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Neurological Disorders Resources. Treatment and care for pets having pain or trouble walking or standing due to spinal injuries or neurological disorders like IVDD, FCE and DM.
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nevanikole
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Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:41 pm

New Here!

Post by nevanikole »

Hello! I just came across this message board and thought it would be helpful to join. I have a 110lb, 9-year-old female Bullmastiff who was diagnosed with a brain tumor (glioma) April 2021 (no symptoms aside from one grand mal seizure). She received conventional radiation, phenobarbital (still on it) and prednisone (still on it) since then, and her January scanned showed the tumor was completely gone. However, since last summer, she has had severe hind limb muscle atrophy, which progressed to dragging her hind legs, buckling her feet and having unsteady gait. Her doctors chalked it up to long-term steroid usage and inner ear fluid (radiation side effect) which contributed to her balance issues. The past few weeks it has become more severe. She could still stand and walk, albeit unsteadily and was very weak. On Sunday night, she stopped walking altogether and when I tried to pick her up she could no longer stand on her own -- it was sudden, as just a few hour later she was able to still get around the yard on her own. I feared her brain tumor was back. She went to the emergency vet (luckily also where her neurology team are and down the street from my house), and after a few hours, she was able to stand. They did an MRI on her brain and spine yesterday -- thankfully, the tumor is still gone, but nothing was clearly evident from the spinal MRI. Her neurologist said sometimes the disc right above the tail could be herniated without the dog showing much pain, and that it is sometimes hidden in the MRI (while other dogs scream out in pain with the same issue) -- and that may be the case with her, despite no pain on physical exam. So we have some exclusionary diagnoses -- either that, or DM, but so coincidental as all of these side effects are also consistent with brain tumors and steroid usage, which she had both. She is home now and is able to stand on her own again and get around very unsteadily in the small room I have her confined to for the next four weeks. They also increased her prednisone to assist with inflammation if there is any. She is walking with the assistance of a makeshift towel sling until the harness comes in, which is more than she was on Sunday (again, she couldn't even stand). I ordered a help-em up harness and also have access to a wheelchair her size. Not sure if anyone else here had a similar case. Thanks in advance for reading, and wishing all of your pups the best!
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CarolC
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Post by CarolC »

Hi nevanikole,
:group:

I'm sure it would be nicer to have a firm diagnosis so you could make a better guess at the probable course of what's going on.

I'm glad you're getting a heavy duty harness. It will make life easier. Another option for a temporary sling for a big dog can be seen here.
viewtopic.php?f=66&t=21612&p=109106

It sounds like you are getting her in and out of the car OK. Just for information, there is a nice website about a large breed dog that was fully quadriplegic, and it shows the hydraulic lift they used to get him into the car for appointments.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20046

I made a lift to get my golden retriever into his wheelchair because I couldn't lift him. Here is a description.
http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Engine_hoist_for_a_heavy_dog

We had a wonderful dog here named Bully who was a quadriplegic bullmastiff who recovered his walking. Here is a picture of the wheeled platform they used to take him out to the grass.
viewtopic.php?f=66&t=21485

The only thing I can think to add is, sometimes incontinence will accompany rear end deficits. There are lots of brands of dog diapers and it should be easy to find her size.
https://www.seasonals.com/collections/f ... dog-diaper
One trick for a temporary dog diaper is to put men's briefs on backward with the tail through the fly.

If you get to the stage where she needs diapers, we have information here on getting enough absorbency for a large dog. If she starts to leak in bed, keeping her bed dry is the most important thing to prevent sores.

There is also information and videos on expressing the bladder if she gets to where that would be helpful. Just ask if you need links. It's pretty cool. :D

Hope your dog does well, and they figure out what is going on.
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critters
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Re: New Here!

Post by critters »

:welcomepurple:
nevanikole
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Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:41 pm

Re: New Here!

Post by nevanikole »

THANK YOU SO MUCH! This board is a wonderful wealth of information, and I appreciate all of the additional large-breed specific links. Thanks for all you do! :)
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