Ricky Bobby has stopped walking
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rickybobby
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Ricky Bobby has stopped walking
My 8 month pug Ricky Bobby has in the last 36 hours stopped walking today. He was scheduled for surgery on Wed. of next week to try an external fixture that would be tightened bi-weekly to straighten his spine to decompress his hemivertebra which is causing the problem. Since he now seems to be paralyzed in his rear legs they say the surgery would not be successful anyway because of this condition. The vet is a neurologist who has great credentials but of course we are heartbroken to to see him immobile. I have already ordered a cart but have not given up on trying to find another procedure but am discouraged as I had hope to try the surgery next week and it is now gone. Anyone know of any research being done, I think I heard something about some success at Cornell. Any help is of course greatly appreciated.
Hi - Welcome! You have found a great place for support and information. I am so sorry to hear about RickyBobby and his surgery being cancelled due to him having a sudden turn for the worse. I didn't even know that type of surgery was available. My neurologist told me that surgery is only 25% successful but I don't think he was talking about the type of surgery you described - where the spine is straightened gradually with an external device.
My pug Tucker was diagnosed when he was 6 months old in Sept 2006. I got a wheelchair bue he didn't really need it until June. He has a severe spinal curvature caused by a hemivertebrae. Here's an MRI of his spine
Another woman I met on this forum was able to restore full movement to her bulldog through physical therapy she did at home. I'll post another message with what she said worked for her.
Tucker is a happy camper and an ambassador for the possibilities available to special needs pets. So many people have no idea.
I'll write more later - I need to get back to work. Hang in there - it will get better for you and Rickybobby - whether or not he regains the ability to walk.
My pug Tucker was diagnosed when he was 6 months old in Sept 2006. I got a wheelchair bue he didn't really need it until June. He has a severe spinal curvature caused by a hemivertebrae. Here's an MRI of his spine
Another woman I met on this forum was able to restore full movement to her bulldog through physical therapy she did at home. I'll post another message with what she said worked for her.
Tucker is a happy camper and an ambassador for the possibilities available to special needs pets. So many people have no idea.
I'll write more later - I need to get back to work. Hang in there - it will get better for you and Rickybobby - whether or not he regains the ability to walk.
Here's the information about Mabelline's therapy:
I did not go regularly to the therapy hospital. I went one time, and the doctor there gave me a treatment plan. She did not feel I needed to come there regularly at first; she wanted to see how Mabelline did with therapy at home, and then we would gauge it that way.
With the swimming, Mabelline has to wear a life vest because english bulldogs cannot swim. They sink like a stone! So, I got her the vest they recommended at the rehab place, which has a handle on top of it like a suitcase. I have two kids, ages four and six, and we have one of those Intex pools for them. It's about three feet deep and ten feet in diameter. I would get in there with her, and let her just paddle herself from one end to the other. With only a ten foot pool, she would get to the other side very quickly, so what I would do is hold her "suitcase handle" on top of her vest, and keep her in one place and she would just keep paddling and paddling. I would do it for two and a half minutes, then lift her out for rest onto this little platform we had, and then put her in again. At first, I limited it, but then would increase it gradually.
I would also encourage her to do anything she could to bear weight on her rear legs. We have an ottomon next to the couch, so I'd put her front paws on that and hold her up there for a minute, then release. Using a small yoga ball is good, because you can roll it back and forth with them on it, and it pushes the weight back and forth in "reps."
The other thing that I did was to walk her every morning and evening. We have a big fenced in backyard, but I would take her on a leash and walk her at a trotting pace for one block at a time, then rest. At first, we only walked for about ten minutes. Now we walk about two miles a day. I have to always bear in mind that Mabelline is a bulldog and they aren't exactly "athletic" if you know what I mean. But she does enjoy her walks with our other bulldog Romeo.
I kept up the above routine just about every day. At first, Mabelline didn't change at all. With her, she got progressively worse, then when I started doing the exercising, she got better and better. It was gradual, but noticeable. There was a point in time when she was literally dragging her rear legs around behind her, and getting all kinds of sores on her. Now, she runs, and I mean RUNS, from one end of the yard to the other. She walks virtually normal. I say "virtually" because she does have a kind of "swagger" to her walk, which is largely the way bulldogs walk. Her main weakness is on her right rear, but you cannot really notice it. She is very active. She jumps on and off the couch; she wrestles with our bulldog Romeo, who is about 55 lbs. She is just not the same dog. I remember at my daughter Brenna's birthday party, which was on June 24th, Mabelline had lost all function in her rear legs, and my mom was almost crying watching her try and walk. By my son's birthday party, which was on August 26th, she was bolting from one end of the yard to the other. No one could believe it.
This was what was written on her discharge from the neurologist on June 27th:
"Thoracic and lumbar spinal radiographs reveal evidence of five hemivertebrae. An MRI revealed congenital malformation of the spine with multiple hemivertebrae resulting in significant spinal cord compression. Due to multiple sites, surgery is not considered a feasible treatment option. As we discussed, Mabelline's condition is very serious. While she may remain static, she is likely to worsen to the point that she will require stronger anti-inflammatories such as steroids. She may require a cart in the near future to facilitate her movement. She may decline to the point where her quality of life is in question, and euthanasia should be considered."
I really intend to take her back to that moronic neurologist, who basically recommended that I put her down right then and there, and show her that Mabelline is fine now. She's healthy and happy. I read somewhere that in dogs with hemivertebrae, their condition is very changeable as they are growing. They continue to grow until they are over a year old. The hemivertebrae are actually "moveable" during that time. As Mabelline was five months old at the time, and growing like a weed, I think that's what happened to her.
A couple of other things. During the time of her recuperation, I tried to keep her on the quieter side. I didn't let her climb stairs or jump on or off of anything. I did not let her wrestle with Romey. I avoided anything that could cause a "jarring" of her spine. Now I don't really monitor that because she's like a "hurricane" and just is all over the place. Also, I tried to keep her weight monitored (although, as I told you, she's a total sausage now).
I did not go regularly to the therapy hospital. I went one time, and the doctor there gave me a treatment plan. She did not feel I needed to come there regularly at first; she wanted to see how Mabelline did with therapy at home, and then we would gauge it that way.
With the swimming, Mabelline has to wear a life vest because english bulldogs cannot swim. They sink like a stone! So, I got her the vest they recommended at the rehab place, which has a handle on top of it like a suitcase. I have two kids, ages four and six, and we have one of those Intex pools for them. It's about three feet deep and ten feet in diameter. I would get in there with her, and let her just paddle herself from one end to the other. With only a ten foot pool, she would get to the other side very quickly, so what I would do is hold her "suitcase handle" on top of her vest, and keep her in one place and she would just keep paddling and paddling. I would do it for two and a half minutes, then lift her out for rest onto this little platform we had, and then put her in again. At first, I limited it, but then would increase it gradually.
I would also encourage her to do anything she could to bear weight on her rear legs. We have an ottomon next to the couch, so I'd put her front paws on that and hold her up there for a minute, then release. Using a small yoga ball is good, because you can roll it back and forth with them on it, and it pushes the weight back and forth in "reps."
The other thing that I did was to walk her every morning and evening. We have a big fenced in backyard, but I would take her on a leash and walk her at a trotting pace for one block at a time, then rest. At first, we only walked for about ten minutes. Now we walk about two miles a day. I have to always bear in mind that Mabelline is a bulldog and they aren't exactly "athletic" if you know what I mean. But she does enjoy her walks with our other bulldog Romeo.
I kept up the above routine just about every day. At first, Mabelline didn't change at all. With her, she got progressively worse, then when I started doing the exercising, she got better and better. It was gradual, but noticeable. There was a point in time when she was literally dragging her rear legs around behind her, and getting all kinds of sores on her. Now, she runs, and I mean RUNS, from one end of the yard to the other. She walks virtually normal. I say "virtually" because she does have a kind of "swagger" to her walk, which is largely the way bulldogs walk. Her main weakness is on her right rear, but you cannot really notice it. She is very active. She jumps on and off the couch; she wrestles with our bulldog Romeo, who is about 55 lbs. She is just not the same dog. I remember at my daughter Brenna's birthday party, which was on June 24th, Mabelline had lost all function in her rear legs, and my mom was almost crying watching her try and walk. By my son's birthday party, which was on August 26th, she was bolting from one end of the yard to the other. No one could believe it.
This was what was written on her discharge from the neurologist on June 27th:
"Thoracic and lumbar spinal radiographs reveal evidence of five hemivertebrae. An MRI revealed congenital malformation of the spine with multiple hemivertebrae resulting in significant spinal cord compression. Due to multiple sites, surgery is not considered a feasible treatment option. As we discussed, Mabelline's condition is very serious. While she may remain static, she is likely to worsen to the point that she will require stronger anti-inflammatories such as steroids. She may require a cart in the near future to facilitate her movement. She may decline to the point where her quality of life is in question, and euthanasia should be considered."
I really intend to take her back to that moronic neurologist, who basically recommended that I put her down right then and there, and show her that Mabelline is fine now. She's healthy and happy. I read somewhere that in dogs with hemivertebrae, their condition is very changeable as they are growing. They continue to grow until they are over a year old. The hemivertebrae are actually "moveable" during that time. As Mabelline was five months old at the time, and growing like a weed, I think that's what happened to her.
A couple of other things. During the time of her recuperation, I tried to keep her on the quieter side. I didn't let her climb stairs or jump on or off of anything. I did not let her wrestle with Romey. I avoided anything that could cause a "jarring" of her spine. Now I don't really monitor that because she's like a "hurricane" and just is all over the place. Also, I tried to keep her weight monitored (although, as I told you, she's a total sausage now).
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rickybobby
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Thank you so much for your reply. Our first day has been tough, Ricky seems rather anxious about his loss of his rear legs and is such a sweet little boy who seems lost in this new world. He has pooped, not seemingly under his control but I do not believe he has urinated though he has drank very little water today. I have tried to express him to no avail and guess I will take him to the vets in the early morning if I have no success. I am worried about him for sure. Thanks again, Rob
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Paul Coover
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:18 am
- Location: Houlton, Maine
- Contact:
Have you checked out www.dodgerslist.com? They have the most extensive information there regarding IVDD and any research thatis being done.
We have 9 dachshunds total.
We have 2 dachshunds that are paralyzed and use wheelchair carts. We also have Riley, a dachshund that we adopted as a downed dog but he recovered. Here is his story:
http://www.handicappedpets.com/gallery/riley11/
We also have Johanna, a dachshund that was left paralyzed from an attack with a baseball bat.
Here is a link to when Johanna and I were on the news in Boston last year.
http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/specialreport/BO25472/
Pork Chop has a slipped disc in his neck that has left him paralyzed.
Handicapped and disabled dogs can live very happy and healthy lives, as I hope you can see. Remember, being disabled doesn't mean being destroyed!
It is important to keep a good, positive atitude right now. I know it is very difficult, but it is so important right now. Your dog will feed off of your energy, and you want to give them the best possible chance to recover as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Good luck!
We have 9 dachshunds total.
We have 2 dachshunds that are paralyzed and use wheelchair carts. We also have Riley, a dachshund that we adopted as a downed dog but he recovered. Here is his story:
http://www.handicappedpets.com/gallery/riley11/
We also have Johanna, a dachshund that was left paralyzed from an attack with a baseball bat.
Here is a link to when Johanna and I were on the news in Boston last year.
http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/specialreport/BO25472/
Pork Chop has a slipped disc in his neck that has left him paralyzed.
Handicapped and disabled dogs can live very happy and healthy lives, as I hope you can see. Remember, being disabled doesn't mean being destroyed!
It is important to keep a good, positive atitude right now. I know it is very difficult, but it is so important right now. Your dog will feed off of your energy, and you want to give them the best possible chance to recover as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Good luck!
Weinerdogs Rule!
-Paul Coover
http://www.myspace.com/paulcoover
Hello from Kebo, Riley, Willy, Johanna, Pork Chop, Auggie, Buddy, Sadie & Spartacus.
We miss you Pedro...
-Paul Coover
http://www.myspace.com/paulcoover
Hello from Kebo, Riley, Willy, Johanna, Pork Chop, Auggie, Buddy, Sadie & Spartacus.
We miss you Pedro...
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rickybobby
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Thank you sunspirit, it did come on slowly but finally culminated in him not being able to walk. He was on predisone , we are just now weening him off since he is immobile. I went to the emergency room last night and they could not express him as his abdominal muscles are too strong and he will not relax to express so they used a catheter. I went to his regular vet this morning and had the same experience. Though they were completely sincere and compassionate and had always adored him but their prognosis of not being able to express was not good and the concept of putting him to sleep was not dismissed. We are of course in shock, it is really my son's dog who has gone off to college but is home this weekend and I do not have heart to tell him of the possibility. We are going to do all we can which at the moment is going to the emergency room 2-3 times a day to empty his blatter, they have not charged me anything yet but know they will not be able to do this forever. We will not give up but are lost, we are preparing ourselves for his disability but his inabilty to express is a big setback. Thanks again for all of the information from this forum.
My chihuahua had a rigid abdomen for several days following a surgical procedure. I could not feel her bladder to express her. The answer was deep tissue massage, not lightly but really digging in, kneading the abdomen strongly by large handfuls. It relaxed the abdomen, then I could express.
At the time someone also advised me that pain can make the abdomen rigid. Your dog's condition does not sound painful, but if pain is the cause then a pain med may help.
You may want to print this and show it to the vet. This was the solution for my dog's rigid abdomen.
At the time someone also advised me that pain can make the abdomen rigid. Your dog's condition does not sound painful, but if pain is the cause then a pain med may help.
You may want to print this and show it to the vet. This was the solution for my dog's rigid abdomen.
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Cindidoxiemom
- Posts: 1359
- Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:17 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Ask your vet about phenoxybenzamine. My Oscar was on it for a year. It relaxes the bladder muscles and makes expressing MUCH easier. Most of the vet techs had trouble expressing Oscar, now I'm teaching friends of mine how to express him, and they are learning on the first or second try.
TRUST me....things will get easier. Deep breaths and remain calm.
TRUST me....things will get easier. Deep breaths and remain calm.
I am not a vet; please consult your vet before making any treatment decisions.
Hunter IVDD Surgery x 2~Walking
Oscar IVDD Surgery x 1~ Paralyzed
Sage and Misty
Hunter IVDD Surgery x 2~Walking
Oscar IVDD Surgery x 1~ Paralyzed
Sage and Misty
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rickybobby
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Once again this forum is helping us to deal with all of this new territory we are exploring. Good news one of the vet techs was able to get Ricky Bobby to express, it was difficult and he had to push kind of hard but Ricky seemed fine with it. We have yet to accomplish this ourselves but are going back tonight to try ourselves with their help. Thanks for the tip on the phenoxybenzamine. It was brought up that if we can not get it to express well enough that our specialist could surgically put a tube to his bladder that can be screwed open to empty the bladder so as not to have to use cathaters. They have had dogs with this for over 8 years he said. There is no bag involved just open and drain I believe. I will check on Monday. Has anyone heard of this. My family and I are so impressed with our new "family" of support and thank everyone of you for your compassionate help.
Buddy had that,but they said it would only last a month. But, then, I don't/didn't trust most of that group, anyway. I either cleaned the top with alcohol or just unscrewed the top, then pulled the pee out with a syringe.rickybobby wrote: It was brought up that if we can not get it to express well enough that our specialist could surgically put a tube to his bladder that can be screwed open to empty the bladder so as not to have to use cathaters. They have had dogs with this for over 8 years he said. There is no bag involved just open and drain I believe. .
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rickybobby
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Good news, my wife has expressed Ricky Bobby once last night and again this morning at our house, though I have yet to get any success but try try again. He did wet his bed a little last night as well as peeing after an unsuccessful attempt as she was caring him . Is that good? Is there any regulating when he poops, just timing? Everyone is so great on this forum. Thank you so much for all ogf this help. Our other 3 dogs Bianca, standard poodle, Quinten, a scotty and Angus another scotty also send their thanks.
Any pee that you can get out at home is good pee, in my book!! 
You'll find Poop on Demand info here; have you seen the expressing stuff? viewtopic.php?t=4 A full-ish bladder feels like a water balloon. Some people have been able to do it baby-style, usually temporarily, but occasionally permanently.
You'll find Poop on Demand info here; have you seen the expressing stuff? viewtopic.php?t=4 A full-ish bladder feels like a water balloon. Some people have been able to do it baby-style, usually temporarily, but occasionally permanently.-
Cindidoxiemom
- Posts: 1359
- Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:17 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
It probably means that she inadvertently "expressed" him while carrying him.rickybobby wrote:Good news, my wife has expressed Ricky Bobby once last night and again this morning at our house, though I have yet to get any success but try try again. He did wet his bed a little last night as well as peeing after an unsuccessful attempt as she was caring him . Is that good? .
While you guys are learning to express, PLEASE be mindful of UTIs.
When I was learning how to express Oscar, I would express him, then take him to the vet to have them check and see if he was empty.
Urine left in the bladder will lead to infection.
It sounds to me like your wife is getting some of the urine....but not all of it.
Keep up the good work, and don't be afraid to go to your vet for help!
I am not a vet; please consult your vet before making any treatment decisions.
Hunter IVDD Surgery x 2~Walking
Oscar IVDD Surgery x 1~ Paralyzed
Sage and Misty
Hunter IVDD Surgery x 2~Walking
Oscar IVDD Surgery x 1~ Paralyzed
Sage and Misty