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(this pic was taken just the other day in her paralyzed state while sitting on the deck)
.....for my dear sweet puppy dog, Koda.
Below is a letter I wrote the Natual Healing Veterinary Care Clinic in our nearby city
{{ Hello. My name is Corry Smyrski & in less than 24 hrs my dog (Koda) has become paralyzed from the mid back down.
Heres' a bit of history.
Monday evening, we noticed our 6 yr old female Shih-Tzu unable to jump onto our furniture like she normally does. She would bark that she wanted to come up. She proceeded to throw up once that night before bed.
In the morning, we took her down off the bed and she started to come down the stairs....successfully going down 3 steps then falling down the remaining 6 steps. After that we noticed she was favoring her back end.
I went to work as did my husband so Koda was left with my mom. In that time, Koda was incontinent of stool around the house. She was placed outside by my mom but had difficulty coming up the 3 steps that come into the house. She sat in one spot for most of the day then hobbled to a nearby chair.
At lunch I made an emergency apt with the vet in Selkirk to get her looked at. At the time of the appointment (Tuesday at 3 pm) Koda was able to walk but was crossing her back legs one in front of the other.....I like to describe it as her legs/gait being "dizzy", then she'd sit down. Her neck muscles also seem very stiff & she can't seem to relax it.....it keeps going straight up so she's looking at the ceiling.
Blood tests at the vet came back normal, one X-ray (side view of hips) came back normal and so forth and so on.The vet said to give her 24 hrs and call him in the morning with an update.
By the time I got home from the apt (6 pm- ...1 hr drive) I went to show my husband how Koda was walking at the vets' office and BOOM her legs folded backwards.
Since then she has not been able to move her back legs at all.
She is pulling her lifeless back end around with her front legs.
This morning (Wednesday) I called the vet with an update and proceeded to tell me that the next step was another x-ray (aprrox. $450.00) of her spine that would ONLY give a diagnoses, then the next option was to go to Saskatchewan to see a special neurologist vet to have a CT or MRI or possbily surgery.
Honestly, I told him I don't have $450.00 for another x-ray never mind a $5000.00 trip to Sasketchewan. So we are doing comfort measures right now, hoping for the best.
We started her on Prednisolone today. She barks, she responds to name & touch. she growls like normal when she does not like being touched......she is eating VERY WELL....and just now before I started this e-mail she got up on her front legs, looked at me, & I rushed her outside, but she was incontinent of urine all over me along the way.
I posted my story on Facebook and a friend of mine messaged me with your info, stating that you helped her dog& her mom's dog when they became paralyzed like this. She said you are amazing. I am willing to try some treatments on Koda to see if she can get her legs back. }}
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As this post goes live, my husband is on his way to take Koda to the first treatment at this facility. We'll see how it goes. In the mean time, we've ordered a DoxieCart for Koda in the event that the treatments don't work. This picture is what a DoxieCart looks like.
Thanks for taking the time to think of us today!
