Help - how do I help paralysed dog?

[tatsxxx11]

Dear Alison

I just wanted to ask you if your vet put Bella on any steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs? Contusions of the spinal cord are often accompanied by swelling which can be greatly relieved by steroidal drugs. Has she done any xrays to rule out any fractures or any other testing? Did she encourage you to keep her quiet? Without definitively knowing the nature and extent of the injury I fear that exercising/moving her can aggrevate her injury. Is she peeing and pooping? Eating? I hope that your vet will refer you to the appropriate professionals to give Bella her best chance. Now that she is beginning motion,?sensation? this is such a critical time. I want so for little Bella to recover to the best extent possible! I think of you two every day. Love Sandra

[Sudilar]

Bella-you go, girl!!!
Su

[Pam]

Amanion I am so caught up with little Bella's story. It has really moved me. When I came home from work I checked Pet Talk right away to see how she is doing. I have to tell you that I am almost moved to tears with the slight movement in her one paw! Keep on improving little Bella!!!!! We are all rooting for you!! If positive thoughts and prayers could do it she would be running around by now. I know all of your other friends at Pet Talk agree with me too!

Does your vet say she is in any pain? Is she on pain medicines?

Give her a big hug for me and keep giving us updates.

[tatsxxx11]

Hi Alison

Thinking about, worried about you and Bella since we haven't heard from you in a couple of days. Please let us know how she is doing? Hoping for the best.

[Pam]

Yes Alison, me too! I am hoping that Bella is making progress and would love to hear how she is getting along.

[amanion]

Hi,

Bella is pretty much the same. slightly more front paw movement, and I'm sure I felt a pushback from one of her back legs when I did her physio this afternoon. we go back to the vet tomorrow, so will have more news then. She can't stand for me to leave her. I had to go out today, and left her with my teenage daughter, who often looks after her. She cried when I was gone, and was a mess when I got back, crying and shaking. I guess she is really scared. I got her as a 5 year od. Her original owner died, and she went to a breeder. They were lovely people, but she was so unhappy. When I got her she was quite neurotic, and we had come so far.

I have been doing a lot of soul-searching. I want to make sure in my heart that I am acting out of concern for her, not selfishness. She watches me with her beautiful brown eyes, but they are sad. She enjoys food, a cuddle, a walk (carry) round the yard. She closes her eyes in bliss when I scratch her ears. But I think she is frightened. It is such an awesome thing to look after a totally dependent creature. I have to guess when she is thirsty, hungry, uncomfortable. I'm so scared I am getting it wrong and making her miserable.

I think so long as she is showing improvement, it is worth carrying on. When she was pregnant, no-one suspected (the breeders let her go because she was infertile!), and she told me one day - she really needed me to know. So I think that if it is all too much for her, she will find a way of telling me. She isn't in pain, apart from her stiff neck, which will get better, so that is one thing. She is incontinent - just overflows. I have her on a towel on top of a waterproof sheet on top of a thinnish foam pad, so it is all quite easy to clean up, but I am always afraid her skin will get sore. I give her a good sponge everyday to clean stale urine etc from her coat.

I'll post an update when we have seen the vet. Thanks for caring.

Alison

[Pam]

Alison let me thank you so much for taking the time to write again for all of us. I am in tears, though, as I read of her suffering (it seems like right now it is her mental suffering that seems most severe). I am thankful she is not in pain. What an awesome responsibility but what a wonderful caretaker you are! I know that you don't consider yourself in that way because you are only doing what you are doing out of the depths of your love for Bella. I do hope that the vet has some good news and I agree with you to keep carrying on as long as there is progress, however how small. I would love to give Bella a kiss and tell her to keeping hanging on, but I will have to leave the kisses up to you. It would be nice if Bella could be Dog of the Day. I know we would all love to see this little sweetheart. We feel we already know her as she is in our prayers

[Smilla]

I read through all of these posts this morning, and have had Bella on my mind nearly all day. I'm so glad there's been progress, however small. That makes me hopeful. I can't wait to hear what the vet says--I'll keep my fingers crossed. Bella is lucky to have you.

[RachelJ]

Alison, I just found this post today and I am so sorry for what has happened to Bella and in turn to you. Such a scenerio is too difficult to even think about or comprehend and I don't know how you have managed to stay strong for Bella.

There is a song (A WORD SAD ENOUGH) written by Cathe St. Jean The lyrics are:
"I thought I knew all the words for heartbreak - I thought I heard all the words for pain - I thought I knew the tune to lonliness - But they didn't make a word sad enough - They didn't make a word bad enough for this one".

I will keep Bella and you in my prayers. God bless you for being such a caring guardian.

[lhg0962]

Oh Alison,
I just saw all of this tonight. I'm so sorry for you and for poor Bella.
I don't have all the medical insight necessary for your problems with Bella, but I know you will get good advice from your veterinarian. Our only experience with something like this was with our cat, Mimi, who I found in the bushes one day, unable to walk. We had no idea what had happened and the vet could only speculate that she had been hit by a car (one of the hazards of having an indoor/outdoor cat). I just knew she would have to be put to sleep. But, with antibiotics and a lot of prayers, she survived and healed completely. She is now 11 years old. All of this happened when she was about 5.
I just want you to know that we will pray for her healing and comfort in the interim. Keep us posted, please.

[amanion]

We went to the vet yesterday. She wasn't very pleased with Bella's progress. I think she was hoping for a quick recovery, and that is it is going to be real real slow, it might not be fair to Bella. She is a great vet - really caring and with a great insitinct for animals, I think. she always gives Bella a love up after her physio, and spends at least 40 minutes with us. This is rare in Australia, where its in and out in 15 mins.
So we have been a bit despondent.

But she has made good progress today, with a strong back leg pushback and a tail movement, so now we are more cheerful We have lots of nice cuddles, too.

[teena]

Go Bella Go! We are all pulling for you and sending you our thoughts and prayers.

[carrie]

Fantastic! Your vet sounds great. Keep plugging away, this is real recovery in progress. Well done you!

[karen israel]

Hang in there Amanion and Bella! Rome wasn't built in a day you know. With all your caring and love and devotion and all our prayers, Bella's just has to recover! Will be thinking of you all weekend too! Xtra hugs and kisses.

[Sudilar]

Bella's getting better, that's all that counts, even if it is slowly. We're all praying for her. Get well, Bella!
Su