The RAMP....

 
 
SO, Toby cannot walk up a single step or it COULD paralyze him...so what do we do? We treat him as we would ourselves, I guess-my husband built him a ramp! It is WIDE, so that he doesn't decide last minute to JUMP the edge, it is carpeted so that it isn't slippery. He likes it- and so does Meeka who runs up and down it over and over like a little kid. (She's a "deer Chihuahua"- so not too small- 15 pounds!) Really though, there is a very good reason for this "Handicapped" look. If we pick him up wrong, it could be the end of his life as he has known it. It is very difficult to pick up a dog, any dog- even small ones like him without causing an unbalanced feeling to them- and in response, they arch their back or 'squiggle'!! VERY scary. SO! This is for Toby ~ but it also gives US peace of mind.

Doggy Jail...

 
This has to be the worst thing for Toby. JAIL! But he is outside watchng 'daddy' build him a ramp. He will be livng in this BOX for 3-4 weeks (hopefully not LONGER!!!!) and a ramp will make it easier for all to get him up and down the steps. He cannot be bent 'whatsoever'... so try lifting a dog and NOT bending them to some degree! Pics to follow...with updates.

not the best morning....but not the worst.

Toby had a bit of trouble getting up and out the door to go potty at 4:45 AM. (I'm glad it's light outside at that time!) He did his 'duty' and then sat down. My husband and I both tried to coax him to stand up and come back in the house on his own: "Want a treat? Come get your TREAT Toby!" "Want some CHICKEN? Yum! COME GET SOME chicken Toby! Come on!! Get some chicken! want some chicken???" Even offering some of HIS chicken to our other little dog, Meeka, didn't do the trick. He just sat there... This is NOT his 'normal way'...but after gently lifting his butt off the grass FOR him...he was able to walk to the house for his treat. Poor little guy. The hard part for us gets even harder because he doesn't understand WHY we keep putting him back into his crate. To him, this is punishment I think. He acts SAD. His job is to sit in our laps at ALL times...and to follow us everywhere, no matter what. This isn't what Toby DOES and it is making him depressed I think. That worries me too. He can't understand that this is just for 3-4 more weeks ....

The Chiropractors advice for my dog...

SO, I took Toby to MY Chiropractor this evening. She said that her little dog was even worse then Toby seems to be at the moment. (he was waaay worse this morning, and she said that that is even so with humans; morning stiffness kind of thing) Her little guy had a herniated disk seven YEARS ago, and has done really well ever since. She was taught a certain 'stretch' exercise for her dog by a vet/chiropractor. So, she taught it to us. Very simple to do...yea! She still advises us to have the steroid shots and the anti-inflammatory meds continued and to keep him in his kennel for 4 weeks, as advised by all the vets. Plus she said that if he takes a turn for the worse- to take him right in for surgery. Her response to this type of surgery's effectiveness was better then the vets seemed to give us (50% effectiveness) she has seen it have good results although she has a very SMALL group of dogs to use as an example since the other dogs all healed on their own. SO, our day started at 7AM with a very BIG scare...2 vet appts, lots of internet exploring on Chiropractic care in dogs,and ending with a trip at 5:45 to my personal chiropractor, Dr. Susan Barrett. WHICH by the way she did NOT do as a 'dog' appt. She just saw him for ME...and didn't charge us a dime. she simply loves dogs....

I feel so much more in control now. There is hope that he won't have to go into surgery...that we just might be able to help him heal himself. "This is a temporary thing"......

you can always smile...a little!

 
  Even when you think you can't smile...you find something that makes you anyway! These were posted on the Vets office wall. Click on the picture, it'll get big enough to read!

my Dog Toby...

 

My grand daughter Eliza is Toby's 'other mommy'....but Toby is hurting right now and she doesn't know about it.
A week ago tomorrow we had him in for a dental cleaning at which time the vet elected to remove 7 of his teeth. We brought him home later that afternoon after dropping him off at 7:30 am. When we got home we noticed that he seemed to be walking like a 'drunk sailor'. Thinking it was the effects of the anesthesia, we were not concerned. The next morning we were. He woke unable to use his back legs correctly. We rushed him into the vet who said that it was a pinched nerve caused by a preexisting problem. HUH? We never KNEW he had a problem with his back. NEVER an indication that we saw. She gave him a steroid shot, some muscle relaxants and something else and sent him home after telling us "Zero activity for one week". Today is day 6 and he seems to be a bit worse after seemingly being a tad bit better yesterday. SO, we called another vet for a second opinion. He then sent us to yet another vet for x-rays and a consultation. We aren't any closer to a decision then we were this morning. We 'did' make am appointment for tomorrow morning with a surgeon but I am thinking right now that we should wait and try more meds and a chiropractor. We have an appt this evening with one. She used it on her own dogs herniated disk and it worked. I am willing to try. The bad side? Toby can become paralyzed with ANY of the methods the vets prescribed. It is all risky yet hopeful..and yet...any of the decisions we are about to make can cause him to lose his ability to move his back legs forever.

And so...one more visit and then we add prayers....

lessons learned...the hard way.

My Dad once asked me, after I was rambling on about a mistake I had made, if I was "going to DO IT AGAIN"? I replied : "OF COURSE NOT DAD!" He said to me "Then, it's not a mistake, it's a Lesson". so, there is the reason for this blog title. All my lessons in life seem to come the hard way...my mistakes I have learned from.

This blog is for no other reason but to share. I hope that when I do someone else will share what they have experienced and then maybe through all of this we can all become wiser for it.