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orthopedic advice for the best dog in the world
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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