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Kiwi

Last post 04-24-2009 10:33 PM by dyan. 6 replies.
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  • 04-20-2009 7:06 PM

    • dyan
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    • Joined on 09-10-2007
    • Ohio
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    Kiwi

    These are my son Ron and GFs two dogs. Kiwi is the smaller brown Chi, She is 1 1/2 yrs old.  She has been having problems for a while on and off...seems to be in pain and howls for 10/15 minutes at a time..then seems alright.  Lately she has been doing it more and more. Their vet thought it was Luxating Patella....and sent them to an orthapedic surgeon.  He took xrays and checked her out and found that it is not LP. nor does he have a clue what it is.  That was Saturday Morning.   Last night she started all over.... for longer than an hour screaming...so the grabbed her up and took her to ER.  Its a referral  hospital by day....they left her over night on pain meds. The vet said he has an idea but has to run tests to be sure.  Today the special vet told them he was right on his thinking...after xrays of her neck and upper back.  Turns out she has a birth defect (he could tell it wasn't the result of a trauma) and a problem with the 1st two vertibrae in her neck.  The solution...1. surgery which is a couple thousand bucks ( which he said is the easy part.....its the after part that is hard ) which is 75 to 80% successful, or 2.  back brace and pain meds... 3.  or put her down.  Ron and Apryl can't put her down.....so I guess their thinking surgery...he didnt say for sure.  Poor Kiwi and poor them.   I feel so bad for them.  First Apryl was told way back in Oct. her job would be gone by March at the latest. Another company bought her company out...and they are moving many of the departments out of town...hers is one of them. I feel bad as she FINALLY got the managers job she should have gotten when her last boss left.....and now she's going to be out of a job.  She is lucky right now as the whole department was let go little by little...they are just trying to take the time to make sure the NEW PEOPLE know how to do it.   She isn't going to be helpful with maybe for this. Of course Ron is worried...worried to begin with about As job....and now this.  Guess its just part of life.

    I told Ron that his other options beside the three that were given might be take her to a holistic vet...or one that does acupuncture...or even there is a well known chriropractor around us that does pets.  He didn't answer me about that option,,,,probably thinks I'm nuts.


    Dyan and Gibson
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  • 04-20-2009 7:15 PM In reply to dyan

    • 4HAND
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    • Joined on 05-28-2008
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    Re: Kiwi

    Poor Kiwi! I would look further into a chiropractor.It may not only be less money but have better results than surgery.

    Tena

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  • 04-20-2009 7:52 PM In reply to 4HAND

    Re: Kiwi

    The chiropractor and/or acupuncture -- I've seen MANY times when that presented an awesome alternative to surgery. 


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  • 04-20-2009 8:46 PM In reply to dyan

    Re: Kiwi

    Kiwi definitely should not be walked with a collar and should be regularly using ramps (not jumping up or down).  Even doggie steps are too big for her, so try carpet fastened to plywood.  It wouldn't hurt for both dogs to be required to use the ramps. 

    For right now I would also have her on strict cage rest (brief potty breaks and lap time only) for a couple of weeks.  In the mean time I would look for a holistic vet to supplement (not replace) the knowledge of the regular vet -  http://www.tcvm.com/.  Acupuncture and massage can do wonders.  I bet just one session of acupuncture would make Ron a believer.

    Be careful about giving pain meds and then allowing Kiwi's activity level to increase.  Pain meds should decrease the pain to a level that the dog can tolerate, but not so far as to encourage the dog to move around so much that the inflammation does not heal.  Milk thistle will help to protect the stomach from any meds used. 

    Here are some sites on Canine Intervertebral Disk Disease:

    A lot of the stuff in those sites is aimed at Dachshunds, but that is because they have more back problems than any other breed.  Most of the info applies to any dog with IVDD.

    If Kiwi does need surgery (knock on wood), I would try to get a board certified surgeon at a vet school.  It might even be cheaper than a standard vet.

    Here is a list of books/videos on canine massage, chiropractic, and acupressure:

    Possible help with vet costs:

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  • 04-21-2009 10:23 PM In reply to janet_rose

    • dyan
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 09-10-2007
    • Ohio
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    Re: Kiwi

    Oh gosh...thank you guys!  Janet...once again you have all those links with help....thanks so much.

    BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I can't believe...I suggested the other option of a holistic vet, accupunture or even chiropractor........but the next email I got was saying Kiwi is having surgery tomorrow morning at 9. That was this morning.  Kiwi is doing fine and has to be there for a couple of days before she can come home. Don't know what they will have to do when she gets home then...but I'm thinking crate!   

    Both dogs have harnesses...don't think they own a collar.  They have 2 ramps to get on their couch and chair. I don't think Kiwi walks any steps. I do believe Brianna the bigger dog is allowed upstairs....sleeps up there...but last we talked.. they said Kiwi sleeps in the kitchen in her bed.    Of course Kiwi and Brianna play a lot.  THAT will be stopping for a while.

    Who knows............  holistic vet/accupuncture might still be needed eventually....although hopefully not.

    I think paying for this will not be too much of a worry. It will be Ron no doubt.... thank God he has a decent job...and I sure hope Apryl can keep her job long enough to help.  He said he already owed $700 and that was before the surgery.  This is one of the specialists from from a referral hospital.

     


    Dyan and Gibson
    • Post Points: 0
  • 04-22-2009 12:04 AM In reply to dyan

    Re: Kiwi

    Hopefully Kiwi will return to normal after her surgery. 

    If, for some reason she has problems again, gold bead implants might be something to look into.  Bevo has the implants, & now, he gets around as well as he did before he was diagnosed as a wobbler.  We took him to Western Avenue Animal Hospital in Marion, Indiana for his gold bead implants.  It was a very long trip for us, but Dr Durkes is "the person" to place the beads. 

    Amanda

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  • 04-24-2009 10:33 PM In reply to BEVOLASVEGAS

    • dyan
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 09-10-2007
    • Ohio
    • Posts 5,627
    • Points 105

    Re: Kiwi

    Little Kiwi is home from her surgery. I saw her yesterday when Apryl brought her home...just happened to be walking Gibby past their home. Poor thing. She has a neck brace on....and she was wagging her tail so hard shen I walked up to her that I was afraid she would hurt her neck. I guess they have to try to keep her from walking...and they have to hand feed her...not sure how long all this has to be.

    The official name for this is  Atlanto Axial Luxation.  Its very scary!  I only hope she recovers well.....she is such a happy baby, and they love her so much.  Her poor sister Brainna doesn't understand any of this and just wants to play with her little sister.


    Dyan and Gibson
    • Post Points: 0
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