Here is my little Cosmo boy....what a sweet face. Cosmo is having some issues. For the past couple of months we have noticed he is having some difficulty with his hind quarters. Took him to the vet here in Florida and she thought it might be his knees. Yesterday he had to have an infected tooth removed so while he was under anesthesia they took the opportunity to x-ray his knees and back. Unfortunately it looks as tho his problem is in the spine. She didn't give us a very good prognosis....not much they can do and it will probably continue to deteriorate. However, she admitted she was no expert and told us we should definitely talk to a vet with more experience in this area. I'm taking his x rays and records to our vet back in Indiana...we'll see what they have to say. Then there is always Purdue Veterinary Clinic in West Lafayette. Whatever the outcome, Cosmo's happiness and quality of life are foremost in our thoughts. At present, he doesn't seem to be having in pain or discomfort. He has just become more cautious in his movements because he knows something is just not right. I would appreciate all your prayers....or if you know of anyone or anything that might help us to help Cosmo, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email.
Debbie - please check out http://www.dodgerslist.com/. They deal only with dogs with IVDD - back problems. They have so many wonderful suggestions and offer so much hope. We have two doxies and have had back problems in the past. Do not give up on Cosmo. You definitely need a vet that understands disc problems in dogs and you can also find that kind of information on their site. They are also on FB. I can't say enough good about them. Just remember - if Cosmo isn't in pain he can live a long and happy life even without the back legs working. Eddie's carts are a wonderful resource for dog carts for those who's front or rear legs have quit working. I know how scary it is but there are so many options out there. Good luck and please keep us informed. Prayers are definitely sent to you and your fur baby. We love them so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks so very much for the link and the encouragement. I will not give up...that is not even an option in my playbook. Definitely in research mode, trying to learn as much as I can before we see our vet in Lafayette. I have been with that vet for over 30yrs....they have seen us through a lot! Again, Thank you...I've already learned much via the link you included.....
DeleteOne of our doxies suddenly had trouble using her back legs and could not do stairs. It was a spinal issue but our vet gave her acupuncture 3 times per week and in a few months she was back to normal. Another friend's dog also had spinal issues and was paralyzed in the hind end but this same vet and the acupuncture treatment along with Prednisone brought full mobility back. Don't give up.
ReplyDeleteThank you Contessa for your insights.....once we are back in Indiana I will be looking into the acupuncture. I read about other success stories too so it is indeed worth a try!
DeleteIs Cosmo a Welshie? I owned a male Welsh Terrier who was just the BEST dog; he lived to be over 14. I want another but we don't have a good yard for a dog right now. You didn't say what the problem was but if it's arthritis, I can recommend Zuke's Dog Hip Action - this website: http://www.zukes.com/store/dogs/hip-action-438.html . Our cat will not take meds of any kind and when she was diagnosed with arthritis in her spine, we got her Zuke's Cat Hip Action. She loves them and they do seem to work. We'll pray for him and you. God bless!
ReplyDeleteCosmo is a wire fox terrier....closely related to a Welshie. At this point, we don't really know what the problem is. The xray definitely shows some irregularities in the spine, but nothing definitive. No signs of arthritis...at least nothing the vet mentioned. Thank you for sharing your info and thank you so much for your prayers.
Delete