Payback or - Did you really just walk me into a car?

AP here:
The T-Man and I are still walking twice a day although we only travel about 4 or 5 houses up the block and then turn around. He cannot touch concrete or anything rough with the middle two toenails on that bad foot as they are completely worn down and become a bloody mess. Once out of the backyard he has to have either socks or a boot on to protect the toes.

He is managing to lift the foot with his Ruff Wear Skyliner boot (see this post) for a good portion of the walk so that is promising. This is exactly where we were in November of last year with the other leg. I sometimes feel like I am just repeating the days over and over again like the Groundhog day movie..
The boot thing is a huge deal in my little corner of the world since it means I don't have to deal with socks and duct tape. Socks and duct tape require stopping every few feet to reposition since they roll around and sag no matter how much duct tape you use or how tight you make them. I had created some sock boots but they suffer from the same rolling problem.

He is doing well (since this weekend) with the boot. He takes slow methodical steps and his back end does not seem to be drifting as bad to the right like it had been. He still thinks he can go further than I will let him which is also a good sign.

 June 22nd

On the way back when he gets sloppy we do some thera-band work to keep him going and to train his foot and leg to lift.

This morning I was walking him home with the thera-band and I was looking down at his foot so that I could get the proper placement and he subtly drifted a bit and walked me right into a parked car.
I had to chuckle a bit because there have been times over the years that I have walked him into some items such as a tree, a car, and the occasional fence.
I had to wonder if he was silently thinking "YES-Payback"

                                                                 June 23rd

I am encouraged by these little baby steps of progress and so we will keep "walking" forward and try to avoid the obstacles in our path..

Call in the Forensic Team

AP here:
It is like a scene out of the TV show Dexter at my house this morning.

---In the living room we have a 4ft blood splatter in all directions.
The heaviest concentration is here in the middle with a lighter radiating pattern suggesting that this is where the initial event occurred and then the victim took a few steps.
It  changes into smaller droplets towards the furniture, walls and stairs indicating that several smaller events happened after the initial one. ---

 I don't need the forensic skills of Dexter to know the cause. The bear that is the Tonka has nosebleeds again and has sneezed his gigantic nose sneezes in the living room. He has just come in from his morning shuffle (walk) and instead of sneezing outside where it is easy to clean up he has made his way into the living room so it can splatter as many surfaces as possible. Exactly what I need on a Monday morning while trying to get ready for work.
I take him through the kitchen to get him out the door when he sneezes again this time all over me - Excellent!!  - very thankful I still have on my sweats and a t-shirt and am not dressed for work.I grab a paper-towel and wet it with cold water to clean him up and see if we need to ice pack his snout or go get the epinephrine solution. Luckily there is no more blood flowing and I have him lie down so I can clean up his muzzle and his legs where he has sneezed downward all over his feet. I then grab the paper-towels and a bucket of cold water to clean up everywhere else.
Clean up time is shortened by the fact that I am still putting thin fleece blankets down in the areas that he mostly occupies. I got into the habit when he was having incontinence issues and have just kept doing it. The fleece has taken the brunt of the initial sneeze and so I start working outward from the edges. Soon I am at the wall and proceed to clean that off. In the the other direction is the bloody couch, the coat rack, the umbrella stand, the baby gate, the leather recliner - wait the leather recliner which would be the easiest to clean is spotless - figures...

I pull up the fleece and check on him before heading to the laundry room. He is busy cleaning his paws - apparently I did not get them Tonka clean. I grab the phone on the way to call the Doctor and have them update his file and refill his epinephrine solution (our bottle from last year is almost empty). I put together a load of laundry that now includes the fleece, my bloody T-shirt, sweat pants and even my socks. I don't need to watch TV my life with Tonka is way more entertaining than any TV show.

The Meaning of Nothing

AP here:
Pondering the meaning of nothing.
I am not a big believer in nothing. I believe in cause and effect in which an action or event will produce a certain response to the action in the form of another event.
If you have ever studied philosophy or know anything about Karma you have heard of cause and effect - action and reaction.
In science this is one of Newtons Laws for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, -something happens and something caused it .
In management cause and effect is used to predict outcomes and to locate potential problems within a process.there are even diagrams and charts to help narrow things down.
So what happens when you have an effect with no cause?

Something is causing Tonka's problems, something is having an effect on his ability to walk and balance correctly. I have spent 8 months now dealing first hand with this  "Somethings"   effects and am no closer to knowing what the cause is. Multiple Orthopedic Doctors,  Multiple Neurologists, many, many tests of different types and we have a big fat "Nothing" as the Cause.

The last place to look - his head and neck - was scanned using an MRI on Thursday evening.
His Canine Rehab Specialist (physical therapist) Chris came by to check on him and get the results first hand. She went over the results with Dr. McDonnell before I did and was with Tonka when they called me back. I could see her in the back on the floor with Tonka and was looking at her to see if I could get a read on whether I should be bracing myself for the worst. Dr. McDonnell then proceeded to tell me that Tonka has a beautiful head and neck and there is nothing visible that could be causing his symptoms.
Now I had joked with several people that this was my worst fear and you were going to have to pick me up off the floor if that was the verdict and here it was- a diagnosis of nothing.
I am sure my real reaction would have been puzzling to anyone not knowing the full story or the past 8 months.
I had just been told that there is nothing nasty lurking in his head and most people would be ecstatic and jumping for joy instead I was just dumbfounded. this was the last place to look - the answer was supposed to be here - good or bad we would know something.
Nope - nothing there - nothing to fix - no cause to his effect...

So what is the meaning of nothing? and just what do you do with nothing?

Chris and Dr. McDonnell had the only answer I can hold on to at the moment which is to "keep doing what we are doing". He has come a long way in 8 months so that is what we will do..

Tonka's Trailer

AP here:
After a few conversations with Sue at Cycletote I ordered the large trailer with the stroller conversion. It has been modified slightly and the covered wagon part can come off easily so he can get in without worrying about height clearance. It came in a very large box and surprisingly took no time at all to put together.

With Cover

Inside

I put a few beef liver treats inside (with the canopy top off) and had Tonka reach in to get them. He is such a sucker for anything liver. We had his friends Nala and Duke come over and they took turns getting in and out of it.

Duke

I stuck two foam yoga blocks in front of each wheel to keep them from rolling away as I prepared to get him in it. I walked him under the handlebars and up as close as possible to the trailer. I asked him to "Step Big" but he refused so I lifted up his front feet and put them in.  He was unsteady and unsure at first but finally moved forward and I lifted his back legs and put them in. Carol helped to keep the carts front end down by holding it down with her foot. Once he was in I gave him a treat and told him he did a "great job". Then I had him sit for a treat and finished by having him lie down. I kept telling him to stay as we made a small trip up a hill in the backyard and around to the front gate.


To the Gate




Nala offering her support


 Once at the gate I had him stand up and lifted the front paws out and then the back legs. It is tricky and it wobbles under his weight upon standing but he is getting used to it. We then all went for a walk and pushed the trailer with us just so it became a familiar item to everyone in our little pack.

Stopping at the gate

The next day we went for a walk to the park with Nala and Duke. We walked part of the way there and then loaded him up in the cart for the rest of the journey.
He seemed to like it:

Once at the park I helped him out and he got to walk around with his friends for a while. The hardest thing is getting him to sit and lie down which I think is because of the wobble. I have found that it is easier to load and unload if I push him into tall grass. Once he is down he is content to just put his head up and sniff the breezes.

Brief Medical Update

AP here:
For the past two weeks Tonka has been on a bit of a slide downward. he is still mobile but he is stiff in the back right leg which is his good (bad) leg and he has been falling quite a bit. It is almost as if the problem has shifted sides, not to the extent that we had in the beginning with the left but still presenting those same lame/weak symptoms. He does not pick that foot up high enough when clearing an object, it seems weak and has no traction and he collapses on that side when he does fall. He is hesitant to use the ramp and has been doing a little back and forth weight shuffle with the back feet while standing. He is not sleeping through the night and consistently and seems to have trouble getting comfortable especially lying on his side.
His amazing therapists of course are diligent about listening to my observations and checking him out thoroughly and are always brainstorming about what they can do to help him. I am always a little more positive when leaving therapy knowing that he is in such good hands. The people at CVSS are all so professional and caring as well as the other staffs from other practices within the building. I know that he is truly looked after anytime he is there.
A consult with an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Roa and Neurology , Dr. McDonnell let us know that his therapists Chris and Diana are right on track with what they are doing for him and took their suggestion of adding a medicine called Gabepentin.
The Gabepentin should help if he is having what they call neuropathic or neurogenic pain which involves the reaction of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) to injury. With neuropathic pain, the reaction in the nervous system to the pain actually makes the pain feeling worse and is commonly described as "burning", "electric", "tingling", and "shooting" in nature. This pain is usually worse at night and might explain why he gets me up so many times at night. I know it is not because he needs to go to the bathroom since he has no interest in going out if I open the door. He wants me to snuggle up with him and then he goes right back to sleep. He really is just a big baby.

The Sock Boot Factory

AP is trying to invent something for my back paws so they don't get so scuffed up. I have my Skyliner boots but sometimes when my nervous system is acting up they are too heavy. She says she is making me sock boot and keeps singing this silly song about working at the sock boot factory. I do worry sometimes that this is the person responsible for my care!

AP here: Yes I am inventing the sock boot for Tonka because the problem with just socks for big dogs is that the toenails rub right through the toe very quickly. Socks also don't have any water proof capability and get wet on dewy mornings and rainy days.
I have now tried several options. In order to make the sock boot I started with dog socks and then tried to figure out what I could coat them with to keep them pliable but tough and waterproof on the bottom. The only two things I could think of were Shoe Goo and Plastidip.
I took playdoh since it is non toxic and made a mold of Tonka's foot while standing.

Play-Doh imprint

I let that harden and then found a product (toe cover) that was the same width and length of the mold of his paw. I stiffened that with a piece of moleskin cut to fit inside of it and that became my last to insert in to the sock to hold the correct shape.

Toe Topper

To give it some height in the toe area I molded a toe insert from tin foil.
I started with Shoe Goo and coated the underside of a sock and came up and over the toe and the sides a little.The problem with the Shoe Goo was it dried to hard and stiff and it was not comfortable on his foot.
The next try was with Plastidip and we had some success.

Plastidip

I dipped the bottom into a plate with plastidip and then used a plastic knife to spread over the toe and sides. The first one I only did the bottom and it tended to twist on his foot as he walked.

cover the bottom

Hang to dry

It works pretty well and is real pliable although the rubber wears through after a few walks and has to be redone.I might try to add some grit on the last layer to see if that gives it more traction and a longer life but for now I am just -

♫ Working at the Sock Boot Factory ♫

The Comfort Wagon

AP here:
I ordered a trailer/stroller called the comfort wagon. It was the largest bike trailer that I could find that is meant for a dog and can be converted to a stroller.

Comfort Wagon

The premise was to have him get in and I could push him to the park and then he could get out and play a bit. So basically a way for us to have long walks together again and for him to participate in the parades and adoption events that he loves to do.
Problem  - even those this is for a dog weighing up to 165lbs it is rather short in height. He took one step up and bonked his head on the cross bar that is the roof. I had my Friend Carol look at it and we talked about ways to modify it. The comfort wagon was very pricey and so I thought it best to see if I could find one a bit cheaper or perhaps used to slice and dice with modifications. I boxed it up and sent it right back. I did find one cheaper but started digging a little more and found two other possibilities. I found a place in Canada that had a landscape wagon that would have been perfect except the modification from bike trailer to push wagon was the tiny little wheels you see on baby strollers. That definitely would not last under Tonka's weight. I called to see if we could brainstorm on that and some other strollers they had for disabled children but didn't get very far.
Then I stumbled upon Cycletote.com which makes aluminum bike trailers that can be converted to kid or dog strollers.I sent them an email about what I had in mind and had a very nice woman named Sue call me back that same day. She went out to Tonka's blog and saw how big he was and wanted to discuss how we could make something work for him.


Cycletote

 She also said they have had a Pyr in the large trailer and is sending me a picture. This just might be what we need.

Grief is a sneaky thing

Grief is a reaction to loss.
There are 5 stages to grief  and they do not necessarily have to occur in the order listed.
Denial 
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

The sneaky thing about grief is that it occurs with any kind of loss not just death. Tonka is still with us and yet  I can look back at the past 7 months of Tonka's downhill slide and insert myself into all of those stages. Some stages more than once.
I have also come to realize that there is loss within loss and that starts you down the path all over again.
We have adapted and settled into a new routine that still allows him some mobility and I do believe he is still a very happy boy. I don't believe that dogs allow themselves to get down about what they cant do for very long. Humans are a different story and llately I have been saddened by the loss of what we had. I try very hard to stay grateful for what we do have but every so often sneaky grief comes by and reminds me of what we can't do anymore.
It's little things like not be able to see him run around on a wet baseball field scooping up mud with his nose and then finding me to wipe it off on. Never again walking to the bus stops to say hi to the kids on the way to school in the morning. Not being able to watch him run and wrestle with his friends as if he could see. One of the things I really miss is our long walks everyday no matter what the weather. Every walk was an adventure.

So I mourn the loss of the life we had and try to stay positive about the future, but some days it is hard.

Balance

AP here:
The 8 minute underwater treadmill workout and meeting up with his buddies at the park 4 times a week seems to have been a bit much for the Tonka Dog. He is not walking as well as he was and can not seem to get comfortable. This whole neurological medical journey has been about discovering what makes him better and what doesn't work. We know the rehab he is getting with Chris and Diana at CVSS works (miracle kind of stuff) and going to the park and on walks are essential for his mental well being. The treadmill should help us strengthen him physically and retrain his gait so we just need to find the optimal mix of things. We are searching for the right Balance.
When undergoing an exercise program a workout will leave you tired but in Tonka's case we also have to lookout for what we are going to call neurological fatigue. When his system is stressed too much the signals between brain and body part get weak and things get slow. His back foot will not lift high enough or quick enough to clear a doorstep or his foot will not have enough downward strength to keep it from slipping out on the carpet. That is where we are today neurologically tired so this weekend will be low key and full of ice packs and rest.

Progress

I have been walking around afraid to be happy at the progress Tonka has made in the past few months. I keep saying I don't want to jinx it - as if I have some ultimate control over what the future holds. Today we were at the park and Tonka was walking/trotting across the field towards the sound of his kids and I realized just how happy I was to see him enjoying his time with his kids and his friends. I don't have any power over what will happen tomorrow but I do have the power to be happy with him right now. It has been a long 5 months and the progress from not being able to lift his foot or stand for even a few minutes to where we are today is remarkable.
I put together a small sample of him at the park fro the past few days - see if he doesn't make you smile.



and this is what he looks like when we return home from the park...

So Spoiled

AP here:
This is what happens when you spoil the Tonka Dog and he starts demanding attention.

Turn up your volume and make sure you catch the ending.

Therapy is sooooo Hard!

Once a week I go to physical therapy with Chris Allyn Fritsch, M.Ed, ATC, PT, CCRP and Diana Huey, RVT, CCRA. It is a really intense hour where I lay on my side and sometimes they flip me over to the other side. I have to stay down while I get lots of attention and treats and occasionally take a nap. They move my leg and my head around doing these things called nerve glides and make my "nose go towards my toes". I also get cold laser therapy and then finish with this thing called a Cranio-sacral release. You can see from the pictures that it is such hard work for me......  The cool thing is that I can then lift my foot pretty good for at least 4 days afterwards so all that hard work is definitely worth it.

Nerve Glide Obturator

Nerve Glide Peroneal

Nerve Glide Peroneal

Kickin it at the Park

AP has been getting home early enough to take me to the park and therapy has been keeping me mobile.
Mornings are still draggy but when I get to the park in the afternoon with my friends-

"I'm kickin it"

Life is Good!

A Modified Normal

AP here:
So we started down this bumpy road 4 months ago and we have had to modify some things and our daily routine.





 This is the Tonka Cave constructed from 2 exercise pens and pvc pipe to make a 4x6 spacious place for him to lounge around in. It has 2 canine cooler pads for him to stay comfy on and he has room to stretch completely out.


Everything we need

 We have a multi purpose storage unit for medications, boots, duct tape, puppy pads etc. Note the camera to the left for all day monitoring of the Tonka Cave and the little white camera on the top corner which is one of 3 that are connected to the Lorex Snap baby video monitor. It has a small monitor unit that displays all the cameras with night vision. It is small enough to take to bed and be able to check on him where ever he is during the night

There are baby gates to keep him from trying to use the steps.

Ramp on the side of the house is now outfitted with commercial rubber mats with traction bumps and drain holes.

Sleep space with fleece blanky and toys. The fleece is great at keeping things from soaking the carpet if there is an accident. The dog bed in the back corner is actually a memory foam bed from bigdogbeds.com. and is comfortable enough for me to sleep on. I got it for my last Pyr and neither she nor Tonka would have anything to do with it so it has become mine to lay on when he is having a bad night and I end up sleeping next to him.

Our day now begins at 4:30am so that I have time to get him up and in his boot and stumping around the block. We usually have a little standoff on the corner where we would normally turn to go to the park since he still thinks we should be able to go that far. This is frustrating for both of us and neither of us really wins the battle. On good days he gets around fairly quick and gets done with his potty business for the morning. Bad days we stop a lot, standing in the cold, and when he will poop is any ones guess. Occasionally we run into his friend Marie and she walks with us for a while. Tonka adores her and it is much less of a fight with him when she is around. Then it’s up the ramp and into the kitchen for breakfast followed by a nap (him not me) while I get ready for work. Tonka eats from elevated bowls which are kept downstairs since that is where he used to eat and they don't fit real well in the kitchen. So for breakfast and dinner I have to go downstairs make his bowl and then carry it all upstairs to the kitchen. When he is done I have to carry it all back downstairs again which I don't mind doing - I would do anything for my boy it's just the time factor for everything has changed. What once was something so simple that took a few minutes is now a whole process that adds time to the day. You don't realize that until you have something like this happen. Your normal routine gets changed and the amount of time for that routine has to be changed as well.

Then it’s a fight, and more often than not a bribe to get him back down the ramp to go potty and into the Tonka cave. Some mornings that becomes CM's job especially if I go in early.

I can monitor him on the Tonka cage cam from my phone and my PC at work, as can my parents so we know what he is up to during the day (usually just sleeping). Mid-day my mom or dad comes by to let him out and he hangs out either in the yard, on the porch or out front sniffing the breezes and perhaps taking another nap. It is apparently very tiring being a Pyrenees.

In the afternoon/evening we take our second stump around the neighborhood and again hope that all potty business is taken care of. Then we stump up the up the ramp and in to the house to take a nap before dinner. Once dinner is done its time for another nap before he gets his frozen peanut butter Kong treat. We play for a while with some of his toys or he tries to attack feet or bathrobe sleeves depending on his mood.

Tonka likes to sleep downstairs but he starts off upstairs which means anytime between 11 and 2 he will wake me up by barking and want to go downstairs. So out the door into the cold and down the ramp we go to get from point A to point B (really love this when it is cold and rainy). He tends to pee while he is walking down the little hill to the back door and that means it gets all over his front legs so I have to wash them once we get in the door. It would be much easier if we could start off downstairs in the beginning of the evening but Mr. "creature of habit" is not fond of that. Once downstairs he settles onto his fleece blanket and goes back to bed unless it is a whiny kind of night and then he will whine and cry and want me to stay with him. It is very rare I get a full night’s sleep anymore - usually the night when he has had PT he sleeps at least till 4. The therapists have given me some things to do with his leg that might help settle him down for the night so we are going to try those tonight.

One modified day at a time......

New Years Day 2012

AP here:
2011 was a horrid year for Tonka with all his medical problems so we were happy to see it go. This morning we got up around 5:00 and at 6:00 I was sitting having my coffee and he was laying next to the chair. All of a sudden he rolled onto his back and belly'd up for just a few seconds. Now you may be thinking "big deal" but it is - IT IS A HUGE DEAL! Tonka used to belly up every night to be brushed and he has not physically been able to do that for the past 2 months.
Granted it was just for a brief instant but I am thrilled.
The whole day has been great.

This was the beginning of our morning walk today. It did not last long before it became a drag and a scuff but he was actually lifting his foot.

This afternoon we picked up Carol and Nala and went to the park and he did really well. His knee seems to be floating a bit because his foot twists outward and his hip is not quite right but it was a real walk and lift not a drag and knuckle. He has not been this good since a month ago. I don't want to jinx it because a month ago we were here and then slid backwards but this is at least going back in the right direction. They tried some new things at Physical Therapy last week and I believe it really made a difference.

Add this to the fact that he has not had to wear the belly band for a week and that my friends is PROGRESS! He has lost 5 pounds in a week and some of that is definitely muscle mass but I think once we get the cart and get back to being able to go further he will build the muscle back up.

Happy 2012 :)

Wheels?

AP here: Today Tonka and I traveled to Oxford, Maryland to K-9 carts east. It does not appear that Tonka is going to be back to blippity blopping on his own anytime soon. When all this first started people immediately started talking about having Tonka in a stroller or a wheelchair. My initial reaction was "NO WAY" the logistics of a 130lb blind dog in a cart seemed impossible and honestly I felt like even thinking that would be giving up hope that he would return to normal. The reality of the day to day dealing with my boy and his multiple disabilities has reminded me that:
1. there is no such thing as normal
2. if there was a normal he never has nor will he ever fit the criteria
3. he needs to be mobile for his emotional and physical well being.
4. It has been 3 months and several specialists and no one seems to be able to find the problem let alone fix it

So after hours of research on the Internet and talking to several people and companies I still have no clue what will work for him. It is hard to research them because when you think you know something is good about one model another manufacturer goes to great lengths to tell why it is not. It appears to be a very competitive and cut throat market. Since I have no experience with carts and being the type A that I am I need to make sure that he absolutely needs a cart and it is the right cart for him. Unfortunately there is no dog cart store where you can go and test drive different models but there is a company within an 2 hour drive that has been making carts for over 40 years so off to Oxford we went.

The company K-9 carts East  is operated by retired orthopedic veterinary surgeon, Dr. Lincoln Parkes. Each cart is individually made based on specific measurements and the website walks you through how to take them or you can make an appointment to visit and they will take them for you. We met with Dr. Parkes and he watched Tonka limp around and we discussed Tonka's varied medical background. His staff took his measurements and showed me how the carts are made, they did not have any quite his size but I did get an idea of how big it is going to be.

If all goes well we can go back in a week and he can try it out and they will tweak it to meet his needs. I am still not 100% sure how I feel about my boy in a cart and I feel like I have failed him with this problem. This has been the first thing that I have not been able to fix for him and it breaks my heart on a daily basis. Perhaps when he gets mobile again things will turn around.

It may be all in his head!

AP here with an update:

I took Tonka to see Dr. Jay McDonnell to see if he might be able to shed some light on what has happened with my boy. He went over the MRI with me and he did not see anything different than what Dr. Harris had seen.

The MRI is a device that uses strong magnets that spin around the patient, and picks up the magnetic signals emanating from the cells as they demagnetize. This gives a picture of the inside of the body without having to use surgery and is more precise than X-rays.

In a dog there are 36 pairs of spinal nerves of the 36 spinal segments which are categorized into the 5 spinal cord segments labeled cervical thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal

8 cervical; 13 thoracic; 7 lumbar; 3 sacral; & 5 caudal = 36 total

His lumbar and lumbosacral areas of his spine look great so there is nothing to suggest that his problem is due to a disk problem or stenosis which is a narrowing of a spinal area that would put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

He does have some intramedullary (within the spinal cord) hyperintensity within the thoracic part of his spinal cord. A hyperintense signal is a "bright spot" on an MRI. In order to eliminate fluid being the cause such as cerebrospinal fluid they use FLAIR "Fluid attenuated inversion recovery" which is a pulse sequence that essentially removes fluids from the picture. This allows any lesions to be visible. It is not known what has caused his bright spots and in order to get a fuller picture of what has happened we would have to MRI his cervical area and his brain. The plan at this time is to do that in January. The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and this fluid nourishes the nervous system and protects the brain and spinal cord so it directly reflects what is going on inside the nervous system. Dr. Harris checked for CSF problems at the time of his MRI with a spinal tap and it came back normal. It could be that there is too much CSF and perhaps a narrowing that is inhibiting the normal flow and creating elevated intracranial pressure so he is now on Prilosec. Prilosec which is omeprazole relieves heartburn in people but in dogs it reduces the production of cerebrospinal fluid.

We have seen some improvement with the foot drag which is now a lift and stutter until he gets tired and then it is back to a drag. The incontinence seems to come and go – some good days, some bad so we are just going to create as normal an environment and routine as we can. The advice was to “do the things that he likes and that seem to work and avoid the things that make him worse” and we can certainly do that. We will continue with the acupuncture and anything else that helps him physically. Twice a week I will take him to the park and let him “see” his dog friends and once a week we will go visit his human friends and that should keep him emotionally happy.

I cannot say enough great things about Dr. McDonnell and Dr. Harris. I never felt rushed or pressured into any procedure. They both took the time to go over the MRI results with me and the support staffs were and are always extremely professional and helpful. You can tell when people really care and understand what you and your pet are going through and this group does. I hope you and your pet never need a neurologist but if you do Tonka and I would recommend you check in with Veterinary Neurology of the Chesapeake and Dr. Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) and Dr. Jeanene Harris, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)

Throw me a Rope

AP here: I have now been dealing with Tonkas gradual decline for almost 2 months with no answers. The poor boy has been poked, shaved, prodded, physically manipulated, lasered and scanned with no definitive answers. Through it all he has been such a good sport and a gentleman and I have no doubt that he will keep on being such a "very good boy". It all seems so unfair since he is such a good boy. He will be 4 soon and he has never growled nor even snarled a lip towards anyone or anything. It is very frustrating that we have no answers and equally as frustrating that it is only about a 1/4 of an inch lift that the foot/leg needs to do in order to not drag or scuff.

We have had good days and then really bad days on good days he sort of lifts the foot with little drag
and on bad he drags and knuckles under. His bad days seem to come after medical consultations with
lots of pushing and prodding. Acupuncture seems to be the only thing that has not caused a bad day yet. I have noticed that lately when he stands at the food bowl his back end starts to sag and his legs bend. When he goes to lay down he starts down and then falls all the way back and then slides his front legs down with his left leg way out to the side in a straight position with very little bend
at the knee.

It is very frustrating that this does not seem to have a cause, or fit any particular known problem. If nothing can be done and this is how he is going to stay that is fine but I would like to know what the problem is. I don’t let him do too much because I don’t want to hurt him in any way but if this is it then I would like to get him back into a normal pattern (a new normal of sorts). I will take him to the park and let him see his friends and we will create a schedule for the urinary problem. I just want to him to keep him safe and happy.

Oops I'm Leaking

Sometimes when I stand up I dribble a little pee on the carpet. AP is not happy that I am not getting better and we still dont know what is wrong with me. We are going to see a new Dr. in Virginia next week and maybe they can figure something out. In the meantime I have to wear a belly band. AP could not find a belly band big enough for me so she made one out of a fleece sheet and an abdominal brace. She bought some Poise Pads and puts one in it and wraps the brace around my waist. I really dont like it but I will deal with it till someone fixes my problem. My friend Carolyn from Carolyns Originals is going to make me a real professionally made belly band. She also made my beach hat that I really like, I am sure I will like her belly band better than this thing...

Home Made Belly Band

MY BOOT

We found a boot that is light enough for Tonka to walk in. It's the ruff wear Skyliner boot.

OK more like stump around in but it protects his nails and his pads so I like it....  On bad days we revert back to the sock and duct tape and it only took 2 days to wear a split in it.

Thank goodness for shoe goo and duct tape.