Paralyzed dog is walking by himself!!!

[BeardedChick]

My friend's dog slipped on the ice a couple days ago and has been paralyzed in his hindquarters since. My friend immediately took the dog to CSU and the dog has been in the care of a neurologist. They could not find the exact location of the injury, and therefore could not do surgery to relieve pressure in the spinal cord. There was not a fracture of the spine and the dye test of the cord did not show a break or a lesion in the cord. They think the issue is spinal cord bruising, and there is a slim chance the dog may improve when the swelling subsides.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has taken care of a paralyzed dog, and how that all went. Especially if you did long term care... What are the things that need to be done? My friend is bringing his dog home day after tomorrow after the followup MRI as there will not be any further treatment that can be done at CSU.

Normally this dog stays at my house every other week while his owner is away on business... I have been really sad about this happening. The dog is a 10 year old whippet who was healthy & happy.

Thanks for reading...

 

[redhen]

they do have those dog wheelchair things...i've even seen them on craigslist..poor baby!

 

[EllyMae]

My dachshund ruptured a disc in her back...we had a canine neurosurgeon do a laminectomy(just like in humans). Unfortunately, my vet that I took her to when it first happened wasted a lot of time trying to tell me that it was pancreatitis(NOT!), even though I tried to tell her it was her back, and since the surgery was delayed, Sydney was paralyed from her waist down. We had a cart made for her by a company called K-9 carts(I think) and she did well in that. The only thing to keep in mind, often times they cannot urinate on their own until they are really full, so manual expression of the bladder is needed. The vet can show you how to do that, it's really easy. Having a paralyzed canine is manageable, but just know it requires ALOT of time, care, and patience.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

The dog needs to be kept on blankets, to cushion his weight. Several times a day, you and someone else(trying not to twist the injury), need to careful move him. If he lays in one position too long, he can get bed sores just like people. Watch the blankets, because depending on how paralyzed the dog is, it may relieve itself on the blankets. So keep that washing machine busy with detergent and bleach.

You may want to look into doggy diapers. It would help keep the blankets clean and make clean up easier for you.

Keep food and water within reach.

Keep the dog clean! If the dog relieves on itself, wash the dog. If you allow urine to remain on the animal it will inflame the skin. Even if the dog does not mess itself, you should wash it and it's bedding every few days.

Unless a wheelchair is bought for the animal, I wouldn't attempt to walk it.

If you have the help and it's nice enough outside, let the poor baby lay in the grass and have a change of scenery for 20 minutes or so.

That's about all the advice I have.. Sorry it happened, I hope it gets better.

-Kim

 

[griffin45]

If he didn't loose control of his bowels or urinary tract I would definately make him a dog chair. Dogs are resilient and will adapt to injury and handicap a million times faster than a human. If there is a slim chance he will get better and he were mine, he would come home!

 

[redhen]

Quote:

 

[BeardedChick]

This dog doesn't have control of his urinary tract or bowels at this point. I found the K-9 Carts site and sent the link off to my friend and called him about it.

I saw a variety of useful things on the cart site like special water beds & heaters, diapers that will wick urine away from the skin, etc. that would be immediately useful.

My friend is VERY attached to his dog - he is in his 40's and it's his first dog. I have no doubt that he will put his best effort into long term care.

He is going to talk to the CSU vets about what type of mobility cart could be used and when he can start using it.

Please post any other ideas. Thanks for the

.

 

[Splash_Guard]

When my dog was hit by a car the vet said he would never walk again. Same xrays, no breaks, swelling around the spinal cord. The dog did not want to live, but I insisted. It took months for him to pull up on front legs and drag back legs. Took a few more weeks to get back legs under him and walk unsteadily - for the end of story, after a year he was walking, which led to running - took a minimum of a year.

I wouldn't give up on the animal, but that's just me. I guess the time/work involved depends on how much you love your dog.

Guess I didn't post any "ideas" just wanted to let your friend know there's always hope when the injury involves swelling and the vet's prognosis for recovery is 0%.

 

[chilling in muscadine]

So sorry about your friends dog. I to have a whippet. A few years ago I had to have one of my cats seen by a vet. The cat showed up curling his back toes under and walking like that. The vet said spinal cord injury and we should put him down. That just did not rest well with me. I took the cat home when the vet released him and worked with him for awhile and eventually got the cat walking on his paws properly. It was work and dedication but the other choice I couldn't deal with. This cat lived another 11+ years so tell your friend to not give up. Tell your friend to have hope. HOPE is such a small word with such a huge meaning!!!!!!

When your friend brings the dog home I would confine the dog to a small area to keep the dog still so that any healing thats going to happen with the dog the dog will have the best chance. I'm thinking early on is a criticle time but after awhile you got what you got.

Your friend can do tests on the dog like taking a needle and pressing different spots in the legs to see if the dog has any feeling in the legs.

Tell your friend good luck and keep us informed.

 

[CountryMom]

We had a dog that was hit by a car and could not move anything period. I took her to the vet in the morning (as this happened middle of the night.) I wrapped her up in a comforter and carried her on a board (with some help since she was about 75 pounds) to the vet. She was with him for 2 weeks on steriods and antibiotics. She slowly began to move her front legs and then would try to drag back end around as it couldn't move. After two weeks we could see movement in the back legs, but still no control. Xrays showed no break, but trama around her spine in her neck and shoulder area. I brought her home and kept her in our horse trailer with blankets and all her food and water. Once a day I could carry her out and hose out the trailer and then do some walking with her. I carried her back end with a towel under her tummy and we would walk as much as she could. Another month of rehab at home and she walked on her own again. Always a little off but she kept up with everyone (human, dogs, and all the other critters) just fine. Even helped me check fences when I went on horse back.

Give the dog time and a chance to heal. You will know soon if it isn't going to happen.