Tug-of-War

Sometimes you just need a break from exercises and therapy.   Nathan rarely plays tug-of-war with Frankie anymore because he isn't as mobile as he used to be.  But, this morning, out of the blue, Nathan had a wild hair and was roughhousing with Frankie.   Play video with sound to get the full effect. 

It's always good to see Nathan acting like a "normal" dog!!  Everything was fine until the stuffed animal's ear pulled off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViJfofRclJY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cavalettis!!

We've starting working on cavalettis with Nathan to continue forcing him to shift weight to his back legs.  He can do about every other one near perfect.   He gets tangled up sometimes, but everyday is a little bit better.  He's walking pretty well now.   Still have not gotten potty control back, but he is peeing alot more on his own, leaving less to be expressed.   Poops still are not being controlled.

Video of cavalettis.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEEWE-UawaI

Video update at 7weeks

We are 7 weeks post- second surgery.   See Nathan's video.   He's doing pretty darn well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgIpoRUuUik

We have started doing cavalettis to strengthen his back legs.  I'll get a video of it soon (as soon as he gets a bit better at it).  This exercise is basically where the dog has to step over something, like ladder rungs.  This forces the dog to pick up his front leg shifting weight to the back legs.  Nathan is pretty clumsy at this point but already after just a few times, he's getting the hang of it.  We are also having him eat dinner with his front legs up on a low step with weight on his back legs.  All of this is to stop him from hunching forward all the time.   Prior to going to this neurosurgeon, we were not aware of how important this is....but we know now!!

Swimming Pool therapy

Part of Nathan's rehab therapy this time again is swimming in our pool.  In Nathan's case, its to get him to move his back legs apart from the front legs, which doesn't happen while walking.   He has developed a bad habit of shifting his weight to the front legs.  So, swimming is supposed to help this. 

Of course, Nathan HATES the pool.  He has hated it from the first time 5 yrs ago went we taught him how to get out of the pool in case he fell in while running around it.   Anyhow, when we put him in the pool and let him swim on his own now, he moves his front legs, but not the back ones.  So, we are forced to get in the shallow end with him.  My husband holds up his body and I move his back legs while he moves his front.   Well, actually, Nathan scrambles like a maniac with his front legs to try to get out of the water.  After a minute or 2 of me moving his back legs, he starts moving them on his own.  We go thru this exact same routine now each afternoon. 

He is almost back up to being able to walk his 1/2 mile walk around the park trail.  I'm guessing another 2-3 weeks, we'll be at least back to where we where before the 2nd surgery, which is completely amazing to me.

Nathan gets his 5 week post-op check up

The neurosurgeon examined Nathan this morning.  He is 2 days short of 5 weeks from this second surgery.   She was pleased with his progress, but he's got a long way to go.   He is leaning his weight forward rather than giving equal weight to his back legs.  We have exercises to do to force him to put more weight on his back legs.  One exercise is putting his front legs on the first step of doggie stairs forcing him to stand on his back legs.  This can also be done by just lifting him up on his back legs on forcing him to support himself on the back legs.  So, in addition to working on getting walking again, we will be focusing on building stability on the back legs.  

Nathan sure does like being the center of attention!!

A quiet week

We are at exactly 4 weeks post-surgery.  Nathan is about the same as he was a week ago.  We are needing to use the sling on longer walks.  He can walk on a short walk without.   Unfortunately, he is definitely being lazy around the house and defaulting to scooting without even trying to walk first.  We are trying to play the "walk around the house for kibbles" game alot to remind him that he can walk.  I think we are battling a little bit of depression on his part.   Seems like its going to take a bit of effort to get him out of his current state of mind.

I don't blame him for giving up a bit after going thru so much and starting over again.   But, he is a fighter, so on we go......

3 weeks post surgery #2

Nathan is doing well at 3 weeks.  He can walk unassisted on a short walk but he is very wobbly.  So, on our longer walks, we are using his sling.  He requires almost no support from it, but just enough to keep him steady.  His legs have the strength, they just don't have the coordination yet. 

We are looking for signs of potential increased improvement from where he was prior to this 2nd surgery.  One small, but interesting sign, is he does not appear to be scuffing up the top of his feet by his toenails.   We had been limiting the walking on cement and had been doing our long walks on the park trail where there is dirt instead of cement to decrease the scuffing on his feet.  But, I'm not seeing that now as we have been doing a bit of street walking.   I'm hoping that is a sign that we will have some additional improvement from where we were.   Not sure what to think on the potty control front.  Some days, I think its better.  I see more pee pees.  But, no clear signs there.

We are going have to work on the scooting around the house habit, again.   Maybe he's just trying to get me to play the chase the food kibble game around the house!

Nathan walking video 3-30-12

My miracle dog.  He'll come into view on the video at about 18 secs in. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igWDof0gbo8

WOO HOO!

Free at last!  Nathan had a great check up with Dr. Chauvet!  He's out of crate rest and allowed to walk....which amazingly, he can do already.    I'm amazed that he can walk.  He's very wobbly but he can do it.  13 days after surgery.   It's crazy.

Let the road to recovery begin...again....

Only a few more days of confinement to go

Can't wait to see the surgeon on Friday morning!  Just 2 more days.  Nathan can definitely stand up on his own and support his own weight already.  He's walking OK with the sling (just for potty runs).  He is somewhat unsteady and his left leg is noticeably weaker than his right.   This is ironic because up to this point, his right leg had been the weaker one.   We are all anxious to be able to get him walking again, but these 2 weeks are going faster than I thought they would.   The surgeon used the dissolving sutures rather than staples, so the surgery site already looks really good.  There is one small spot that is not fully healed, but the rest of the surgery site is already healed up. 

He had an acupuncture session yesterday as that acupunture doctor felt it was important to do a treatment right away.   We'll be back on our every 2-3 week rotation with that for a bit now.

Look for news on Friday afternoon...

One week down, one to go

Made it thru the first week of crate rest.  One more week to go. Nathan is ready to go.  When we go outsite for potty runs, he practically wants to run.  If I didn't have the sling on him, I think he'd take off.   It's really as if he did not have any surgery last week.    I can't wait till this next week is over to see where we stand in his recovery.  

It's truly amazing the difference that a skilled surgeon can make.  Nathan could not even lift his head up after the first surgery.  This time, I don't think he even knows he had surgery.   I can't help but wonder how the last year would have gone if we had the right surgeon.....

Day Four comes to a close

I'm amazed how well Nathan seems after this surgery compared to the last.  Although he is on crate rest, he is allowed to walk with a sling to try to go potty.  His back legs are moving pretty darn well.  He can't fully support himself, but he definitely can move those back legs.  He appears to be full of energy so the next 10 more days of rest are going to be tough.   It's as if he did not have surgery at all. 

One thing on this surgery that I wanted to mention.   In addition to fixing the disks, the surgeon also did the fenestration procedure.  This reduces the chance of another disk rupturing from up to 20% down to 1%.  So, she assured me there is little chance of further incidents. 

I'm feeling really positive about what the outcome of this will be.

Day Two begins

It was a relief to bring Nathan home yesterday.  I can't believe his hair is all shaved off again.   He is definitely no worse than he was before this surgery, which is a huge relief.  I'm really hopeful now that he will actually be able to improve more than he had. 

He is on a 14-day crate rest though.  14 days is not too bad.  Also, he is allowed to stay in a playpen size area, rather than a confined crate, so its really not too bad.  We made a furniture fort so he can stay in the family room with his normal bed, so he's not too freaked out.  I am able to work from home this week, so I've got my PC and phone right in the area where he is confined. 

The doctor has given us a long list of to-dos for the next 14 days.  Range of motion exercises, massage, ice, etc.  He is allowed to walk with a sling on the front lawn to go potty.  That's how I was able to see he can still walk.   For me, that's amazing since after his first surgery, he literally could not even move his body the slightest bit.

Day One, all over again

I spoke with the doctor this morning and she was very positive about Nathan's recovery.  She told me the disk that ruptured this time had been damaged for quite some time.  So, its no wonder Nathan's recovery was stalled.  Also, she said the previously operated disk had a lot of scar tissue that needed to be cleaned up. 

Lesson:  Do not let anyone other than a neurosurgeon perform this procedure on your dog, even if it means driving a distance to have it done properly. 

I just checked in with the hospital.  Nathan is already standing again.  Hard to believe just a few hours after surgery he is better than he was yesterday.  I'm already feeling hopeful that he will be even better than he had been over the last months.

The worst day, the unimagineable

The unthinkable happened yesterday.  Nathan ruptured another disk.   He started acting a bit off on Friday, but really seemed like he just needed a day of rest.  Saturday morning, he seemed a bit worse, but still not serious.  By the afternoon, he was clearly worse.   What's crazy is we are only 9 days away from the 1-year mark of the first surgery.

Luckily, we had already researched where the best neurosurgeon for this is and she is about 90 mins from where we live.  So, we called the hospital and got in the car and drove down.   The doctor was actually at a fund raiser and could not be reached.  They told us to wait because she would definitely call in.  We got there at 6:30pm and by 9:30pm, the doctor had arrived (dressed in a gown) to the hospital. 

She immediately assessed him and assured us that since we had come in early, she was confident he would be back to where he was within 2 weeks.   Since it was now after 10pm, we drove home and the doctor began the MRI and surgery.  By the time we got home, the MRI was done and the disk was identified as the one just behind the prior injured disk.  So, now we waited.   12:15am, the doctor called.  The surgery was completed.  She felt good about it, but will know more today.  She also said she had to "clean up" the prior surgery site.  All of this could of course account for Nathan's slow and tough recovery.  

I'm obviously completely freaked out and can't believe this happened again.  I'm dreading the next few weeks recalling what it was like the first time.   Hopefully, when we speak with the doctor today, she will have some good news.  I also want to know more about the surgery as I did not want to grill her at midnight!

Searching for Doggie Day Care

So, we are once again looking for someone to care for the boys if we go out of town.  We've not been successful with the first 3.   A friend recommended a lady who takes dogs into her condo and we went to see her today.  She was a nice lady who was actually born in Brooklyn and grew up in Staten Island just like me, which wouldn't be so weird if we weren't in Tampa Bay, FL.   Anyway, she has 2 cats and a 15 yr old dog.   But, everyone seemed to get along alright.  Nathan tried to play with one of the cats, but she'd have no part of it.    The lady is willing to be trained on how to empty Nathan's bladder, so I am going to schedule a series of visits to show her. 

I keep hoping Nathan will begin fully pee'ing on his own, but we are coming up on a year, so the odds are getting pretty small.  I've tried to find another vet tech who does in-home sitting but others I spoken with charge $100 a day, which is just crazy.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Happy Birthday, Frankie!

Today is Frankie's 5th birthday!  So, today is all about my doodlebug.  We videotaped his little birthday party (sorry, its a bit grainy).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucBhRB4WwyQ

Of course, Nathan tried to steal some of Frankie's doggie ice cream.   But, I think they both enjoyed the treat. 

Happy Birthday, Frankie!  We love you!

10 days post last K-laser treatment

Well, no significant improvement from the K-laser.  Perhaps some slight improvement in his walking, a bit steadier on grass.   I was hoping we might see more meaningful changes, but even a little improvement helps because the better he walks, the stronger his leg muscles get.  So, it's a bit of a chain reaction.   We've gone about 6 weeks now without a poop in bed, so there is definitely improvement there.  We are only about 6 weeks away from the 1-year mark.  I can't believe it's been that long since this whole thing started.  

One week after 1st of 3 laser treatments

So....Nathan had his 3 K-laser treatments last week (Mon, Wed, Fri).   Not seeing any changes at this point.  But, still hoping to see some improvement.  Our vet who does the laser is actually putting together a video for K-laser and they want Nathan to be in it.  They were looking for dogs who have had the therapy who are also cute....so, of course, that's Nathan!!     Nathan loves to be in the spotlight!  The shoot is on Feb 22nd.  Not sure how long it will take them to put the video together....  

K-Laser Treatment - First Session

Here's a video of Nathan getting his treatment today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDmB9WApeDo&context=C31da90aADOEgsToPDskL7Lo4ScirqWjYPZGXpyxAP

And, walking around the office...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMCxxgpJSIQ&context=C30a2c4dADOEgsToPDskLjXRavc8rYbSZDe-i2F01f

He got the treatment all along his spine, as well as, directly on his bladder and on his anal sphincter.   Next treatment is on Wednesday.   I'm really hoping we see some exciting improvement.   If you are on YouTube, my vet (Amazon Animal Hospital) has a page of videos, many about the K-laser. 

Today's acupuncture visit

My sweet boy hooked up to the electrodes!...and loving on his doctor.... vet said Nathan doesn't need to come back for another 6 weeks! 

Getting my hopes up....

Not to jinx anything, but Nathan hasn't pooped in bed in over 2 weeks.    Could bowel control be starting to come back?  He's definitely doing better with pee pees, particularly on long walks where he'll pee on everything he smells.   We have what I think will be our last acupuncture session next week.    I'm considering doing another round of the K-laser at my vet.   When the boys had their annually teeth cleaning about 4 weeks ago, our Vet gave Nathan a pro-bono K-laser treatment (well, pro-bono + $1,200 in other vet expenses).   Nathan had a series of 5 treatments back when he first had the surgery, but he was too ill to tell if it had any effect.   However, I'm a bit suspicious of Nathan's seemingly unusual spike in improvement about 3 weeks ago.   It could just be a coincidence, but what if its not???    I just read this article about integrating acupuncture and laser therapy for IVDD treatment.  I found it very interesting.....

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/complementary-medicine/laser-therapy-may-work-on-tl-ivdd.aspx

2 Day Business Trip

The stars aligned and both my husband and I had a business trip on the same 2 days.  The vet tech who was to stay at our house canceled at the last minute.  I was able to get a pet sitter who had some experience with special needs dogs to stay at our house.  She had never care for the boys before.

Before day-one was out, Frankie had vomited all over our white carpet (I know, why do I have white carpet with 2 dogs?).   Nathan, having a flare for the dramatic, did his normal thing....when he is not happy about his day being out of order, he rubs his nose in the carpet so hard that it literally rubs a sore into his nose turning it raw and pink.  The sitter thought he had cut his nose on something, which of course, he had not.  

Luckily, day-2, the boys settled down and all was well.    I'm home and all is well and the boys are happy to be back in their normal routine.  It's clear to see who runs this household!

It's a bird, It's a plane, its....Nathan RUNNING

Not sure if you can really judge just how fast Nathan is running.  You can kind of tell by how fast I'm moving and by the sound of Frankie's panting in the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH3wKqVG-D0

I don't even know what to say!!!

Steady as he goes

Nathan has been walking so well this week.  Normally by 2 wks post acupuncture, he begins to deteriorate, but not this time.  His leg muscles seem stronger to me.  He still does a little paw flip dragging the top of his foot so wrapping one toe on each foot is still definitely needed.  

He's doing pretty well on longer walks to empty his bladder, but I still can't get the instant pee pee on the front lawn.  Still emptying his bladder for that.    Could be some progress happening there.  Can't say the same for poops!!

New Year's Eve

We're all snuggled up on the couch watching Dick Clark as I have for as long as I can remember (except maybe when I was really little and my grandmother watched Lawrence Welk ring in the new year).

Nathan and Frankie had their annual dental cleanings this week.  I  was very concerned with Nathan getting anesthesia.  But, I didn't want to neglect his dental health.  Turns out he had gingivitis and the vet put him on antibiotics.  Frankie was A-OK.

Not much progress in the last couple weeks in terms of walking.  Still holding steady at one 1/2 mile per day + 2 short walks.  Still working on getting him to try to pee on command.  He can nearly empty his bladder on a long walk thru the park trail marking territory.  He's nailed the fact he gets a kibble for each pee pee, so he does it at least 10 times thru the 1/2 mile trail.   Hoping this translates at some point to normal peeing.

I can't believe its been 9 months since his surgery.   Here's hoping for big progress in the new year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to say a moment to say Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all!  All I wished for this holiday season was for Nathan to be able to walk and maybe even run a little.  We're almost there.    May the new year bring health and prosperity to everyone!

A pee-pee connection is made

After 2 weeks of intense potty training, Nathan has finally made the connection that when he pees (mainly when marking territory on walks), he gets a kibble.  Now when he does a little squirt, he looks up at me for his kibble.   In the last few days, he's even walked onto our front lawn (when we take them out for quick potty runs) and done a small pee pee, not marking territory.  I think he can feel when his bladder is full now.  But, he can't feel to know when it's empty.  Hoping that with enough training, I can give the pee pee command and make him go enough times to empty the bladder.  Its a tall order, but he a good learner and very food motivated.

He's been walking pretty well this last 10 days.  We walked 3/4 mile last night and he was not ready to stop.  At the last visit, the acupuncturist put him on yet another herbal - Jai Bing Fang.  Sounds like a Star Wars character to me. 

Researching on the Internet

It's amazing the information that is on the internet.  I spent hours today researching bowel incontinence and treatments.   We are still working on re-potty training, but no mental connection there yet.  I actually found a very odd research article from a Veterinary college from 1988 about an artifical sphincter surgery on dogs that can resolve the problem.  It was an old article and I could not find any other similar research.  I did find one of the co-authors email addresses as he still teaches at that college.    I also found an article by a vet who does animal chiropractic treatment combined with cold laser for this as well.    Meanwhile, we'll stick to our acupuncture and re-training and hope for the best. 

Our test to move Nathan's acupuncture treatments every 3 weeks failed.  He had a horrible 3rd week.  So, the Vet moved us back to every 2 weeks again.  It took Nathan 3 days to recover from his setback, but he's back where he was again as of today! 

Potty Training 101

The vet moved Nathan's acupuncture visits back out to 3 weeks for another try.  This past Thursday was the 2 week mark.  And, like clockwork, things fell apart.  Aside from his decrease in walking strength, he pooped in bed 4 days in a row before even 5am.   I feel like part of it is he may think its OK to do since its been 8 months now.  So, this weekend, I started going back to potty training basics.  Go potty outside, get a kibble.  Unfortunately, this also means scolding him if he poops in the house.  I feel awful about having to do that because I don't know if he can really control it.  But, I think we are at the point where we must retrain him.

I'm curious what other people's experiences in this area have been?  I'd love to hear feedback or suggestions from others whose dogs lost potty control and needed to work to get it back.