We just love our babies. Lady Elizabeth on the left and Lady Katherine (Katie) on the right.
But then we had an emergency, our Katie had a disc to herniate so I am putting up a page as we go day by day with her recovery.
Katie suddenly did not want to walk, her tail was tucked and she was very tight around her belly. We knew something was very wrong and rushed her to the vet on a Wednesday. The vet thought it was anal gland problems because Katie has this problem often. But I thought her back was bothering her too and the doctor put her on anti-inflamatory. Thursday was no better then Friday Morning as I got her up I knew something bad was going on because she was becoming lame in her back legs.
I put her in a laundry basket and rushed her to the vet as soon as they opened. Two Doctors looked her over and made a decision to rush her over to a Board Certified spinal surgeon.
So Katie had immediate surgery after a diagnosis. The doctor found during surgery she had a large amount of herniated disc material within the spinal collumn at L1/2 and this was removed by way of a right hemilaminectomy. She had significant weakness in her pelvic limbs.
So Katie was hospitalized and we were instructed to make her a small area for her that she would need to stay for rest for several weeks after surgery. Pictured above.
Elizabeth sitting guard, waiting for Katie to return as we told her this place was where Katie would rest after surgery.
We brought her home and let Elizabeth gently greet her and adjust to her new hospital smell.
Katie has a very large incision along her spine and day two she is only able to put a weak brief stance with her back legs. I very carefully pick her up support her backside and front at the same time and put her on the potty pad which she finally did pee with me helping her in a squatting position.
We spend time with our sweet girl often in her small little space.
She had Surgery on Friday at noon. Sunday she was trying a bit more to stand, wobble, legs buckle, stand, wobble, legs buckle. She has been crying more when she cannot see us on Sunday.
This picture above was Monday morning and she is just resting as she should. She does urinate for me when I put her on the potty pad and help her to adjust her legs to squat. It is a weak squat and when she urinates she basically sits in it but I quickly pat her dry with a cloth. She is not soiling her bed so she is controlling her bladder and she can wag her tail.
Elizabeth is being allowed a very short visit next to Katie today
Katie getting her daily warm pack on her incision
This is still Monday and we have nice sunshine coming in the window so I put Katie in the sun for about 15 minutes. I was right by her side the entire time because I will never let her jump off of anything.
This has helped her to relax
Tuesday morning, raining outside. No new pictures at this time. We have had a stressful 24 hours because Katie would not urinate. No matter what we did she would only lay down. So finally this morning about 7:30 she finally urinated for us and we were very happy about this because I was about to call the doctor.
Wednesday afternoon day 5, Katie trying to get up on her back legs
She is supporting her weight. Her back right leg is more weak than the left and she falls over on her right hip.
She is enjoying resting in the sun
It has been difficult to get any pictures because everything I do with Katie requires both hands so I cannot hold a camera. The only pictures I can take are of her resting but today she stood and took some steps.
We had a very stressful day yesterday. Katie would not urinate for us and she seemed even more bloated and in pain. We called the doctor and were going to take her in late afternoon but then she urinated some so we decided to wait until today. This morning at 2:10 AM katie woke us crying. I got up and gave her water then took her to the potty pad and she urintated a river! She kept going and going! I have never seen that much pee in a little dog. So I bragged on her and put her back to bed. This morning she walked for a little bit then had her second BM since surgery which has been 5 days now, She still cannot seem to push the bowel out, it just comes out. Basically she drunken walked it out. I hope this gets better soon.
She is now resting but we noticed that after all of that she went back to limp legs curling under again. Hopefully today will be restful and calm for her.
Friday update:
Katie is starting to walk using both back legs now. She is doing very good and today is one week since her surgery.
She is getting stronger and can postition herself to urinate but is still having problems with bowel movements as she cannot seem to push. She is able to control this and cries when she needs to go but then will lay on her right hip to have a BM. We can work with this and I feel she will get better with this as time passes.
Katie will return to the Doctor on Monday (three days from now) and may have stitches removed at that time. She is starting to get a small growth of hair on her back where she was shaved.
I will probably not update again until she returns to the Vet unless there is something to report. Thank you all for your concerns about our little Katie.
Monday update: Katie is now able to climb into her favorite bed so we don't seem much of her anymore. And today she is going to the Doctor.
Tuesday Update 11 days after surgery.
Katie is doing well, we took her back to the Doctor yesterday and he removed her stitches. The Doctor is hopeful that Katie will be back to normal in another month or two. He said we can now expand her space but still not too much activity because the open bone needs time for tissue to scar over and close the area.
She now can walk pretty much equal on both hind legs. She is still sissoring a bit when she walks but she is not falling over nearly as much. Her staggering is also improving. She is not like a drunken sailor now. She is able to urinate and have a BM but still needs a little bit of assistance with this. We are very pleased with her progress.
Katie in her new expanded space, the middle bedroom and she is very happy to get out of her small corner space next to the washer and dryer.
Katie in the middle bedroom, I have to get a few more throw rugs because the Doctor said it would be better for her to walk on carpet or rugs.
