Our family is going through a hard time. Our beloved Gabriel has been dealing with some spinal issues. We took him to North Carolina State for an MRI after a visit to the ER and a specialist. At NC State, Gabriel did such a wonderful job, that all the students and doctors wanted every patient to be like him and they wanted to keep him. Fortunately, I am a VERY VERY selfish person and wanted to get Gabriel back home with his family.
The results of the MRI have shown that Gabriel is suffering from two discs issues. One is on L1 and L2 of the spine and it is pressing on the spinal cord, which is causing his ataxia. The other are is compressed not causing as much of an issue…as of yet. Both are rather painful for him, but he is a champ and doing well.
We give him some Yucca & fossil mixture every day which are an herbal painkiller and bone builder. When needed we give him an anti-inflammatory for the muscles around his discs when his ataxia is bad. Anyhow, we will be meeting with the specialist Dr. Marti when we arrive back to Virginia to discuss the next steps in Gabriel’s healing process and his road to recovery….
Surgery might be the best option, but we are hoping for a better solution… not because of price, but spinal surgery is risky just like in humans… Gabe could end up not being able to use his hind legs at all….
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Do dogs have physical therapists??? I pray he gets better with non-invasive therapy. XOXO
Yes they do. And they have chiropractors and water therapy for dogs too. It will depend on how much the MRI shows the compression on the spine to determine the road we will have to take. He is managing well with a day of active and a few days of rest. I would love to get him into the water therapy since he loves to swim before going the surgery route.