positive sign?

[jazzybaby]

I have an update on Jasmine and I am hoping it is a good sign. Jasmine has been paralyzed since last April after having IVDD surgery. She has been doing really well walking and standing. She is still doing therapy once a month with her therapist and we still work with her every daym, and we have to express her bladder but she has always been able to have a BM on her own. We finally found her a new harness that works well for her so we can start to take her outside again. On Saturday we were visiting my parents were she got to go swimming earlier in the day, when we noticed that around dinner time she got up to go into the other room and there was a wet spot where she was sitting. And then another wet spot where she had moved to. So we thought maybe would would try to take her outside and see what would happen since now she is able to stand on her own. Well when I was trying to fit her for her harness she started going pee again. and then once she got outside she did a little walking sitting thing and went pee again. She was walking all over the yard. But we have not been able to get her to go again since Saturday evening. There is no change in color or smell and her drink habbits have not changed. Does anyone have and advise or has had this happen to them after so long of not being able to go on there own. Her vet said at her last check up that if it had not come back by now it most likely would not.

stacy

[CarolC]

Do you have any idea if she was fuller than usual? It sounds like the urinating in the back yard was intentional, and that is very cool 8) even if she hasn't done it again. My dog's physical therapist said that when it comes to return of bladder function, you need to wait at least 3 months to see, and 6 months to be sure. Whatever you have at 6 months in terms of bladder function is pretty much what you're going to have. I think your vet is saying if it isn't back by 3 months it won't be, but that's different than what my dog's therapist said. Also, with my Katie, she never developed full bladder control, I still express her, but at the 5 month point (I think it was a little after that) she became able to help me when I squeezed, which made things much easier. So my dog did show improvement in bladder function at the 5-6 month point. I would give it some more time.

[jazzybaby]

Carol, thanks for the response. It has been 15 months since her surgery and lose of bladder function. So i'm not really sure what to make of it since her vet said the same thing as yours did if nothing after 6 months than most likely not. I don't think she was much fuller than she normally is. I am so proud of her for at least going that once. I thought maybe if I keep taking her out to give her the chance to go on her own and if not just expressing like I normally do.

[smithpk85]

Stacy,
That is wonderful that Jasmine went on her own! She had to be feeling something to squat on her own...some sort of sensation. It sounds encouraging to me. I would keep taking her out to the grass and see if she can go on her own. One thing that seemed to help my Maggie was the other dog we have, Chloe. Maggie would always smell around where Chloe peed and would squat on top of it and pee. Are there any other dogs around your area where you could take Jasmine? Maybe if she smells the urine of another dog she might try to go on her own.

Pam

[jazzybaby]

Pam, Thanks that is a very good idea. We don't have any other dogs of our own however there are many dogs that live in our apartment building so I'm sure she could find something outside from another dog. We even have a little dog park that I could try to take her to. We have only been taking her outside in the evenings as the days have been so hot she will just lay down and look up at us like I know you can do this for me so why am I out here. So we have stopped taking her out during the day and only when things cool down plus we noticed if there was a lot going on around outside she could care less about smelling so there are not as many kids out playing after dark so it seems to keep her smelling and walking around. Thanks again.

stacy