Angus and his back injury

Many of you know about Angus and his old back injury. About five years ago, he suffered a spinal injury which caused his spine to bulge through his discs. It was giving him nerve damage. They put him on massive doses of prednisone, strict crate rest, and NSAIDS. He recovered to a point and that was a blessing.

Fast forward to now. He has narrowing of the spinal column and calcification and bone spurs. It is starting to have a neurological effect on him. He can no longer run or play, drags his back leg, is knuckling under when he does walk and this gives him sores on his feet which have to be kept clean or he gets infections.

This last few days, he has started losing the ability to know when he needs to go potty.

He still has a good appetite, but his tail is mostly down and he seems so depressed. He spends most of his life in his crate, other than when we carry him outside to potty, and on weekends when we carry him to petsmart and to the park. We give him lots of extra love, but he doesn't understand why we won't let him run and play. He seems happy when we go to the park, but cannot go with Calvin, as Angus doesn't understand why he can't run and play with his brother. Even Calvin seems confused and upset, as his best friend can no longer play with him.

Angus has always been a very, very active dog and a very, very happy dog. He is neither one of those things anymore. His appetite is still good, but other than that, he seems so unhappy. He is not the Angus we know.

Our only options at this point are large doses of prednisone and maintenance NSAIDS--which do very little. Gluco/Chondro make him sick, as do all the other NSAIDS but rimadyl. Surgery is not an option. They said it would only reduce the problem, not fix it, and that is only has about a 10% chance of doing that. He is 12 years old and they don't think it is a viable choice, and neither do we.

It is so hard to watch my happy boy become this shadow of his former self. I just don't know what do to anymore. I am writing this with tears running down my face because he is so precious to me and I just don't know what to do. We've gone to two different vets, hoping for a better second opinion, but it was the same. I love my boy so much. This sucks.

have you tried a chiropractor?
I swear by them, Junior had a great one who extended his life, quality and quantity....Louie goes to him now for preventative maintenance

I haven't tried a chiro, but from what I've read about his condition, it wouldn't help. The narrowing of his spinal column is causing his spine to basically degenerate. A chiropractor would not be able to fix that.
Plus, trying to find anyone of worth in El Paso, TX is a joke. I have to drive him back to Tucson just to have a decent vet.

I'm sorry, Kim. No words of wisdom but just that you and Angus are in my thoughts.

sometimes they can help with the neurological stuff.....
if a nerve is being pinched or something

Thanks for the support. I really, really need it. He is just not a happy dog anymore and it is breaking my heart. I love him so much, it is hard to explain...and I know you guys get it.

I'm sorry he's not happy. I wish I could wave a magic wand.....
that's why I suggested the chiro, or maybe even acupuncture.
i would try everything I could for the little guy.....

Boy, can I relate. Winston has neuro problems that affect him almost the same way these days and I can understand what you're going through, and feeling also. No words of advice, just a lot of understanding and an open ear if you need one.

Thanks Cathy. Sorry to hear you are going through the same thing. The worst part is that he doesn't understand why he can't run and play the way he wants. It makes me cry to see how frustrated he is. It just isn't the Angus I know. He is usually so happy and such a ball of energy. It sucks to watch him suffer. And to know there just isn't much I can do is terrible. "Keep him comfortable" seems to be the mantra. But how long do you continue to watch him decline before you know it is long enough? I love him so much, can't even put into words how much.
Oh, this is just horrible and so sad.
Hugs to you.

puglover22 wrote:I'm sorry he's not happy. I wish I could wave a magic wand.....
that's why I suggested the chiro, or maybe even acupuncture.
i would try everything I could for the little guy.....

I know Kim quite well and I assure you she is doing everything she can for Angus. I think your last sentence was a bit uncalled for, maybe you didn't mean it the way it sounds, but it sounds like you feel she isn't doing everything possible. This has been going on for quite a while and a chiro and/or accupuncture isn't a cure all for everything. This is one of those things.

Kim, I'm so sorry. I can imagine how difficult it is to watch him decline and not understand what's going on. I know you'll do the absolute best for him. I don't really have any experience with neuro issues but it sounds as if you've gotten good info from the vets you've talked to, although maybe not ideally what you'd like to hear. Just love him and lean on us when you need to.

I'm sorry to read this about Angus,Kim We were in a similar situation with our lab several years ago. It's so sad to see our babies when they're like this. Tramadol worked for awhile for Gunner to help get his pain under control.

Just know Angus and you are in my thoughts

Trish

I know I have talked about chiro/acupuncture that I tried with Clara and Pugsley before. It didn't help so much with mobility but with pain management. The holistic vet had me give Clara and Pugsley warm compresses. She said the moist heat was better for their pain. Clara hated baths and I knew she would not like hydrotherapy, but liked when I would used the warm water in the shower massager over her back. It gave her some relief. Also, the vet had me get some self-heating mats for them to lay on. It helped a bit too. I know this sounds weird, but I told them both when it was too much for them to let me know and until then I would do everything I could to help them be more comfortable. It is a hard thing. I know that Rachel just went through this with Kayla.

Kim, my heart breaks for you because this is so very similar to what we went through with Kayla.

I just want to understand better the treatment you are doing. Are you giving him the high dose steroids and the NSAIDS? I think you said it's the only treatment option, but I'm not sure if you are actually using it.

Also, the crate rest - is that for reducing his pain or slowing the progression of his symptoms? The reason I ask is Angus might be at a point where quality of life is more important than quantity (trust me, that's very hard to hear, I know, since I nearly had a stroke when the doctor told me we had come to that point). What I mean is - if letting him be out of his crate and moving around makes him happy (and doesn't cause him pain) but may accelerate his condition, why not let him out of his crate to wander around? We got to a point with Kayla where if she wanted to do something, we let her do it because it kept her happy, even though it may not have been the best thing for her (like eating bird seed). I guess my point is - if letting him out of his crate to wander around and be happy means he only has two more months with you vs. keeping him crated and reducing his activity but he's unhappy means he has 2 more years with you, wouldn't you want to do what makes him happy (even though it means you have less time with him and it hurts you more)? That's where the quality of life rather than quantity comes in to play.

Please feel free to e-mail or PM me anytime. We struggled with neurological and spinal issues with Makayla for 18 months and I was ever so grateful to have others on PA and the yahoo groups I belong to who knew what I was going through and had so many helpful suggestions to offer.

Also - for his feet, you may want to look into Pawz. They look like little balloons that go on their feet to protect them against getting scraped up when they knuckle and drag their feet. Kayla had the worst scrapes and callouses on the top of her feet from knuckling and dragging. The Pawz (thank you Brenda for sending a pair to us) were a huge help to keep her feet protected. She did, however, get to a point where she couldn't have anything on her feet because it really reduced her ability to feel her feet on the ground and she couldn't walk when there was something on her feet.

Thanks to everyone who responded.
He is, at this point, on just rimadyl but will be adding prednisone when we go to the vet next--so that he can get some relief. At that point, I will allow him the freedom to do whatever he wants. I want his last days/weeks to be as fun for him as possible, which means NO crate rest.
I am in a strange place where I know no one and have no real support system, so you guys are it...I will most def. be leaning on you all in the future.
Sorry this is so short. I just feel at a loss for words.

monkeypigs4eva wrote:Thanks to everyone who responded.
He is, at this point, on just rimadyl but will be adding prednisone when we go to the vet next--so that he can get some relief. At that point, I will allow him the freedom to do whatever he wants. I want his last days/weeks to be as fun for him as possible, which means NO crate rest.
I am in a strange place where I know no one and have no real support system, so you guys are it...I will most def. be leaning on you all in the future.
Sorry this is so short. I just feel at a loss for words.

Kim, you may notice a big change in him when he starts the Pred and is off crate rest. It may do his spirit a lot of good. And ask us questions whenever you have them. Vent whenever you need to. We're here for you. It can seem extremely lonely caring for a handicapped pet - even when you know people who have done the same as you, it still feels so very lonely. So come to us.

And just remember to treasure every moment you have left with him - whether that's days, weeks or months or even years.

And Sabra, thank you. I definitely AM doing all I can for the little guy and will continue to do so.
Spinal issues are very complicated and sometimes people don't understand. His spine will continue to degenerate regardless of what we do for him.
Prednisone will take away some of the swelling and tramadol will take away some of the pain...and at that point I will let him run free in the house and enjoy the rest of him time.
Love you Sabra. You're a true friend.

Thank you Rachel. You words are a comfort. It is good (albeit sad) to know someone who has gone through it.
I want his last days/months to be full of good fun, good food, and tons of love.

I don't have any advice. Would a hug help at all?

MommaJones wrote:I don't have any advice. Would a hug help at all?

Hugs ALWAYS help. Thank you.

I understand what you are dealing with.

My Otto also has had spinal issues all of his life, and it's getting worse as he's getting older. We had also considered surgery, but the consensus was that the odds were against it helping him, and there was the possibility of it crippling him for life.

He can't run as he used to (actually, I can't either) but still loves to cuddle and snuggle. We have little sets of stairs by the couches and beds, and I crate him when people are working in the house to keep him from jumping on and off the furniture.

The vet encourages us to keep his weight as low as we can (not underweight, just not letting him get fluffy or chunky) to minimize the stress on his back. He doesn't act as if he is in pain, but he is less active than he was - he's 9 now, so I really don't want to subject him to surgery and extended crate confinement.

It is difficult to accept, but my feeling is that as long as he is loving and knows he is loved and seems comfortable, I'll do what I can to keep him comfy. I may have to adjust my expectations, but I'm letting him guide me. Like my dad always said, we have no guarantees in life, so do the best you can with the day you have - no one knows if we'll have a tomorrow. If we do, wonderful. If not, you made the most of the day you had.

Hugs to you and your boy, Kim. I know that I will eventually get to this point with Sammy, and it's going to break my heart when I do. You'll know when he's had enough.

I'm so sorry Kim. I've been through this with 4 out of my 8 Pugs. Three had surgery (Imi being the most recent). She had pretty much what you described with the spurs and everything else. And yes, you don't get miracles with surgery, usually just a stabilising of the fault and slowing down the deterioration. And my darling LouLou had the surgery but still ended up completely immobile for the last 2 years of her life. High maintenance, but she was worth it!

I would try acupuncture. I wouldn't recommend chiro as the spine is in a delicate situation and manipulation could worsen things, but acupuncture is definitely worth a shot.

A ton of good thoughts for you and your boy.

Imon wrote:I understand what you are dealing with.

My Otto also has had spinal issues all of his life, and it's getting worse as he's getting older. We had also considered surgery, but the consensus was that the odds were against it helping him, and there was the possibility of it crippling him for life.

He can't run as he used to (actually, I can't either) but still loves to cuddle and snuggle. We have little sets of stairs by the couches and beds, and I crate him when people are working in the house to keep him from jumping on and off the furniture.

The vet encourages us to keep his weight as low as we can (not underweight, just not letting him get fluffy or chunky) to minimize the stress on his back. He doesn't act as if he is in pain, but he is less active than he was - he's 9 now, so I really don't want to subject him to surgery and extended crate confinement.

It is difficult to accept, but my feeling is that as long as he is loving and knows he is loved and seems comfortable, I'll do what I can to keep him comfy. I may have to adjust my expectations, but I'm letting him guide me. Like my dad always said, we have no guarantees in life, so do the best you can with the day you have - no one knows if we'll have a tomorrow. If we do, wonderful. If not, you made the most of the day you had.

Linda, so sorry Otto isn't doing so well. I just hate seeing our babies have these issues. Otto is lucky to be in your care.

Aussie Witch wrote:

I would try acupuncture. I wouldn't recommend chiro as the spine is in a delicate situation and manipulation could worsen things, but acupuncture is definitely worth a shot.

A ton of good thoughts for you and your boy.

Rona is right about the chiro. Clara's loss of mobility was from hip dysplasia and Pugsley's was in his neck. They also had x-rays previous to starting any treatment. Most of the chiro treatments they had was not the actual manipulation, but massage. I lumped it together on my statement, but it wasn't necessarily accurate.