5 Days Post Surgery

I'm getting hits regarding Dog Paralysis. Bear with me if this doesn't interest you, but I think there are a bunch of scared dog owners out there, and so I'm going to tell them that they might be ok. Cause it really really blows when your dog goes limp at 2 AM.

Missy is doing very very very well. My parents picked her up from the surgical clinic today, learned how to express her bladder, were shown the PT moves they'll have to do, and were given instructions on ways to keep her mostly immobile but not crated.

The vet says that her prognosis is better than they could have imagined. In cases where a disc ruptures and causes total paralysis, it isn't good. Without surgery, there is no shot for the dog to regain movement. If a disc ruptures and movement and deep pain sensations are still active, surgery within 48 hours is 80%-ish successful. In cases like ours, with pain, back spasms, a lower back (as opposed to mid back, where most occur) rupture, and no deep pain reaction and paralysis, surgeries done within 12 hours have a 30% chance of a good outcome, which means she'll be almost as good as she was.

She is not yet standing on her own, but she has regained some bladder control. She can wag her tail, feel touch on her back half, and can squat on her back legs for just a bit before she starts to slump. We've been told it can take up to a month for her to be able to stand on her own. The steroids are making her very thirsty. My parents' other two dogs, a Shep-Mix and a Chihuahua, are walking by to check on her every once in a while -- the Shep sniffs her staples, licks her face, then runs away. It seems to freak her out that Missy is hurt, as the Shep is usually the "mommy" to Missy.

So, if you're finding my blog because your puppy has blown a disk, has IVD, or is having a poor reaction to anesthetic, I'm very sorry. Sometimes things can be done. Sometimes things work. Take care.