Tucker's Journey - spinal deformity (6 mos old)

[sunspirit]

Hi everyone - I came to the handicapped pets site to find out about wheelchairs for dogs and found this forum. It's wonderful to have a place where you can get information from people who have experience and know exactly what you are going through.

I noticed last week that Tucker, my 6 mos old pug, stumbled when he went down the stairs and that his gait didn’t look quite right. I took him to the vet on Monday. Then began a whirlwind week of trips to vets and a neurological specialist. Result: Tucker has a severe spinal deformity and will likely need a wheelchair for awhile if not permanently. That is much better than the original potential diagnosis I was given Monday. He has rapidly been losing control over his back legs over the past week.

Here’s the MRI that was done this week showing the spinal deformity. It’s strange that his back doesn’t look deformed on the outside.



Does anyone have experience with this kind of deformity? Has your dog been able to continue to walk?

Here’s a pic of the Tuckerman in his bomber jacket taken at the beach last weekend. He is such a special puppy, my very first dog and loved by many:



So far, he is able to urinate and defecate. I don't have any guidance right now other than keeping him quiet but I should get more information on Monday. In the meantime, I could use whatever words of wisdom you can give me.

Thank you.

[Wise Owl]

Hi, welcome to the pet forum...I refuse to call any of the pets here handicapped, they are only temporarily needing special help.

Is there any chance that your pup can grow out of this? Any chance on surgical repair? A brace maybe to help straighten the spine? Chiropractic adjustments?

Please look around at the information here and ask questions. I do not know if anyone here has a similar problems or not but I am sure someone who has been a member longer might know.
Just know you are not alone anymore.

[sunspirit]

Thanks Wise Owl. I agree - our furbabies are not handicapped, just in need of assistance. It just happens to be the name of the website. It's definitely not what I put in the search engine when I was looking for help.

The specialist didn't give me any indication that Tucker would grow out of this or that anything can be done as far as braces. In fact he said it wasn't like scoliosis in children where they have time to work with the spine. He has said in his experience, surgery has not been a successful option and I have read that on-line also. I have already called a local veterinary clinic that provides acupuncture and chiropractic treatment but have not heard back. I also read information about physical therapy that I will pursue when I am given the okay.

At first I was resigned to the fact that Tucker would be paralyzed - which was better than the original possible diagnosis of pug dog encephalitis. I can just picutre him running around in a dog wheelchair being a happy camper. I am still okay with that possibility but am thinking it might be possible for him to improve with the right treatment so was wondering what other people's experience has been.

I am trying to keep positive but sometimes it just gets me down so I appreciated seeing this forum. I was reading the thread on Malkie and it gave me hope when others said caring for paralyzed dogs is not as overwhelming as some people make it out to be. That was my thought too, but I have already had one person suggest euthanasia or giving him to someone who doesn't work.

I just want what's best for my special little guy. He has brought me much joy in his short life so far.

[CarolC]

Here’s the MRI that was done this week showing the spinal deformity. It’s strange that his back doesn’t look deformed on the outside.

I agree, it seems like it would be noticeable.

I am trying to keep positive but sometimes it just gets me down so I appreciated seeing this forum. I was reading the thread on Malkie and it gave me hope when others said caring for paralyzed dogs is not as overwhelming as some people make it out to be. That was my thought too, but I have already had one person suggest euthanasia or giving him to someone who doesn't work.

Many of us here with paralyzed pets are single and work full time. I come home at lunch to care for my dog. Many vets think you may not be willing or able to provide the extra care required, but once you make it clear to your vet that you intend to care for this dog, hopefully s/he will support you. If not, then you may need to consider another vet.

It sounds like you will need to be observant, since the condition is something that could change over time. He might be urinating normally one day, but only have partial control the next. With partial control, they can appear to be urinating normally because they are still urinating without assistance, however you don't realize they aren't emptying the bladder completely. This sets them up for an infection, because some stale urine remains in the bladder all the time. The answer is to express the bladder to ensure it is emptied properly. I guess you'll have to play it by ear. If your dog continues to urinate on his own, but he gets a urinary tract infection, you may need to start expressing him. That is what some people do while their pet is recovering from paralysis. You express just to be safe until you are sure control is complete. Critters has been through this with her pet and may be able to help you.

Here is information on expressing, but right now you probably mainly need to be familiar with the signs of urinary tract infection, listed near the top.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Express_a_dog_or_cat

You mentioned that he is able to urinate and defecate on his own. You probably don't need to worry much about change in bowel function. Even with complete paralysis, the bowel basically takes care of itself. :)

Have you considered baby-gating off the stairs, or thought about ramps? Something to prevent the impact of stairs so he doesn't get worse.

Eddie's Wheels makes carts for scoliosis.

http://www.eddieswheels.com/html/one_of_a_kind.html

[sunspirit]

thanks Carol for your comments about single working owners being able to care fo disabled pets. To let you know, it wasn't my vet or the specialist who made the comment about giving up Tucker or euthanizing. It was a friends mother. I wasn't real happy when I got her message. My vet sounded thrilled that I wanted to pursue a cart.

Thanks for the link to the page on Eddie's wheels about carts for dogs with scoliosis. I definitely want to get a cart soon and am researching to find the right one. It's hard to tell which would be best so I'm reading about people's personal experiences with different carts on this site and other forums. I was all set to buy a K9 cart and then someone with a pug suggested a different one. Since it sounds like crate rest is indicated for awhile, I guess I don't need to be in a big rush.

I just talked to my dad today about ramps for Tucker. Fortunately, the stairs that need to have ramps are not full staircases, just a step or two. There are several places where ramps will need to be installed.

[CarolC]

Since it sounds like crate rest is indicated for awhile, I guess I don't need to be in a big rush.

Whew! I'm glad to hear you say that. I didn't want to "talk out of school" and recommend crate rest outright because I'm unfamiliar with this type of spinal condition, but "better safe than sorry" is always a good rule with back problems. You may see a little improvement with the crate rest, or prevent the condition from becoming worse while you research carts.

My dog has a wire crate with a water dish attached to the wires. There is a thick blanket folded in the bottom, and I spread a fresh bath towel over the blanket every day. She is small and the crate is up on the kitchen table where she can see out the windows to the front yard and back yard. Having the crate up high not only gives her a view, but makes caring for her easier. Just be sure your dog doesn't rush out and do a dive off the table when you open the door...close the door if you step away even for a second. I also have 2 playpens for my dog, one on the sun porch and one in the bedroom next to the bed. A good playpen is about $40 at Target, or you can get them much cheaper at secondhand stores.

Here are guidelines on doing crate rest, if you haven't already seen them.

http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/After_Surgery.htm