Herniated disc - please help

[j.padgett]

Recently I found out my poor baby has a herniated disc in his back. The disc material is pinching his spinal cord so his back legs are paralyzed. He is only 5 years old. He can potty on his own still which is good.
He is currently on gabapentin, tramadol, and prednisone. Also on crate rest starting this week. Ive been to two vets and they both suggested surgery. I cant afford it. They estimate it would be about 5000. The second option is acupuncture which is also really expensive at 250ish as session.
Im asking for your help. I set up a gofundme account for donations. If you cant help financially, then please help spread the word. Any info on options or assistance would also be greatly appreciated.
I tried care credit but was denied.
Thank you for your time.
Kona's Surgery by Jolene Patrice Padgett - GoFundMe

 

[Penny]

I have been in this situation with Georgia Feb 2013. Please go to dodgerslist, it's a website that helps families deal with spinal cord injuries. There have been many people who cannot afford surgery and have gone the conservative *8 weeks* of strict crate rest and meds. This means carry out to potty, use a sling to support the back end, carry back to crate. Many have seen a full recovery by giving the spinal cord time to heal.

Use tin pumpkin in his diet, about a tsp. The added fiber will soften his stool and make it easier for him to pass it. You can find it in the grocery store but be sure it's not the pumpkin pie filling, which has spices and stuff added to it. When you open the can, put the extra into an ice cube tray and when frozen, bag it for when you need it. Cut back his food a bit so he's not putting on extra weight while on crate rest.

It took Georgia about 6 weeks before we thought maybe there was a hint of some improvement so be patient. If you still have bladder and bowel control, this is a very good sign. I was told by my vet that the vets who did the surgery would *not* do surgery if there was still bladder and bowel control.

We did acupuncture. I thought that if I didn't try the acupuncture, and she didn't walk again, I would always kick myself for not giving her a chance with that. She did very well, held still, and didn't seem to mind. It was me that had to keep calm and maintain the happy voice. lol

Using a spare leash for a sling, plus keeping her on leash..


Here she is with the acupuncture needles in and the current running. That is her tail wagging.




Look at that face!


This is Georgia today


Again, go to dodgerslist. It's a great support group while you get through it. You can do this.

Our best wishes for a full recovery.

 

[CaseyKC]

FOR SURE, DO EVERYTHING PENNY SAID!

Thankfully I have not had to deal with spinal injury, but we had weeks and weeks of crate rest so that my baby would not throw a blood clot. I honestly don't know how long it was, that very dark time in my life is almost a complete blur in my memory. Because Libby became very agitated when she could not see me, I bought and borrowed appropriate sized crates and had them in every room of my house that I spend time in, carried her from room to room. I also tried a number of purchased dog slings to carry her around with me, but felt they were to shallow and not sturdy enough to be safe. Finally I covered and stapled a baby quilt to a wooden board, about 12" wide and 20" long. I hand sewed the secured quilt on the board to a cotton/polyester lace tablecloth. I thought the lace would provide better ventilation than woven material and the cotton polyester blend of the lace was sturdy. I also sewed a batten filled tube to put on the outside edge of the board to secure Libby further, the inside edge would be against my waist and ribs. I used it as a sling around my right shoulder with my left arm going through over the part of the table cloth with the board. I draped a fleece scarf around my neck on my right side to keep the lace from rubbing my neck. For a couple of days I had Libby just lay on the board in her crate to get familiar with it. Then I would sit on the couch with Libby in the sling. Finally, when she didn't seem nervous in the sling, I could walk around with her in it. With my left hand I could pat her head and keep her close to my left side for comfort. I was able to carry Libby out to potty, and move her from room to room without to much movement on her part. She was calmer and happier to be near me, either in all her crates or the sling 24/7.

At the end of her crate rest time, she still wanted to be carried around in the sling, but eventually I "weaned" her from this need to be that close to me all the time.