My sweet boy Bouli is very sick. I will explain what has happened, hoping somebody can help me. Bouli had a spine problem 2 years ago but with some Predizone he was back to normal. So now I took him to the groomers for the first time (I always did it myself) the first week in June and when I took him I told her about his back problems. When I picked him up, his back legs were just letting out on him, he could not stand up. I took him to the vet and they gave me
dexamethasone, told me it was a spinal injury but the meds made him worse. They said he should not even have surgery. He could walk but it looked like his legs were not in sync. Was so upset and took him to another vet, who basically told me to put him to sleep. Now he cannot walk at all so last week I took him to another vet who told me the same thing... (she gave me pain pills for him)I have been crying for days, do you think I could get him a wheelchair? (his back legs are the problem). All he does is lay on his side all day, cries when he has to do his business( I carry him out) he eats and drinks. He is also very swollen from the steroids, he has gained 3 pounds. Somebody please help........
I am just seeing this and so glad I kept on reading through to the very last one. I am so happy he's walking again and that you didn't listen to the vets about euthanasia! Even baby steps in regaining his ability to walk again are a huge progress after all the time he spent not being able to walk. His muscles need to regain their strength. Keep doing what you're doing and I'll keep him in my prayers that he continues to progress. Hey, do they have doggy physical therapists?
Yes, they do---Kitzel has one here in Athens who got her degree in TN! They can work wonders sometimes. I would also try laser treatments in conjunction w/the PT. It is important that he isn't pushed too hard. Good luck & God's speed. Please keep us up-dated.
Your story brought tears to my eyes. I am thrilled for you all that he is coming around. The love and tenderness you have shown has made a huge difference in your babys recovery. Don't give up. You are doing the right thing. I am very convinced (no offense to any doctors out there) that doctors don't always have the right answers. Keep up the good job you are doing with your little sweetie and know you are in our thoughts and prayers!!
Wow, what patience and love can do for our hurting babies. I'm delighted he is walking again.
Just a suggestion; I found it helpful to cut the bottom 4 or 5" off a tee shirt and loop it under the baby's belly to offer support while his little legs are building muscle again. It works very well as walking aid to an ailing dog. It's just a continuous loop of tee shirt material so it's easy to hold and works great.
Interested in knowing how he improves. This is fantastic news.
I am so happy for your baby and you. It must be amazing to see him standing up. :wub: I love the idea of a PT. at least for an eval. The one time I took Sammie to one after surgery she was so knowledgable. His little muscles are atrophied and will need built back up slowly is what we were told.
I've read thru the whole thread to 'catch up... ( and I could have sworn Ihad posted sometime back!...but apparently not.)
I'm THRILLED to see the happy news!!! :chili:
My Missy had multiple health issues one of which was disc problems that resulted in partial paralysis in her right hind leg. She didn't use the leg.. but sort of 'dragged it' leading with the top of her foot on ground. We did get a wheelchair ( we called it her 'bike') and I did do 'therapy-walks' with her in that a few times a day. You can see it in the siggy below. I also did massage on her legs a few times a day as well to help with circulation and to help with the muscle atrophy.
She could pee and poop with the cart and seemed to like doing her business in that rather than the body-sling I used to support her for her potty. Eventually she DID start using that leg again!!
You might want to consider getting a long-handled body sling and do therapy walks with her as I'm sure she has muscle atrophy from lack of use. Though her walking is nothing short of miraculous!.... you do want to be careful she doesn't 'slip' from having weak muscles and thus cause a 'back-slide' in this new improvement.
Please do keep us up on the progressive improvement!!!
Thank you everyone!! Bouli is getting better everyday.he is walking alot more, and doing things he did before this all happened. My only problem is because he had a bad experience with the groomer, he won't let me trim him....any suggestions??
I would be so happy that he's getting better, I wouldn't worry about the groomer, even if I had to cut him myself, or have a mobile groomer come so you can be there. I'm happy that he's getting better!!!!
So glad to hear that the recovery is going so beautifully. About the grooming, you may have to start from scratch with encouraging lots reward treats, grooming for a few minutes and then going back to it at a later time. I'd even consider just keeping coat nice and short so you don't have to bug him much with it. Recovery is so much more important. It will take a while to rebuild his trust in grooming, but with time and patience yall will get there. Best wishes!
I'm just now reading this thread, and want to celebrate with everyone about how wonderfully Bouli is doing! Along with the suggestion for using a T-shirt bottom, when Cozette had her hip surgery and couldn't bear weight on her hind leg, I used a scarf-- I used the kind that was just a rectangular fleece material. It worked perfectly. Another option is to use a halter or vest that has the D ring on the lower portion, so when you lift it up, the hind quarters elevate. You may want to do this when he gets tired or has to do his business, and just generally assist him so he doesn't fall the rest of the time. Cozette had physical therapy with a water treadmill, and that might be a good option if you have an animal PT in the area where you are. Here are pics and videos of her therapy: http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/64-...physical-therapy-visit-cozette-pics-vids.html
You know, I can only speak for what I've seen with my own eyes, and up the street from us lives a little Yorkie who is in a wheelchair. He's the sweetest little thing, goes by Baby, and I've spoken to his owner. The long and short of it is that somewhere around the age of 2-ish, Baby apparently had an accident and broke something in his back that left him paralyzed in his hind legs. The owner couldn't bear the thought of putting him down and after much deliberation went to a specialist who was of the opinion that that would be a drastic choice given Baby was healthy on all other fronts. Baby is now in a wheelie and I'm of the opinion that one can tell when a dog is unhappy and I'll tell you that little guy is worlds away from unhappy or in pain. He gets around just fine and whenever he sees us walking he goes bezerk and tries to run over to us, sometimes getting so excited he tips himself over.
I would say that as long as Bouli is healthy and not in pain, there is no need to take drastic measures here and that he would probably do swimmingly in a wheelie.
S
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