To make it easier to update everyone on Mouses status, I will update this blog weekly on her progress. For those that dont know, last week Mouse injured her back (slipped disc), and over the next day slowly became paralyzed from the waist down. Seeing that she was getting worse, we took her to the vet. Dr Krueger (seriously) took xrays and a blood test. Blood test came back good, and the xrays showed slipped cartilage in the mid-back area. We were devastated, and thought that she may not be able to live without pain. What the doctor told us, however, gave us a lot of hope. Apparently a large percentage of dachshunds that have this injury fully recover from it and walk again!
With this knowledge, she prescribed pain meds, and showed us how to express her urine (she cannot go on her own). At first I was nervous about doing this, but after the first time, we found it is quite simple - basically squeeze her belly and you can feel the bladder, and it starts automatically. We bought diapers for her at Petsmart, but it seems that the leakage is pretty well under control now.
She also has to be kept confined for 6 weeks. Luckily, she was already kennel trained, so this is a piece of cake. For the first two days, she would not eat, which is understandable for someone who is used to being on the go constantly, and now cannot move. Now, though she has a healthy appetite, and no longer whines. I think a kind of acceptance of her circumstances has settled in with her.
Whenever I am at home, she sits on my lap and seems content. Of course, in the event that she does not reco
ver, we are already looking into doggie wheelchairs (the back wheels you see dogs with). I think this would improve her even more if she could skate around and play again.
