Dog paralysis

xnightwishx

My 5 year old jack russell terrier jumped off the bed 2 days ago and became paralysed in the hind quarter, her two back legs are useless. The vet seems to have lost hope but my dog is not in any pain, she can feel when i squeeze her paws and her back and is still quite alert. I was just wondering if anyone knows anyone who has experienced the same thing and what they did, or any specialists in the Meath/Dublin area. I have read so many success stories from america re wheelchairs, surgeries etc. but in Ireland all I seem to read about is euthanasia and I really don't think this is fair. Id be really grateful if anyone would have any suggestions. She is so depressed just lying there as am I

MaryK666

xnightwishx wrote: »

My 5 year old jack russell terrier jumped off the bed 2 days ago and became paralysed in the hind quarter, her two back legs are useless. The vet seems to have lost hope but my dog is not in any pain, she can feel when i squeeze her paws and her back and is still quite alert. I was just wondering if anyone knows anyone who has experienced the same thing and what they did, or any specialists in the Meath/Dublin area. I have read so many success stories from america re wheelchairs, surgeries etc. but in Ireland all I seem to read about is euthanasia and I really don't think this is fair. Id be really grateful if anyone would have any suggestions. She is so depressed just lying there as am I

Poor little girl must be quite distressed not knowing what's going on and not able to get about as normal and I'm sure you must be up the wall with worry too.

I would keep the pts as a very, very last option and first of all I would suggest getting a second opinion from another vet and possibly a third. I would also contact the veterinary team at UCD and see if it's something that they're prepared to have a look at in the hope that it's something that they can treat. If she has feeling in the legs and back it may be due to disc damage or dislocation and may just be treatable. It would be awful to think that your vet gave up on her without looking at every possibility.

I know there are vets in the UK who are equipped to deal with this sort of thing but the costs are often quite prohibitive. If you have pet insurance, diagnosis and treatment might be covered by the policy but you would have to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Check out http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/
Noel Fitzpatrick is the leading man in the world in his field and they have a huge range of diagnostic machinery available to them at his clinic. Once they find out what's wrong, if it can be fixed then this is the man who can do it.

I'll keep everything crossed for both of you and please let us know how you get on.

Toulouse

http://www.irishdogs.ie/news/2010/09/29/mollie-the-wheelchair-collie-in-the-running-for-pet-award.html

Pretty sure her owner posts over on PI

dvet

If you're near Dublin, then I second MaryK666's point to take your dog to UCD. Their surgeons often see neurological/spinal cases like this, and trust me, they don't give up unless things are really hopeless. You should definitely try to get an appointment with them!

Their webpage is
http://www.ucd.ie/vthweb/contact.html

anniehoo

If you have the money id ask for a referral to either UCD or Billy McCartney in Malahide (orthopaedic specialist). If she still has sensation in her legs then there is still nerve function there. It might be a slipped disc,trapped nerve..anything.If it was me id be asking for a second opinion straight away.

dvet

And I should mention, that depending on what actually is wrong with your dog, that it might not be as hopeless as you think... Surgery, physio and in some cases even strict cage rest can improve some of these dogs no end - but like I said, it's an individual thing & the vets at UCD who are experienced in dealing with these cases and would be able to tell you a lot more after an examination!


P.S. good luck with her

tk123

Our guy had surgery for a rare leg deformity last week in Gilabbey Vets in Cork - a bit of a trek but well worth it. We took him to UCD and I wasn't impressed with them tbh - they seemed more interested in whether the insurance forms were signed and didn't really give me much hope that he'd be here in a few years - they didn't think surgery was an option and it'd be best to let him wear down his joints etc

StereoLove

Sorry to hear about your poor dog

Is it possible that she can feel when you squeeze her paws even though she's paralyzed?

Good luck with her getting better!

TooManyDogs

Give her time firstly. If she has damaged something in her back minorily it can still take weeks/months to heal. I've seen 2 seperate dogs come to the rescue I volunteer for that were paralyzed but had sensation in their feet and both are walking now. You can get carts from the UK so she can still get about, they'll ask for measurements and make one up.

Graces7

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Give her time firstly. If she has damaged something in her back minorily it can still take weeks/months to heal. I've seen 2 seperate dogs come to the rescue I volunteer for that were paralyzed but had sensation in their feet and both are walking now. You can get carts from the UK so she can still get about, they'll ask for measurements and make one up.

My own instinct too. Thank you. Dogs have more sense than we have; if it hurts, they stop.

Our wee Jack Russell cross once rolled down a flight of concrete steps; she was in pain and would not walk. We left her on a soft chair wrapped up with a hot water bottle and after a few days she was fine.

She looked totally pathetic of course!

If your dog still has feeling then it may be a simple trauma like that.

micheleabc

Even in the worst of the cases your dog can still have an almost normal life, with some help. For dog wheelchairs check:
http://handicappedpets.com/www/index.php/dog-wheelchair-carts/dog-wheelchair-home.html
or
http://www.pveations.com/Doggy_Wheelz.html
Best luck.

dvet

Graces7 wrote: »

My own instinct too. Thank you. Dogs have more sense than we have; if it hurts, they stop.

Our wee Jack Russell cross once rolled down a flight of concrete steps; she was in pain and would not walk. We left her on a soft chair wrapped up with a hot water bottle and after a few days she was fine.

She looked totally pathetic of course!

If your dog still has feeling then it may be a simple trauma like that.

I'd just like to add a word of caution here, that the OP's dog does sound like it has spinal trauma - it's paralysed in both hind legs - and in these cases it's best not to hang around for too long before seeing a referral surgeon. The fact that OP's dog has pain perception in it's hind legs is encouraging as it means that the deepest part of the spinal cord is intact, (therefore it's not a no-hope situation), but the motor nerves to the hind legs are obviously damaged and if too much time is left before having it looked at, it may get worse. Just out of caution as I would hate to think of the OP waiting it out for a week or 2 only for things to get worse instead of better. Your dog may have had a different type of injury to the OP's dog, even if they looked similar (I'm glad your little doggy did well though! ).

TooManyDogs

dvet wrote: »

I'd just like to add a word of caution here, that the OP's dog does sound like it has spinal trauma - it's paralysed in both hind legs - and in these cases it's best not to hang around for too long before seeing a referral surgeon. The fact that OP's dog has pain perception in it's hind legs is encouraging as it means that the deepest part of the spinal cord is intact, (therefore it's not a no-hope situation), but the motor nerves to the hind legs are obviously damaged and if too much time is left before having it looked at, it may get worse. Just out of caution as I would hate to think of the OP waiting it out for a week or 2 only for things to get worse instead of better. Your dog may have had a different type of injury to the OP's dog, even if they looked similar (I'm glad your little doggy did well though! ).

I don't think anyone meant that the OP shouldn't act swiftly but the impression I got was that pts was the only option that the OP was coming across. I was saying not to go too quickly down that road but definatly get any referals possible

johnnycee66

Our damation dog Moe developed hindquarter paralysis due to a spinal lesion. Our vet referred her to UCD, and they did everything to analyse and attempt to treat the problem. She was there from September until two weeks before christmas, receiving care and physiotherapy, with us visiting 3/4 time weekly. It turned out that the lesion affected a forelimb, and the other limbs would benefit from rehab. She came home, and we sourced a dog physio for her, helping her to attempt to become a three limbed dog, exercising and caring for her at home, and getting a frame made for her to exercise in. It was a sad ending, as, despite her rehab potential, in February she developed a pressure sore that became too deep to treat, and putting her to sleep was the only compassionate option. I guess my contribution is, all things are possible if you have the strength to carry it through, despite what the experts say sometimes. Although it was stressful and heartbreaking, we wouldn't have done any less, as a simple repayment for all her love. UCD were magnificent beyond words, and will always have my gratitude. Don't give up hope, dogs can be amazingly resilient.

xnightwishx

Thanks all so much for all the replies I was shocked when I saw them all! Bobo is going to see another vet tomorrow evening and I'll let you know how she gets on, her tail has started to wag a little which is a good sign so I'm remaining hopeful!!

jack presley

We'd all but given up hope for our little dog last year with a ruptured disc in her back but thanks to Bill at the Marie Louise Clinic in Baldoyle, she got a second lease of life so don't give up hope and I'd highly recommend that clinic.

Best of luck!

xnightwishx

Bobo can feel her legs and is able to use one of her back legs, hopefully the other one will follow, she still doesn't have any control in her left leg or her bladder but she's on steroids and resting up! Thanks everyone!!

MaryK666

xnightwishx wrote: »

Bobo can feel her legs and is able to use one of her back legs, hopefully the other one will follow, she still doesn't have any control in her left leg or her bladder but she's on steroids and resting up! Thanks everyone!!

That's great news xnightwishx. Where did you take her in the end? What was the diagnosis and what's the prognosis?
It's always good to hear things going well when our animal family members are poorly. Fingers crossed for her.

Eibhin

Hopefully she will continue to make good progress. Are there any physio/massage techniques you can do to stimulate the paralysed areas?

Hope she is back to normal soon and well done for looking after her so well!

xnightwishx

I brought her to Active Pet Care in Dunshaughlin, rang the one in Cabra and they were really friendly and made an appointment for us there as it was closer to home. They think it's a slipped/damaged disc so she's been on muscle relaxers, antibiotics and something else! Not actually sure but she's doing much better so I'm hopin she'll make a full recovery!!

jack presley

That's great news, thanks for the update. I've been checking this thread the past couple of days looking for an update and when there was none I feared the worst. Glad to hear she's on the mend!

It's a bit worrying though that the vet had given up all hope originally.