myths about carts here:
http://www.petmrc.com/myths.html#myth6)

Not cheap, but for what you get, a real bargain.

Acupuncture is also supposed to be very good, a recent study showed that it can even be as effective as surgery if the surgery is not done early on in the injury.

[CarolC]

Hi Joanne,

I have seen a dog like this with stiff front legs, there was one going to PT at the same place my dog goes to PT. I believe she had surgery on her neck. She was a sweet dog, and she kind of walked without really bending her front legs, and she didn't move her head much. Her back legs were better than the front.

4 months isn't really that long when you are talking about nerves healing. Nerves heal very slowly, but they do improve. Do they have you doing any exercises at home?

Can you describe the daily care in more detail? For example, can she turn herself? If you get her up, can she walk at all? Can she reach her food and water without assistance?

She seems kind of regal in her picture. How much does she weigh? How easily can you lift her?

I think I will have many more questions, but I kind of need more to go on. There are a lot of products that might make life easier if I have a clearer idea of your daily care.

[joanne26]

thank you so much for your replys....firstly i would love to get phoebe a quad cart as i know this would help her very much however its not financially possible at the moment but im definatley looking into it...................carol phoebe is having daily physio at home ive been shown how to do some basic exercises, stretches etc.....we have a hoist which we put her on to help us to do some standing up work with her....she can barley turn herself over although she tries bless her!! shes just started to be able to sit the front half of her body up ( especially if theres a treat on offer) she cant stand at all , she doesnt have the strength or the balance , she has lots of muscle wastage and has lost quite alot of weight ( the pic i have posted is her before the surgery ) she does however have control over her bladder and bowel movements..the small progress she has made is that her back legs she can move easily and her front legs are not as stiff its easier to bend them....its heartbreaking seeing her like this everyday but i cant give up on her she had her first accupunture session the other day which seemed to have helped to loosen her limbs slightly i am going to carry on with a few more sessions see how she responds ...hope that helps to give you a clearer pic of the situation ...thank you again any advice or reassurance is welcomed

[CarolC]

Thanks...can you tell me where the injury was...neck, upper back, mid-back, lower back? If she has bowel and bladder control, that is very, very encouraging!

Muscle tone does come back as neurological status improves.

Could you possibly post a picture of your hoist? I also used a hoist for my big dog, could not have managed without it.

Also, do you have a good harness? (I assume you must be using one with the hoist.)

[joanne26]

apoligies for the late reply .....phoebes injury was in her neck ...however i just wanted to post an update of her amazing progress its been 7 months of hard work and tears...but the last month she has massively improved she still cant walk but she now has movement in all four limbs she has started to balance when i stand her up only for about a minute but this is still great news also she now kicks all four legs in the pool when i take her for her weekly hydrotherapy sessions shes getting stronger each week jusrt wanted to say to people going through the same or similar situation hang on in there i never thought phoebe would get better ...theres still a long way to go but im with her every step of the way xx

[CarolC]

It is wonderful that now you are starting to see visible improvement. All the d-a-i-l-y nursing and turning and moving and laundering and scheduling and exercising and weekly hydrotherapy sessions and just standing by her loyally and giving her a chance are paying off, hallelujah! I hope it starts to get easier for you, there is nothing like seeing results to keep you going!!!

[joanne26]

7 months after last post and over a year since phoebes spinal surgery.....just got to say what a difference a year makes ........phoebe has massively improved she is able to walk around the house and now manages short walks she is slowly getting stronger ...however she drags her left front paw when walking was just wondering if anyone could reccomend the best boots to buy? as she keeps cutting her paw ................


would also like to say to anyone helping their pet recover after spinal surgery hang on in there .....i did and my doberman phoebe is living proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel xxxx

[CarolC]

I can only imagine how much it has taken to get her to here. That is an accomplishment. I don't know the words for it, people have to actually do this to appreciate the amount of work and energy and commitment and everything that goes into it.

I'm thinking if she has a drop foot, maybe you want some kind of splint instead?

http://www.ivis.org/special_books/Braun ... /fig21.asp

http://www.orthopets.com/gallery5a.htm

http://www.handicappedpets.com/walkin-w ... plint.html

http://www.orthovet.com/storefront.html ... gory_id=13

I hope someone will know a good front boot to recommend.

[joanne26]

just an update on phoebe .........its been roughly 2 years since my doberman phoebe had spinal surgery and she is now walking, running and basically doing all the things she used to do her stamina has much improved , its been a tough journey but so worth it to see my dog walk and even run again which a year or so ago i didnt think was possible.......miracles do happen!! ........thanks for the support from the lovely animal lovers on this site .... .................

[CarolC]

This is amazing. Joanne, I am SO glad to hear this. Nobody will ever know how much work you did, with a dog that size, unless they've done it. I am so glad it worked out for both of you. Hope you will be able to come and give people tips, it means more coming from someone who's been there and done it, especially with a really large dog like that. Congratulations!

[joanne26]

Not posted for a while n the last time i did it was with great news however im posting today with a heavy broken heart yesterday we had to make the heart breaking decision to lay my beloved phoebe to rest. Her quality of life had become very poor and after months of thinking about it sadly it was the kindest thing that could of been done....wobblers disease is heartbreaking however my advice would be to anyone with a dog with this problem would be dont give up!! Myself and my amazing dog phoebe didnt and she had another 4 years of life after her surgery and rehabilitation they was lots of ups and downs happy times but some sad ones too.....however i can honestly say if i had the time again i would do the same again. I feel very lucky to have owned such a beautiful kind strong willed clever dog i will never forget her she will always be in my heart ...rest in peace my beautiful girl xxxxxxx

[critters]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[CarolC]

I can't believe it's been that long, it doesn't seem like it's possible. I was just thinking of you and Phoebe the other day, isn't that something? Yes, we make the decision to try to save them, and then we have both good times and some sad times, but that is life and we share it together, and in the end that is what matters. I am so glad you were able to do what it took to help her recover from the surgery 4 years ago, it can never be easy with a dog that size and with that much loss of mobility. I don't think anyone can ever really know the amount of work that went into it, besides you and Phoebe. The rest of the world can only guess. The degree to which she recovered was surely the greatest reward for all the hard work. She was so so so fortunate to have you by her side. You were the best friend she could ever possibly have. I'm very sorry for your loss.

[joanne26]

Thanks so much for your kind words....carol its nice to know there is a place like this for people to come for help advice or just words of comfort. I certainly will tell phoebes story forever and keep her memory alive i feel happy she is at peace ....thanks again