Sadie is suddenly paralyzed

[Katherine]

I'm just catching up after being off line since last week. Sadie looks great (to my untrained eye) in the cavaletti video. All four legs are getting a workout and she's really having to pick up those back legs. She even seems to enjoy it ???

I never got around to cavaletti with Snap, but did get a balance disc, which also is great for creating hind end awareness and strength.

Kudos to you for all the work that you have done and for a fantastic outcome.

 

[SheepOfBlue]

I got some more prednisone from the vet and gave her one last night. This morning she was perkier, was standing more up right on her back legs and had less trouble walking.

I'll continue giving it to her every other day for a week, then maybe try giving it to her every 3rd day. Can't WAIT to get her off the prednisone!

Careful with the stuff

 

[OntarioSheltie]

I'm glad to hear she is feeling better today. I think going from every other day to every third day will be an easier transition for her. My friends vet had him do that with his dog. They even went to every 4th day. Give her hugs from us.

Thanks Dawn, I think that's exactly what Sadie needs. Its been slow but I've made steady progress in getting her off the prednisone. I had a feeling that it was too soon to try stopping it but I was out of meds and the vet said I should try.

Just goes to show you how much I love my pups, I consistently have trouble remembering to take my own medication but NEVER Sadie's, lol.

I'm just catching up after being off line since last week. Sadie looks great (to my untrained eye) in the cavaletti video. All four legs are getting a workout and she's really having to pick up those back legs. She even seems to enjoy it ???

I never got around to cavaletti with Snap, but did get a balance disc, which also is great for creating hind end awareness and strength.

Kudos to you for all the work that you have done and for a fantastic outcome.

Thanks so much! Yeah, she does like it but she was having trouble that day. I brought out some kibbles, which made her think she was doing agility. Between her dragging her feet and rushing through it took approx. 8 takes to get it right.

 

[OntarioSheltie]

Careful with the stuff

LOLOL

 

[danisgoat]

Melissa....I saw Terry yesterday and she was asking about how Sadie was doing. I think that is so neat that you made a connection with her. She came over and beautified my girls for me

 

[OntarioSheltie]

Sadie is doing well but her progress has slowed. Its been 1 1/2 months since her 'accident' so I'm wondering if her slowed progress is my fault or if she's just reached the point where she's not going to get much better.

The reason I'm wondering if its my fault is that I've been neglecting her rehab. I recently found out that the city I'm living in is considering passing a REALLY stupid bylaw. So stupid that most of the city is taking it as a joke, expecting that city council will never allow it and not doing anything. I've joined a small group who opposes the bylaw change, which has been taking up a lot of my already limited time.

I found out that the city is putting off this bylaw for a couple of months, until after elections so I don't have to worry about it so much anymore and can focus again on Sadie. I feel like a bad Mom but it looked like the stupid bylaw would become and issue sooner than later so I felt like I had to act immediately.

Sadie is still on prednisone, I've had to wean her off it extremely slowly. She's down to getting 5mg every 3rd day. You'd think that so little wouldn't make a difference, but it does. I'm going to do this for a couple of weeks and then try taking her off the pills again.

She's still REALLY enjoying swimming and doing well at her exercises, when we do them.

She's still wobbly and lacks stamina, which I find EXTREMELY discouraging. I may try emailing the specialist we went to and see if she'd be willing to give me some advice. I'm just not sure how much I should be pushing her.

I'm a little discouraged at her behavior too. She's slightly more tolerant and interested in Ginny, but only marginally so. She still rarely plays or runs, which is most unlike her. I wonder if she's afraid?

She's become reactive around dogs and people she's unfamiliar with and is shy around people she was previously comfortable with. While she'd NEVER bite a person she's been snappy around other dogs and my friend's pot bellied pig (who she knows well and doesn't really bug her).

These are issues that I've NEVER had to deal with before so I'm not even sure what to do with her. My guess is that this ordeal she's been through has rocked her world and destroyed her confidence. Initially we kept other dogs away from her so maybe she thinks there's something to be afraid of now?

I'm inclined to think I need to take her out in public more (to somewhere like Petsmart), with some cookies and try to have people feed them to her. I also think that it might be time to start taking her back to some obedience classes, to get her around people and dogs.

Any other ideas?

 

[Toffee's Mom]

You hit the nail right on the head, I am also assuming she is like that because she would have picked that up from you guys that other dogs and things are to be worried about... Our little stinkers are just WAY too intuitive!

So with more treats in hand, get her out more around other dogs and let her win her confidence back. I thought she's always had a bit of snarkysauce in her even before, if she had to? I am sure she will gain it back, and don't treat her too much like an invalid, lol... she'll pick up on that too, and expect the carry me treatment?

 

[OntarioSheltie]

You hit the nail right on the head, I am also assuming she is like that because she would have picked that up from you guys that other dogs and things are to be worried about... Our little stinkers are just WAY too intuitive!

So with more treats in hand, get her out more around other dogs and let her win her confidence back. I thought she's always had a bit of snarkysauce in her even before, if she had to? I am sure she will gain it back, and don't treat her too much like an invalid, lol... she'll pick up on that too, and expect the carry me treatment?

Yeah, she's always been a bit snarky, and I let her when she has good reason (like when she's being harassed) but lately her behavior hasn't been good, mainly when she's leashed. Off leash she's been fine with other dogs, although she has no interest in interacting with them and seems unsure. Its the same with people, to an extent. She's unsure of people when off leash and becomes reactive when she's on leash.

I know she picks up on what we feel, maybe some of the reactivity has to do with our problem neighbors. The bylaw thing I mentioned involves them too and things have gotten REALLY nasty. Its impossible for me not to be tense when I'm out front of our house or walking by theirs. Trying not to be probably just makes it worse. I don't think there's anything I can do about it, the neighbor is only two doors down.

I haven't been coddling her or treating her like an invalid and I've been correcting her bad behavior instead of making excuses, but it hasn't been enough. I'll have to try getting her around more dogs and people. An obedience class would be perfect, since everyone would be dog friendly and have leashed dogs.

I'd love to take her hiking like i used to but she tires so quickly. The same goes for walks. We no longer go with our friends and their dogs because Sadie can't keep up.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

gosh, too bad she can't go for hikes right now
I HATE suburbia and all those silly by-laws and stuff, sorry no offense but these things never work for normal people... cuz idiots disregard it, but you have to keep Sadie onleash and makes it even worse when idiot dogs charge at her.. OFFleash

 

[OntarioSheltie]

gosh, too bad she can't go for hikes right now
I HATE suburbia and all those silly by-laws and stuff, sorry no offense but these things never work for normal people... cuz idiots disregard it, but you have to keep Sadie onleash and makes it even worse when idiot dogs charge at her.. OFFleash

haha, the bylaw I'm talking about is a separate issue from the leash law, which is exactly the way you describe it. The responsible owners who train and socialize their dogs are the ones ticketed while the irresponsible dog owners who have no control and let their dogs charge at people are the ones who ALWAYS get off.

My problem neighbor has decided to take it upon herself to call the humane society every time she sees a dog off leash at the park across the street, when she used to let her dogs run loose all the time, TIED TOGETHER! she now has a big pup as well that she lets her kids abuse. He's becoming aggressive toward people and dogs and he's loose almost daily as well.