Spinal injury after dog attack

[lbanimals]

New video update

https://youtu.be/LSmayEXFXLo

She is getting pretty good at getting herself up but can't balance at this point. But seems to continue to improve week over week.

there is actually a local place that does water therapy, so i will ask the vet about that on Wednesday at her next acupuncture appointment.

[CarolC]

WHOOHOO!!!!!
That is GREAT!!! She's happy, too! She is really doing well. It looks like she'll be ready to get out and walk a little pretty soon and it looks like you have slippery floors. Have you thought about getting some rugs so she can keep her footing? There are several other options (boots, Show Foot Spray, Dr Buzby's Toe Grips) but really rugs are the most effective. She may not need the professional PT, she seems to still have her strength, but it's great if you can afford it. A splint would work well. Here are some other options for that front paw, although it looks like she's going to be able to manage on 3 legs soon. It will probably take longer for that one paw to catch up.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/no-knuck ... ining-sock
http://www.therapaw.com/dorsi-flexassist.aspx

[critters]

Congratulations!!

[lbanimals]

A couple video updates. She is still slowly improving. Can stand briefly and can hobble here and there but often falls over. She will go a day or two at a time without even trying to stand, so its been tough to judge. Still plugging along...once a week acupuncture and laser therapy.


https://youtu.be/BwfvIaZTKbI
https://youtu.be/-NviRNmAGj4

[critters]

Sounds promising!

[pdgal]

Wow, great to see she's making progress! She seems very determined - best of luck to a speedy recovery

[lbanimals]

Still jamming along....vet recommended I get her out onto the grass as she would have better traction. Not suprisingly she was right...here are videos of a big lap we made in the grass today.
https://youtu.be/QVWI_CojqtE
https://youtu.be/s4vVms-EKWo
https://youtu.be/63cnVsJU9vE
https://youtu.be/gZnxt3sZ-Mk

[CarolC]

She's doing great! Ya-ay! She has figured out how to get up unassisted! And she's using her front leg. I thought that front leg might be the last to come back, that's really good to see. Have you thought about getting her a chest harness and walking beside her to steady her a little? Like assisted walking? Just a nylon chest harness from Wal-Mart would be all you need to have something to kind of grab. You might start to see some abrasions on the top side of that front paw, that would be normal at this stage. Sometimes they will need either something to keep the foot in the right position, as discussed before, or a bootie for protection. Congratulations to both of you!

[lbanimals]

She has suddenly started getting a lot more mobile. Spending a good amount of time standing and once she gets some momentum going, can even run LOL. I am still carrying her in and out as she gets zero traction on my floors. However, tonight she did pretty well on the porch, so maybe she will start getting better. i had a big rug down but it got peed on (grrrrr) so its on the porch now, being outside traction.

Behold, the progress!

https://youtu.be/jfcs2CuHqYE

[CarolC]

Wow! She's really moving! And you can tell she is feeling good. I agree, getting some speed going does seem to help with the balance. I didn't realize you had so many steps to carry her up and down. You must really be getting a workout! If the injury was April 19, then it will be 7 weeks tomorrow. I hope you can leave the videos up, because it will really help people who are in this situation with a big dog.

[lbanimals]

I look like Hercules. LOL. I'm just kidding, those 8 steps are only required if I want to take her to the grass. Which she does not get to do every day, because i am definitely not hercules. ha ha ha. We usually just go onto the porch (above the steps) straight from the house and she potties up there. So, no steps required if she just needs to potty but 8 steps required if she wants to go to the grass. Going down is treacherous (because I can't see my feet), but going up actually isn't so bad. Definitely a workout. She is getting a lot better about being carried than she ever was before this...of course, 7 weeks of her being picked up and carried 8 times a day.....lets just round it to 400.....

She actually got impatient and tried to run down those steps....it went about as well as expected....she stayed up for about 4 or 5 and then tumbled down the rest. Almost gave me a heart attack.

She is really improving and doing well...still has trouble with her right side and in particular that right front leg....but huge progress for 7 weeks considering she was laid out at first, and required assistance to lay upright versus flat out.

I have a lot of videos I havent posted, from every few days this entire time....I was thinking of making some sort of compilation video (once we get to "the end") with a timeframe listed. Hopefully it would be heartening for others to see.

Here is a less positive video from earlier that same day...my neighbor is roofing and she is freaked out by the nail gun and so started to panic and want to go back to the steps and then she lost control. I am over here giggling, just because she is ridiculous. But you can see how much better she is standing now.

https://youtu.be/byetmnc9c_0

We have continued doing 1x a week acupuncture with e-stim, and cold laser therapy. We are skipping this week, and going to every other week from here on out unless she starts to go backwards. She is getting B-vitamin and omega-3 supplements.

[lbanimals]

Molly is zooming right along. She actually peed and pooped by herself today for the first time! I havent had to "help" her so to speak so far, but she has been peeing and pooping while laying on the front porch all of this time....today she peed while kind of laying/crouched in the grass and then she was able to squat to poop! So exciting, I was totally videoing her running around and had to continue to video the pooping, just for kicks.

https://youtu.be/ugmG0SW5SZM

She is making great progress this week. She still strugglse on the one side and spends a lot of time falling over or laying down to rest, but she can get around well enough out on the grass to be happy. Still doing terrible on the hardwoods.....might have to go buy some runners and try those (and rolling them up when not in use).

Today makes 7 weeks to the day since her accident.

[critters]

Congratulations! Rolling up runners all the time seems like a lot of trouble to me, and I'd just leave them, but maybe that's just me. How about shoes, for traction? Or Show Foot spray? I just looked up some of that at Amazon for my parents' old fur, who can't do slick floors anymore. I'm going to look for my Koi's old shoes for him, too; Koi had been shot in the spine and had wonky legs, too.

[CarolC]

Squatting to potty is an advanced skill in recovery if you ask me. They have to tighten their legs and relax the other part, she is doing GOOD! You know, the way she veers off course, I can't tell if it is her muscle control or a little bit of vestibular stuff/balance going on. I'm not sure how you could tell, maybe the vet or therapist could re-evaluate based on the videos. I'm so glad she's recovering well, after all you went through with the decision about rehoming your other dog. Thank goodness!

[lbanimals]

Molly is doing good. We are doing the acupuncture/laser every other week now. She was still having a terrible time in teh house on the floors, although she was able to walk on the deck (not great, but good enough). I bought her some booties off amazon and now she can walk in the house! So exciting.

A couple outside videos from a few days ago
https://youtu.be/806ILHdmAlI
https://youtu.be/9GFpJ9t2W-Y

Her new booties!
https://youtu.be/9uHDzfxw3aU