My best friend, Poppo, a dalmatian of 10 years, is in serious trouble.
He was always a very active and very strong dog. He loved running
with
my bike, hiking, walking, swimming, as well as frightening smaller
animals like birds and squirrels. As he aged, he did develop
some knee problems and a partial ACL tear, but my vet deemed that it
did not require surgery if we made some lifestyle changes which I did.
No more fetching the ball, more on leash hikes uphill. I tried to
encourage
him to pick up both legs and walk slower rather than run (where he
would
favor one leg).
As of Monday last week, he woke up barely able to stand. He was
hanging
his but low in a very funny way, and he could walk, keeping his back
legs half
bent, but you could tell he was in pain. I brought him into the vet
and
since we live in Connecticut (tick central) and he tested for
anaplasm,
they put him on doxycycline.
The vet did mention concerns about a possible spinal problem and
wanted to
bring him in for X rays if he did not improve soon. However, his
recovery was
almost immediate. I kept him cooped up in the house only going
outside to
urinate and deficate and he went from staggering to drunk walking to
surefooted dog by the end of the week.
Convinced of his recovery, I made the mistake of taking him to the
park
for a Saturday hike and swim. The next day he was stiff, and the next
day
he could not stand or use his back legs at all. His front legs worked
perfectly.
After Xrays, the vet suspects he might need neurological surgery to
recover.
The estimated cost of the procedure from several animal hospitals is
no
less than $5000 including MRI. I know with people conservative
treatment
(rest, icing, anti inflammatories, physical therapy, etc), are always
evaluated before surgery, so I asked for conservative options. He has
now
been on the conservative treatment for 4 days on medications to speed
up the
healing process and decrease his pain and is being given a forced rest
period.
I tried to take care of him myself, but without being able to walk, he
would
not pee.
We tried expressing his bladder, but his abdominal muscles are too
strong
and we were forced to catheterize him, and the vet recommends 24 hour
supervision if he has a catheter in him, so he is currently in a 24
hour
care hospital and barely gaining mobility. (He can stand now and even
walk a little but not for long if he's unassisted. Even assisted he
sometimes he will put his back feet down upside down which means his
leg
nerves are still impaired)
How long will his recovery take? Can he return home from ICU without
the risk of bladder problems? Will the nonsurgical options work?
I appreciate any help and advice about how to help my little guy
get strong again. He still eats with gusto and loves to be around our
family, and I want to do my best to help him.
Thanks,
Rohit
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