Bowser needs Prayers ... Old Age is catching up ...

[Cinder & Smoke]

Hi Friends ~ Bowser here ...

New Dad's havin a hard tyme wiff summa this ... so I said I'd give it a shot ...

"We" go back to January, 2005 - when my Niece - Tonya (aka Zippy-Kat) alerted the Pet Talkers
there wuz Trubbel down in West-by-Golly-Virginia anna FurrBall (ME) needed a Rescue.
Y'all can visit THAT Epic at:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=68494
Titled "A Plea for HELP!"

Thingz have been purdy "Rozie" since then - I gotz 'dopted az wunna "da FurKids" and
been #3 inna Pack (not kountin da KAT). Cinder & SmokeMutt treat me jest *FINE* -
an eben da KAT kutz me a break.
I learned allua FurKid stuff - sleepin on motel bedz, Bus ridin, swimmin,
visitin da Fiur Station, obernites at Unka Pat & Joan's Place, Gathurin at Findlay,
hikin inna Parks, ... I been a Buzzie lil Mutt!

But Alas & Alack - I brung along a kuppla Health Issues inna bags ...
I wuz always a lil "gimpy" an "stiff" inna rear end - "Arthur Itis" they sed.
SmokeMutts gave me summa his Glucosamine Tablets anna few aspirins seemed
to fix things up - I ran onna 3-way Y-thingie an kept up purdy well! ... Fur a while.

Last Winter New Dad thunk sumpin wuz wrong ... stedda "steppin" onna left paw -
I began "throwin" it forward; an then started "draggin" that foot-paw - stedda "steppin" wiff it.
Back to see Doc Mike.

He confirmed what we'd read onna Net ... my lil bit of German Shepherd blood
must come wiff Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) included
Long storrie short ... my spine is sorta "eating" summa the nerves in it ...
they "degenerate" an my brain can't talk to the nerve sensors an muscles
back there inna rear end.
Makes walkin kinda *ruff* when ya can't FEEL da rear foot-paw an can't TELL
it what ta do!

Summa da Findlay Folks noticed me "draggin" da bum foot-paw - but onna whole I
do purdy durn gud on the three Good Ones! Bout the only change has been on hikes -
us "Old Pharts" (New Dad an ME) <shuffle along> together; Cinder & SmokeMutts
do their own thing onna Y-thingie draggin a leash.

I wuz doin "OK" till mid-September when I hadda BAD nite ...
started "gimpin" on BOTH rear foot-paws ...
couldn't <hop> up da front steps ... just kind co-lapsed an looked pitty-full till
New Dad came out an boosted me up the steps.
He called Doc Mike an asked for a "referral" to his buddie Doc Bancroft - head White Coat
atta Hi-Priced Klinik in towne. We gotz a 'pointment in two daze!

Doc B took a kuppla X-rayz an ruled out any major hip problems, but re-confirmed I
can't tell when my left rear toes are turned under - I jest stand on my "knuckles"
an don't even know my paw is folded under. BUT - my RIGHT rear wuz werkin
jest FINE, thank you!
Doc sed he noted "just a touch of MD" onna right side; but I managed to not <drag> da
LEFT side very much onna walkin tests!

We all talked about Whut ta DO wiff me ...
Doc B agrees wiff Doc Mike - Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) izza dreadful
disease -
an has no real treatment, let alone a cure. Doc B suggested I take a Vitamin E pill and
switch to a combo Glucosamine / Chondroitin / MSM tablet twice a day.

Problemo #2 started a kuppla weeks later - I started "leakin" at nite.
We bought a diaper an sum pads that I wear at nite - solved da "Upset Dad" problem but
not the WHY is he Leakin? question. Doc Mike sed "Antibiotics" fur a while.
Aftur a "pee test" - we discovered I had "crystals" inna pee!

Anothe trip to Doc B's Place ... Ultrasound dis tyme ...
YUP - da Boy hazza STONE inna bladder!
Jest a "little" Rock - but can cause trubbel iffin it get's "stuck" inna plummin.

Da White Coats sed le's try "disolvin" da Rock ... da ONLY thing I can eat is
"Hill's s/d" canned grub ...
Kinda expensive ($1.80 per can) - an I need almost 2 cans a day!
GUD Thing is I think da stuff is like Grilled STEAK! YuuMMMMMMMIE!!
So Yummie I "bolt it down" so fast I started <tossin> it all back up!
New Dad called da Hill's Kumpanie ta komplain ... she sed ta Hand Feed me reel *s*l*o*w* ...

Aftur gettin a LOTTA Finners pinched & snapped ... now Dad drops each byte-sized piece
inna bowl - an I <GRAB> it out - no finners endangered!
I'm on this grub fur two months - then back fur another Ultrasound to Check da Rock.

-----------------------------------

Sooooo ... you're all <Wunderin> Whut'z wiffa Prayer Request?

Well ... tonite is anudder Bad Nite wiffa Rear End ...
We all went on a Big Hike inna BigLake Park this afternoon. Second 1.1 miler this week.
I dun GUD - kept rite up wife Ole New Dad ... <shuffle> - <shuffle> - <shuffle> ...

Onlee Problemo wus fur da seckond tyme inna week he "lost" me inna leaf pile!
HE walks onna paved road; *I* walk onna grass to save <draggin> my bum foot-paw
onna hard surface. LEAVES blow off road onna grass ... kinda DEEP in spotz!

We's <shufflin> along when allua sudden da LITES go Out! Durn SHORT legz!
Dad hears da leaves <russlin> an looks down ta see Two EARS anna Fluffie Tail
<plowin> thru
a mound of leaves! ... Gud Thing I hadda Ropey tied onna neck-belt!

I did OK onna Hike, but had sum trubbel <jumpin> up inna Bus; then had more trubbel
<hoppin> up the basement steps. Started <gimpin> pretty bad inna Howze;
almost fell down da stepz goin out to potty later.

An I jest kuld NOT get uppa stepz to come back in!
New Dad tried ta "encourage me" ... but da rear end jest wouldn't <hop> rite.
I <crashed> onna stepz ... wiffa Eyes callin fur Help.
He came out an gimmie a <boost> uppa stepz.

I did EAT like a lil Piggy ... Canned Steak I had ... but da gettin around is a
BIG Problemo tanite ...
I'm hopin it will "go away" like it did when I went to see Doc B da furst tyme ...
I'z NOT a Happie Kampur when I can't move around when I want to ...


Sooo ... dat'z why we're askin fur sum Pet Talk Prayers.

An send New Dad a {{{Hug}}} or two - he's gettin reel *stressed* ober
me havin problems.
I think he's been tryin ta make "deals" wiff God.

Fondly ...
/s/ Bowser

[cloverfdx]

Oh Bowser sweety i am so sorry you are having a rough time with your legs . Lots of positive healing vibes on the way for you and give your Dad {{Hugs}} aswell. I will keep you in my thoughts.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Poor Bowser - gentle hugs to you

[Dorothy39]

Oh Bowser~

I'm so sorry you're having more problems with your bum legs again

And, I sure do hope and Pray that that you're going to feel a lot better, real soon!!!!!

We Love You Bowser ~ {{{HUGS}}}}

[Ginger's Mom]

Oh poor Bowser (and New Dad). I will definitely send out prayers to get you fixed up real quick. And for good measure, here are some {{{Hugs}}} for you and Dad.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Tears are streaming down my face, Phred. I'll never forget the story of you bringing this beautiful boy to live with you. I'll hope and pray as hard as I can that he's going to get better and be okay. How hard this is for you to have to go through this with him. My heart is breaking for both of you. Please God....let sweet Bowser get well and back to his normal self.
{{{{{BOWSER AND PHRED}}}}}

[pitc9]

LES...
Phred and furkids... you all are in my prayers.
Phred, you are Bowsers angel and savior, you have made his golden years WONDERFUl! He couldn't have picked a better bus driver!
{hugs} to you all.

[shais_mom]

aaww poor Bowser - and Dad -
my heart aches for you both.
hugs and prayers on the way!

[ramanth]

Poor little Bowser.

I'm praying you feel better soon and that the meds help, buddy. *HUGS*

[lizbud]

Sorry Bowser is having these problems. Poor little guy & poor you.

My Vet would give prednesone shots & pills for Buddy when he had leg
and back issues. They really did help him for the longest time. Don't cure
the problem, but help reduce the inflamation of the muscles.

[Cinder & Smoke]

My Vet would give prednesone shots & pills for Buddy ...

Don't cure the problem, but help reduce the inflamation of the muscles.

Sadly, this is a different type of problem:

There's no inflammation of muscles or "pain" ... there is an almost total lack
of any "feeling" from the effected paws and legs ...
an MD Dog just can't "FEEL" any of the sensors that normally "tell" the brain
what the rear end is actually doing ...
there's no feedback to the brain saying "left paw is DOWN and touching the grass,
or left leg is swinging forward, prepare to Drop Paw" ... there's just NUFFIN
reporting in from the effected parts.

And the brain has trouble even getting muscle commands back there to the rear end ...
the nerve signals are supposed to be two-way - commands are front-to-back; and
sensors work back-to-front ... in MD Dogs neither direction works properly.
The brain may be sendig "pick up the left paw" messages out ...
but they get crossed up and the right paw reads the scrambled instruction
as "put down the right leg" ...

It's not a tiny bit *phunnie* - but poor Bowser "walks" like a DRUNK.

Eyes are leakin ...
and I'm all Prayed Out.

/s/ Phred

[beeniesmom]

Oh sweety, we love you.
We are sorry you are having all these issues.
Beenie and Frankie

[borzoimom]

Prayers out to you!

[cyber-sibes]

Wow, Bowser, sounds like a great day. Glad you're feeling better, which makes dad feel better too.

[lv4dogs]

Oh sweet Bowser, bum legs are no fun are they? I am so sorry you're having such trouble, I wish there was something I could do to make them work like new again.

I like the wheelchair idea, after all there isn't many dogs with their own set of wheels!
You will be in my thoughts & prayers. Hugs