BBB
Sadly, Maddy is gradually losing control of his rear legs. I will complete the steroid medication period and then consult with my vet to evaluate Maddy's life, if he is suffering, if there is no possibility of improvement and what my love and responsibility is for him.
I can't believe this happened so fast. At five years old, a wonderful and lively dog yelped in pain and within a week became an invalid. All my love can't fix him.
BBB
No words .......just a hug. Sad with you, BBB.
[size=27](((((((BumbleBeeBoogie)))))))[/size]
BBB--
Hold your dominion.
Any chance that is yet another side effect of the meds? Might be a good idea to let the vet know of the latest symptoms rather than waiting to do so until the meds are used up and it is too late.
Sorry to hear that BumbleBeeBoogie
5 years old is still so young for a dog. I have been reading along btw and appreciate your updates even though we don't personally know each other.
Please contact Maddy's vet on Monday, BBB.
The vet needs to be kept up to date on changes in condition - especially when there are meds involved.
~~~
Take care of yourself and your much-loved pups.
Butrflynet and ehBeth
Butrflynet and ehBeth, I plan to take Maddy to my vet Monday morning. I rarely get colds but dammit! I'm getting one just when I don't need that. I will have to cover my face to protect the vet and staff.
Maddy is now on one steroid pill per day for five days.
Maddy seems to be able to walk (staggering at angles) a little better in the morning than at night, when he loses his balance and leg strength. By last night, he had to drag his two rear legs to be able to move. I had to carry him outside to pee, to his food and water dishes, and to bed. All he wants to do is to lay on my lap in my recliner chair and be stroked.
Maddy is mentally alert. He responds to my loving words, even wags his tail. He gives me kisses as I pet him. He watches my face all of the time, sometimes whimpering. I can't tell if he's in pain because he doesn't yelp when I try to carry him, which is getting difficult because he weighs 17 pounds.
Dolly is starting to realize that something is wrong with her Maddy. She won't go outside to pee or anywhere without Maddy, which makes it hard to get her to go outside by herself. I have to catch her, which she avoids, and carry her outside. Then she just sits by the glass door, whining, looking for Maddy. Dolly is going to have a hard time if Maddy can't be saved because they are inseparable. They always walk/run shoulder to shoulder before Maddy's condition began. Where ever Maddy is, Dolly is with him.
BBB
Maddy
I just got home from taking Maddy to the Vet at 8 a.m. I feared I would be coming home alone, but was able to bring Maddy home. The Vet refuses to give up on Maddy. She gave him an acupuncture treatment with eight needles. She will do it again next Monday. She also put Maddy on a pain killer that can be given with the steroid pills. I hope it helps because Maddy whimpered all night long last night and I was awake trying to comfort him.
My Vet is concerned about Maddy's rear legs. She said he can still stand briefly but has no control over them. She said the worst of the three discs is pinching his spinal cord, which is why he can't control his rear legs. She doesn't think his pain is so severe that he has to be put down.
We discussed spinal surgery as a last option. The cost of $3,000 to $4,000 will hurt, which means I can't get sick. We both agree that we shouldn't put Maddy through a painful surgery if there is a strong possibility that his other discs will fail. So we will wait and see how Maddy progresses before making a decision.
Dolly was jumping with joy when her Maddy got home. He didn't want anything to eat, just wanted to drink a lot of water because he was very thirsty.
My big problem at home is that Maddy weighs 17 pounds and it puts me (and him) as risk when I try to lift and carry him around the house with my own unsteadiness. The Vet showed me how to use a large towel draped under Maddy's belly to lift his rear legs to help me move him. My other method is to lift Maddy on to one of my chairs that has casters and just wheel him around. That's how I got him from my bedroom to my car in the garage to take him to the Vet. I remembered that method from the time The Lady Diane responded to my call for help and wheeled me from my family room to my bedroom when I had a vertigo episode and couldn't stand up.
I'm so glad my sweet doggie still has a chance to survive.
BBB
That's good news from the vet.
Try to keep Maddy from getting too enthusiastic when he's free of pain - he can injure himself jumping. There are inexpensive pet steps you can get from places like Walmart to allow the dogs to safely get into and out of your bed without jumping. As I recall they were about $25 when I saw them.
You've got a lot of neighbors with lots of children. One of them may have a toy wagon you can borrow for awhile to help you move Maddy around the house.
BBB, my herat goes out to you, and because of me having read one of your articles from my local rag, my Gram and I decided to ignore the laws about shots for her very antique poodle.
Thank you,
RH
I just got my dogs card in the mail for his shots. I was looking online about booster shots not being good and found this.
Booster Shots Can Be Fatal.
I haven't called and made the appointment for him yet. I will take him in for an exam like I do every year but the shots have to stop on a yearly basis.
BBB
Maddy slept through the night last night, which means I did, too. This morning, I lifted Maddy into his chair transportation and wheeled him to the door and lifted him outside. He immediately pooped, which is a good sign. I put food and water in front of him, which he enjoyed.
Maddy seems not to be in pain. I can't tell if it is the acupuncture treatment of the new pain pill that is working. I'm just glad something is reducing his pain.
My next challenge is for the Vet and me to decide whether or not Maddy should be put through a risky and painful surgery when we don't know if it will end the spinal cord pinching and restore him to good health. It's not just the huge cost, it's not knowing if the treatment will be permanent or if his other discs will fail. In that case, we would have put Maddy through a difficult, painful treatment and large cost for nothing and I would still have to end his life.
What a Hobson's choice!
BBB
BBB--
Difficult decisions. Difficult decisions.
Hold your dominion.
BBB
Maddy just did an amazing thing. He pulled himself by his front legs the full length of my home to reach his window ledge in my front office, where I'm posting on my computer. I lifted him up on the padded ledge where my two dogs watch the neighborhood activity.
Maddy is a determined dog.
BBB
Maddy
It appears Maddy is now losing control over his body eliminations. Yesterday, he was on my lap while I was on the phone with a friend. He suddenly peed on me and my recliner chair. I lifted him down to the rug on the floor to clean up the pee when he pooped in several spots.
Never in his life has he done something like that before his disability. This adds to the difficulty of making a decision.
He slept through last night again, which means the pain treatment is working. I'm grateful for that while we decide what to do for him; operate or end his life.
BBB
Disabled Pets Keep Moving With Help Of Wheelchairs
I've been trying to find information about this and it pops up in the news today. I have an appointment with my Vet tomorrow to discuss a wheelchair and surgery, etc. ---BBB
BBB
My son came to visit Maddy this afternoon. Maddy was so happy to see him that it really was a joy to see his tail wagging in excitement. Maddy was active for the first time since he lost control of his rear legs.
My son knew Maddy's condition, but he cried when he saw him the first time and saw his struggle walk. They are very fond of each other.
My son looked at the doggie wheelchairs site and thinks it a good idea instead of undergoing spinal surgery.
BBB
My beloved Maddy is no longer suffering
It's Thursday, March 27, 2008. I held my beloved Maddy in my arms until he was no longer suffering. Now I have to comfort Dolly and try to make her understand why her Maddy is no longer beside her. ---BBB
When Is It Time?
by Kit McCallum
When is it time to say goodbye,
To all the love I've known,
When is it time to end your pain,
And leave me all alone?
I've watched you on your good days when
I feel your strength renewed;
But shortly after little ups,
The down days then ensue.
We ride this roller-coaster of
Emotions as we try,
To make it through another day,
And yet, I can't deny ...
That as I look into your face
On days that have been bad,
I see a look that beckons me
It's tired, and hurt, and sad.
The little spark I used to see
Behind those loving eyes,
Is growing ever clouded
By life's cruel inhumane side.
I try to see beyond the pain
You feel with every step;
And softly whisper to myself
This may get better yet.
If I can bear to watch you
Just another day or two;
I justify my reasons to
Ensure I cling to you.
For letting go is harder for
The person left behind;
It means that if I let you go,
I cannot turn back time.
Back to the days I long for now,
When you were full of life;
And every day held promise,
And our futures, clear and bright.
But now the lights are darkening ...
We take it daily now;
I cannot see our futures clear
Or think beyond this cloud.
I think the hardest part in this
Is never knowing why,
I have to be courageous
And I have to say goodbye.
For if I let myself admit
It's time to let you go;
I'd have to face reality
Without you ... but I know ...
That soon I have to face the
Final outcome that I dread,
And holding on will only serve
To hurt you in the end.
You've given such unselfish love
For all our time in life,
But if I hold too tightly,
You'll not move t'ward the light ...
On to a better life, where you
Can once again be free,
Of all the pain and discomfort
That holds you here to me.
So if I find the courage just to say
This last farewell,
I hope you will forgive me for
The time it took me; still ...
I'll hold with me, the memories
That in my heart remain,
Pray one day, down the road a'ways
... They'll lesson my own pain.
