I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

I've been on a little haitus the past several months.  Back on July 6 Momma came home from dinner out to find me struggling to walk, crossing my front legs, and generally spastic in my limbs.  She rushed me to the emergency vet where I spent three nights.  Following that I was in and out of the OSU Vet Hospital ICU, and after 10 days of trying to diagnose what was wrong, I underwent surgery and had a muscle biopsy.  I didn't do well with the anesthesia so was very sick for a couple of days.  They think I may have had a minor stroke while in surgery which was very scarey for us.  Here I am with my cone of shame and my favorite chicken toy.

I started taking prednisone in case what I had was immune mediated, and we started the biopsy waiting game.  We finally got the biopsy results back after two very long weeks. I had what is called Necrotizing Myopathy, which is supposedly a one time event that only time will heal. We don't know the exact cause.  I had severe muscle atrophy, esp. in my hind quarters and head and lost a lot of weight.  Here I am at my skinniest.

They took me off the prednisone and I then started rehab...working with the rehab vet at OSU in the water treadmill.  I had a lot of trouble during my first few sessions...Dr. Baltzer had to get in the tank and hold me up.  I could only do 3 minutes at a time.

It's been quite a ride but I am feeling much better now.  I can do 18 minutes in the water treadmill all by myself!  I am bounding up and down stairs again (much to Momma's chagrin).  I still have trouble with my proprioception...which means I don't know where my back legs are in relation to space. This is getting better with time though.  To help with this I get to do what are called Cavaletti's...grandpa came down one day and built these for me so we practice every day!  I walk over them slowly and have to lift my hind legs up so they don't hit.

Momma had to put rugs down on the hardwood floors and vinyl so I wouldn't slip and slide.   Here I am, feeling chipper, on my favorite Christmas rug that Denise loaned us!

Momma says we need a brick or our own parking place at the OSU vet hospital now :-)  We took them cupcakes this week to thank them for all they did for making me better.