IVDD Episode 2...day 8

It's hard to believe it's been a week since the beginning of Lu's latest episode of IVDD. She still has no ability to move or feel or her back end, but her mental state is pretty good considering. She is alert, and interested in her surroundings. The pain seems to be under control, however there is still a good deal of stiffness in her front legs due to these limbs overcompensating for the lack of control in the back part of her body. In addition to the tension, she also has nervous jerking of her front end and startles easily.

We still have hope that Lu will regain function of her back legs so that we can rehabilitated her to walk again. At her acupuncture appointment on Friday, Dr. Krausser and I saw a tiny twitch in a toe on her left back leg, and another in the bicep muscle on the same limb.

http://www.caninebodybuilding.org/assets/dog_muscles.jpg

While these tiny twinges give us hope, the paralysis is disheartening. I can't tell you how many times a day we wash her bedding after a bowel movement, or instill in you the forlorn look on her face when she wants so much to get up but cannot.

Yet, there are times I'm so proud of her desire to be herself and carry on, like when I was cooking
for her this weekend. She has a bleed somewhere in her digestive track. Dr. Krausser believes that it is likely stress-induced colitis. Anyway, I was instructed to put her on a bland diet of beef and rice, and to supplement that with Pepcid. As you probably know, dogs LOVE the smell cooking of beef. As the smell wafted through the house, Gus came running to the kitchen. Within seconds, I hear a thump, thump from the family room where I left Lulu in her bed on the floor. She had dragged herself from the bed and traveled a couple feet towards the door. I wasn't planning on giving her any of the beef and rice mixture until morning, but after that display of determination, how could I not? After I gave her a sample, she bestowed upon me wet kisses. I haven't had the pleasure since this thing started. I was honored.