Spike gave us a terrible fright recently. His condition has been gradually deteriorating for several months and he suddenly became very lame on his one “good” leg, his right hind. There was no incident or trauma, he just stopped wanting to use the leg properly. This was the only leg that, to date had not appeared to give him significant pain. He struggled to stand up and lie down and did not want to weight bear on that leg. We placed him on even more restricted exercise, which he struggled to cope with and became very depressed. It looked like he was going to slip away from us.
We increased his medication and hoped for another miracle
from our special little star.
We took him to Top
Dog hydrotherapy fearing that it would be his last ever session. We were worried that even gentle exercise in
controlled conditions and with his body supported by water would be too much
for his fragile body. The water in the tank
was set higher than normal and the treadmill was on extra slow setting. Even with the support of the water Spike
still only toe touched his right leg while stationary, but he did use it when
moving and his range of movement improved as the session progressed. Once the session was over Spike looked
happier and there was a definite sign of the sparkling Spike that we have come
to know and love.
We took him home after his hydro session, he had dinner and
then he crashed for the rest of the day.
I think he slept for 12 hours solid in the same place. He awoke when we did the next morning and was
extremely stiff, but after a few minutes moving around he started using the
right hind leg, albeit limping heavily.
He was perkier all weekend and after another successful
laser treatment session from Shelley we
felt a glimmer of hope that another Spike miracle was happening. Based on historical evidence, every time his
condition worsens he stumbles, but then he appears to accept his new situation
and fights back with renewed energy. His
fighting spirit is incredible and his adaptability astounding. Having legs that don’t work properly does not
stop him from digging, bouncing around and shouting at the top of his
voice. What does bother him is not being
able to run and work with the other members of the pack. That makes him very sad and we have to give
him extra stimulation to make up for something he will never have again.
Thankfully Spike loves meeting people and doing things like
going to shops, pubs or beer festivals.
He loves the attention and is a social butterfly. I am also very grateful that we have a very
stable pack and when the bottom of the pack member gets special trips out with the
Humans of the family, the other Siberian Huskies are totally accepting of
this. Although he is quickly reprimanded
by boss dog when he gets over cocky about his privileged status!
Spike now has hydrotherapy and laser treatment every week,
he also wears pyjamas at night to keep his joints warm.
However, there is further bad news.,,,
When Spike ruptured his left, cruciate ligament in September
2014 and underwent emergency TPLO surgery, we knew that there was a high
probability he would sustain the same injury in his right leg. We have tried to protect him as much as
possible while allowing him to enjoy life and our hearts sink with each new
discovery of pain or lameness.
Following careful examination from our favourite vet this
week, we know that Spike is feeling pain in his elbows, hips, back and his
right knee. There is also swelling in
his knee. There is a very high
probability that his cruciate will either partially or fully rupture. From an ethical perspective Spike cannot
undergo another TPLO procedure. It breaks
our hearts to make this statement, but we have to be realistic about Spike’s
condition and his quality of life.
There may be something that we can do to protect
Spike’s knee without surgical intervention.
When humans damage their joints, they can opt to wear a brace to support
the weakened area. I know only too well
the benefits of ankle supports and braces as I have worn one frequently since I
was a child and have maintained a high level of activity.
Knee braces for dogs are available, but with a very limited
success rate. On-line reports on their
usage are generally based on dogs in good health where surgery is an option
that is pursued.
We have made contact with a very well know Veterinary
Practice and also a company that make braces for dogs. We will know more next week as to what our
options are, but we do know that it would have to be custom made for Spike,
which will take time.
Or there may be some engineering genius out there that could
design and make a brace for Spike. We
are also considering shaving his leg and applying KT tape…. Well it does
apparently work well for humans and horses so why not dogs!
In the meantime, our Superstar Spike continues to sparkle a little every
day. He is not yet ready to become a
Supernova J
