<p>Just checking in on Patch, too. Hoping to hear good news soon. And Karma, too cute!
I know how hard it is to wait and see. We had a wonderful boxer that had spinal problems, and we thought we were going to lose him. Luckily the treatments worked and he brought us much love and joy for many years!</p>
<p>Berurah, we are thinking of you and patch at our house. Buster and Rascal send their best.</p>
<p>Checking in to send healing thoughts to Patch. Oliver, Sebastian, Clover, Midge, Reggie, Potpourri, Ozymandias and Lefty all are pulling for Patch.</p>
<p>Hey y’all~</p>
<p>Once again, I’d like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your most remarkable (and continual) support for Mr. Patchy. His condition remains pretty much unchanged, though the vet says that he is able to be supported on his feet to go to the bathroom outside, with help from the kennel attendants. I think we are all fairly frustrated at this point as we expected a bit more improvement with the resumption of the cortisone injections nearly a week ago. The whole thing is so confusing…as I’ve said before, he was making what looked to be a most excellent and quick recovery only to have this relapse. I am just extremely fearful at this point that his condition will stay at this level, and we will see no more improvement <em>sigh</em>.</p>
<p>luckysmom~
You mentioned that you had boxer with spinal problems. Can you tell me a little bit about how long it took for him to recover from this? If I <em>knew</em> that this were temporary, of course we could deal with it. But to see this magnificent and vivacious creature reduced to this is just heartwrenching and it has been most difficult on all of us.</p>
<p>To Everyone~</p>
<p>Please know how very much your continued support means to all of us and to Patch. Your kindness has been so sustaining, emotionally, and I find that when I am getting really down, stopping in here to see the beautiful sentiments that you’ve expressed for Patch and for our family has had a tremendously healing and calming effect.</p>
<p>With love, ~berurah <3</p>
<p>Good to see your update…at least he seems to be stable rather than deteriorating. Perhaps at his age healing will just take a bit longer than you expect? Sounds like he’s getting all the TLC in the world, and that will help him more than anything. Hang in there Patch, Berurah and family!</p>
<p>Sending more healing thoughts to Kansas . . .</p>
<p>more get well wishes from VA…</p>
<p>Berurah, it sounds like you have a really nice vet, and they have a good staff of people there…and it sounds like Patch is making some small incremental improvements, which may begin to increase very soon. I think when they’re hurt we cannot stand waiting until there is visible evidence of increasing improvement and it drives us crazy because it’s so hard. So don’t fear the worst yet, it’s still very early, too early to worry, and, Patch is not alone in this. Between your family and the vet and staff, he has a great chance.</p>
<p>berurah
Our Rocky had a herniated disc, and they weren’t sure at first if it was protruding or extruding. Extruding discs are the worst kind and would have required surgery. We had to wait and see if he got worse even when he wasn’t moving around. We kept him in a little cage and restricted his activity level to practically zero.He was taking steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, and sleeping pills but no pain meds because feeling good would have made him want to move around and worsened the situation. Basically he was either drugged into oblivion or feeling everything. Poor guy was in so much pain and there wasn’t anything we could do but wait. It took about two weeks before we saw improvement. He ended up living another 3 years, (he was almost 6 at the time).
Luckily he did respond, because to be honest we couldn’t have afforded the surgery at that point in our lives. Our S was in PT and had just had surgery, so we were very relieved not to have to make those hard choices based on finances.
I’m hoping and praying that Patch has a great outcome. I know waiting is the hardest part.</p>
<p>
<em>sigh</em> To be honest with you, I think our vet, whom I <em>DO</em> like, may have really screwed up here. When Patch was first injured, he was unable to move his hind legs. The emergency vet (different from our regular vet) put him on the cortisone, which our regular vet continued. To our amazement, within three days, he recovered to the point that he was getting around pretty well. Here is where I think the vet screwed up: He sent him home with us with <em>NO</em> restrictions on his activity only THREE DAYS after the original accident. Ignorant as we were, we didn’t realize how inpredictable these spinal injuries could be…we thought he either had neurological damage or NOT, and since he was getting around well, we just continued on… Now, I am fully convinced that if he had been kept for a longer time at the regular vet’s or if the vet had instructed us to do with him what you did with Rocky, he might have been fine right now. Also, it was snowy/icy when we brought him home (still <em>IS</em>), and what if he slipped and reinjured it? 
Though the vet tells us that it’s nothing we did wrong, I still can’t help but question how everything came down, and I’m feeling really guilty.</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>Berurah, try not to feel guilt about possibly having harmed Patch in some way. I do understand what you are saying, but the love and care you have and are giving him far outweighs any possible “harm”. </p>
<p>And, though I am no expert, I have worked in a “people” rehab hospital with spinal cord injured patients, and have seen remarkable recoveries. The fact that Patch is already showing some improvement is VERY encouraging. So hang in there!</p>
<p>Berurah<br>
I’ve been out of town so just saw this thread. Years ago my mom’s dog was hit by a car and broke her pelvis. It was difficult and I know what you are going through, but Ginger healed and lived a long time. Several years ago my neighbor’s dog ran full bore into a sliding glass door, had surgery at UT Vet school and was left initially paralyzed from the waist back. Within a year the dog was walking again, wobbly but walking. 4 years later the dog is still alive and well, just needs a ramp as she cannot use the stairs. </p>
<p>I hope these stories help. Great things happen.</p>
<p>churchmusicmom~</p>
<p>Thank you <em>SO</em> much! Your kind words mean a great deal. I have a tendency to feel guilt easily (hey, I’m Jewish! 
) and also a tendency to “own” things that aren’t necessarily mine. Your words have made me feel much better.</p>
<p>motherof4pearls~</p>
<p>THANK YOU <em>SO</em> much for sharing those inspiring stories. The perspective really helps me. It seems like it’s been FOREVER since Patch’s accident, but in reality, it’s only been two weeks, and for the major part of one week, he <em>was</em> walking. When I think about it, the fact that he was able to walk really gives me hope that with enough time and TLC, he will recover, at least enough to get around, even if it’s not graceful…</p>
<p>Thank you so very much for posting!</p>
<p>love, ~berurah</p>
<p>Berurah:</p>
<p>I have been reading these posts for the past few days and want to let you know that everyone in our house including Logan our Bernese Mountain Dog sends prayers and good wishes for Patch’s recovery.</p>
<p>I have been a dog owner forever, and my family once bred poodles. The only piece of advice I can offer ( and it may be futile because I don’t know where you live) would be to take Patch to a university veterinary hospital. We live ~ an hour from the University of Pennsylvania and many friends have taken their pets to the U of P for second opinions or for more intensive treatment when their vets ran out of answers.</p>
<p>If that’s a possibility, consider it. Otherwise, spinal injuries can take a long time to heal. Sometimes the best medicine is lots of love and attention. I know that Patch is getting all that and more. </p>
<p>Don’t feel guilty about anythiong you have done thus far. Patch is fortunate to have such a loving family who is doing everything it can under the circumstances. </p>
<p>Please add our family and Logan to the long list of well-wishers.</p>
<p>Oh, Berurah, please don’t feel guilty. You did just what the vet said to do. It’s entirely possible that the type of condition Rocky had required exactly the opposite treatment from that which Patch needs. I remember when they told my mother to start walking around the day after heart surgery we all thought they were nuts! It turned out to be the best thing for her recovery. You are all giving him the love and support he needs, you’re a GOOD doggie mama!</p>
<p>Churchmusicmom said it so well. And you couldn’t have been expected to outguess your Vet. You guys are so loving and compassionate, Patch is one of the luckiest dogs on the planet.</p>
<p>We returned from visiting Patchy a short time ago. It is with the greatest of sadness that I tell you that Patch’s condition appears to be deteriorating. On top of everything else, the meds are causing ulcerations and his appetite is way down. We had a very long talk with the vet, and his recommendation is euthanasia. I’ve got a number of very distraught kids tonight, and our entire family is feeling pretty wounded right now. After all of the outpouring of support from all of you, I just wanted to let you know where things stand. :(</p>
<p>With love and endless gratitude, ~berurah</p>
<p>Sorry berurah. :(</p>
<p>sorry to hear the latest update berurah :(</p>
<p>I’ll be thinking of you and your family (human, canine and feline)</p>
<p>Ouch, I cross-posted with you Berurah, and so I deleted…I am incredibly, truly very sorry to hear this.</p>