Dharma Hurt - Ocd?

[KathyM]

Thank you so much all of you! Margaret, I'm such an idiot, I haven't posted Dharma's photo - I haven't got my head screwed on and I'll sort that in a minute. I'm afraid if the vet says she needs surgery then she will have to go via the PDSA in Bradford if they will do it, if not I'll check out where Mel's said.

 

I'm going to post for a raised feeder on the swap board if anyone's got one they don't use, as she's struggling a bit with food and water like a giraffe - that leg just skids off and she ends up laid down. Still no sensation in her foot at all, but she seems a bit brighter for rest and isn't in as much pain thanks to the rimadyl and paracetamol.

[houndzrus]

I feel so much like a bad owner today letting this happen and not being prepared, and I'm so scared that it's going to come to having to let her go to ensure she gets the treatment. I just don't deserve her.

 

Please don't beat yourself up about it, you're not to blame

[Mrs Mop]

Thank you so much all of you! Margaret, I'm such an idiot, I haven't posted Dharma's photo - I haven't got my head screwed on and I'll sort that in a minute. I'm afraid if the vet says she needs surgery then she will have to go via the PDSA in Bradford if they will do it, if not I'll check out where Mel's said.

 

You are no worse than I was when I found out about Merlin Kathy, I still blame myself for not picking it up earlier.

[KathyM]

Thanks Margaret - here's her pic. It's an old one, but Sod's Law made all the newer ones taken from the other side lol.

 

 

It is her left front foot that is numb, and the shoulder area is sore. Unsure whether it's sore in her neck too. We appreciate the reiki very very much.

[griff]

please don't blame yourself and you are not a bad owner for not having her insured, these things happen and none of us ever think it will happen to us, you realised she had a problem and doing the best you can for her just a thought as a temporary measure for a raised feeder, i put my pairs dinner on a stacker box but i have seena lady who had greyhounds use an upturned bucket with the bottom cut out so the dog bowl sat in it. :GroupHug: for you and Dharma and i hope the xray finds out her problem.

[Purrpuss]

No advice but loads of good thoughts for the house of W and especially for Dharma

[celeste]

i have seena lady who had greyhounds use an upturned bucket with the bottom cut out so the dog bowl sat in it. for you and Dharma and i hope the xray finds out her problem.

 

Good idea, I used to do the same when I was staying over at friends, but Louies feed bowl was so big it fit perfectly in the top with no need for cutting, and I put a big stone in the bottom of the bucket to stop it toppeling.

[Katie]

Hi Kathy

 

Am sorry to hear the lovely Dharma is having some problems at the moment and hope you can soon find out exactly what the cause is.

 

If it does turn out to be OCD give me a shout as my old guy Oscar developed it as a young dog so I know a fair bit about managing the condition.

 

Best of luck.

[pboae]

We recently had Sully MRI scanned, as he is losing the feeling in his back legs. To cut a very long story short he has a prolapsed disk in his spine, and the pressure is causing the numbness. Our vet was very keen for us to see the specialist, and he is insured, so the money wasn't a worry. But having put him through the GA and the distress (he's not keen on vets), all they did was confirm it is a prolapsed disk and say there is nothing they can do for him.

 

He's too old and infirm to survive the op, (it's a huge operation) and even if he did, the immobility during the recovery would probably do for him.

 

The cost to see the specialist was about £450, the MRI scan was £1,500. The xray showed a very tiny change in the area where the specialist already thought the damaged disc was, but it hadn't been picked up before, though the area had been xrayed before.

 

What I am trying to say in a very roundabout way, is that sometimes the scans are just a very expensive way of finding out what they already know, and don't automatically relate to them actually being able to do anything about it.

 

I don't regret having the scan done, it has answered a lot of questions I had, but it hasn't made one iota of difference to Sully's life or treatment.

[KathyM]

Thank you very much all of you!

 

Lisa - vet says it's definitely not OCD as she would've been a lot younger when she developed it (she's 5), but if he's wrong, I would very much appreciate that advice.

 

Pooby - you're ace, thank you! All the vet info online says if she has a disc issue she'll need immediate surgery, but I have read cases where the problem is managed (and cases where it is operated on and develops elsewhere on the spine anyway). Obviously it will depend on what they do or don't find on the x-rays, but I'm quite concerned about surgery obviously.

 

Putting all that I can't answer therefore shouldn't panic about yet aside, she did seem to show some interest in her ankle and foot last night, and was washing it while stood up, as if she felt something there. Maybe that's a good sign. She still isn't able to right it much (she's taken to flicking her wrist to make sure it's pad down when she walks), so I know it's still essentially numb.

 

I could hack all this if she was still happy Dharma. Last night she got excited for a moment and put her front feet on the sofa (silly mistake Dharma) and we had to chill her out obviously but I suppose that's a start. Normally she's like that 24/7! Obviously at the minute we're doing everything we can to make sure she's the opposite, but it's not hard work which means she's still quite depressed.

[Mrs Mop]

After Merlin's operation on his spine I wouldn't hesitate letting another of my dogs go through an operation like this. Merlin was on an orthopedic bed when in the vets, was walked for 5 minutes every 3 hours, legs massage every 3 hours. When he came home I was to walk him for 5 minutes 4 times a day and he was not allowed up stairs or on the furniture. I did sleep downstairs for8 weeks after he had his operation.

 

Gracie has a compressed disc in her spine, both crutial ligaments have gone so she needs 3 operations, if her back legs were ok I wouldn't hesitate to let her have the operation to correct her spine even though she is 16 years old.

 

Merlin was so bad at the vets before and after his operation that everyone used to laugh at him because of the way he was. The nurses love to cuddle the dogs that are in and it is part of their job to interact with the animals there. They say that as these as pet animals they have in, they are used to lots of kisses and cuddles and they need them to help with their recovery.

 

My vets is an animal hospital and have 2 orthopedic vets there, Joachim is a very experienced Consultant orthopedic vet, it was normal consultant fee for Merlin and Gracie to see him, Gracie is also with Joachim and has been since he came here.

 

Pboae, if you would like to see the dairy I made when Merlin was going through this, just say.

 

These are photos I took, the first was when Merlin came back into the house after his operation. I was told to give him a deep soft bed.

 

 

 

2 days later he put himself on this bed, as you can see he is bending his back without a problem.

 

 

 

This is to show were he was operated on, there was an immediate improvement in the way he moved after the operation. Merlin had a calcified disc pressing on his spinal cord and was in danger of cutting through it. The vet had to use a hammer and chisel to get the disc clear of his spinal cord. This operation was longer and more complicated than most spinal operations.

 

Edited December 11, 2008 by Mrs Mop

[pboae]

Thanks Mrs Mop, it's good to see Merlin is doing well.

 

If Sully was younger and fitter we would probably have at least considered it, but it's not an option for him now. Even if the orthapedic vet were willing to try (which he isn't), and we could physically manage him while he was immobile, we wouldn't want to put him through such a huge op with a recovery period that could run into months.

[KathyM]

I wasn't for a minute meaning that surgery isn't a great option for a lot of dogs, and I'm really glad it's worked so well for Merlin. I am concerned about Dharma herself coping with a long recovery and potentially recurring problem. I am also, understandably, not able to "not hesitate" over surgery because we simply can't afford it unless the RSPCA or PDSA carry these surgeries out (and I'm pretty sure they don't).

 

I know that makes me a terrible owner, which is why I don't want to even think about all that until she's had her x-rays.

[KathyM]

Dharma's still quite depressed in herself. She has got up twice of her own accord today - once for food and once for the kids getting home, although she's nowhere near as happy as normal.

 

She goes in first thing tomorrow for her x-rays and regardless of whether you think I'm a horrible person (cos I do too so it's no big deal), I'd really appreciate some good thoughts for her.

[vonny]

good thoughts from me