Just an update on Pip. His gait does not appear noticeably better, but he is noticeably faster. He is still falling frequently, but I would say he is expending less emotional energy in frustration and disheartenment, because he knows he can get back to sternal without extended fruitless effort.
He is still having an issue with steering. I can only conclude that the front legs are primarily responsible for steering. He will make a good run a short distance, then have to course correct at a sharp angle. The sharp angle is tricky and is an opportunity for losing one's balance. This is a problem a rear paralyzed dog does not have.
Basically I think what he is doing to make a slight turn is slowing down a lot, then shifting nearly all weight to his hind feet in order to lift both front feet and plant them in the new direction. In other words, he does not seem to be moving his front feet in the new direction incrementally step by step. It's like, 1) go straight 2) slow down 3) almost stand on your hind legs 4) put your front feet back down again in the new direction, and 5) hopefully continue walking.
His other method is to come to a stop in sternal position when he knows he is going too far in the wrong direction. So he pauses and rests. Then when he is ready to start again, as he is getting to his feet, he can use those strong hind legs to kind of leap himself into the new direction on that first step. (This may make no sense if you do not have a dog like this.)
We are not doing much of the carry exercise now. Since a week ago, or a little longer, I have just been taking him outdoors every few hours and letting him walk/run. I put him by the fence and he goes to the back door. We do this 2 or 3 times. It is still an effort for him, and he gets tired by the third time, but then we go out and do it again a few hours later, repeat. We are still doing Wall Treats morning and evening. He still knuckles a little on both front feet occasionally, doing Wall Treats on carpet, but does well.
He is very heat intolerant, and there isn't much shade in the yard as the trees have not leafed out yet, but it is in the high 70's. Partly it's because he is black, but so is Dolly and she stands the heat better. He still does not drink from a bowl and gets his water mixed in his food. They said his swallowing problem is unrelated to his cervical spinal injury. He will take a few laps if he is extremely hot, but then he does his little heh-heh-heh cough because of something with his swallowing. It makes me even more careful about not letting him overheat, so we do short sessions, and the summer is only going to get hotter.
I was remembering Cricket, who was considered a spinal walker (which Pip is not). Cricket and Pip really don't have a lot in common, except the amount of ataxia while still managing to walk. Cricket had quite a bit of sway and ataxia in his hindquarters. He walked and ran happily but with very visible effects in his gait. I started thinking if this is as good as Pip will get, it will be harder for him than Cricket, and I felt a little discouraged. I would say his gait is neater than Cricket's was, but with his front legs affected he falls a lot, and a dog with hind leg issues like Cricket could just get back up with little problem. Front legs mean tripping, flopping, a shoulder roll.
If he was 7 when I adopted him (so they said), then he's 8 now, and I don't like to think of him continuing to fall as he ages. But then I look at how he is going faster this week than last week, and I just need to not worry about it. He is happier being able to get himself around any kind of way for now. I might (?) expect him to lose some mobility with age, but I don't know. Right now he does not have a lot of margin that he could afford to lose. But he is still improving, and that is just thinking out loud.