Update on Frodo's Progress

The top picture of Frodo was taken December 6th. It was the first  day in almost a week that he even bothered to raise his head. The first day he showed an interest in anything around him. He is wearing a belly band because he has been unable to control his bladder fully. He knows he has to go, but I don't have enough time to get him outside. As soon as I try, he lets loose. His bowels are  working... slightly... but he doesn't know he's going, so I will go to check him at times and he will have left a present. He does try to move away from it, so he does know it's there after the fact.

The picture of Frodo in the Santa sweater was taken, of course, on Christmas day. He is walking! He started to drag himself around some around Dec. 8th. Several friends put him on their prayer lists. He still could not control his functions, but at last the pain was under control and he was moving. This is a progression I went through with him last time his disc blew out. But this time he had a really hard time keeping his legs in position. About this time he started regaining control of his functions as well. 

Frodo is fiercely independent. He hates being carried and would fight me vigorously. I was afraid trying to carry him would cause more or worse injury than he already had. I did find that he would go anywhere if I held his tail and kept his backend up that way. I tried a belt around him to make a handle so that I did not have to try and follow him around all bent over. I have a blown disc as well so it can be difficult for me too. He would have none of it. He wouldn't do his business! To him, the only acceptable manner  was to hold him up and give him balance via his tail. I did what he needed.

About 5 days into doing this and I noticed that he was moving one of his legs, attempting to use it. I was amazed at even that amount of progress having been content at knowing he was  in control of his bladder and bowel and I would not have to put him  down. He has a doggy wheelchair already here, but had been too sick up to now to use it.

His other leg still hung totally useless. But a couple of days later he was standing, using the one back leg, and kind of doing a hop to get around a bit. I continued to keep his activity at a minimal level, allowing him up only to go out a few times a day, but each day he was using his leg better and his back end was not swaying from side to side as badly.

Twenty-four hours later he was randomly moving the  remaining leg, not connecting with the ground yet. A day later he was actually using the leg.

He is still a little weak in the back end and sways slightly here  and there, but he is getting along far better than I had imagined. This is the third time the disc has blown out, the last being just a year ago. The first  time was a sudden blow-out, but the last two have been a  gradual progression. I will notice him hunching and seeming in pain with a stiff-legged walk. He will stop being active and progress to not being able to walk etc. over the next week or so.  This was by far the worse attack he has had. I know that any one of these attacks can be the end of him. If he loses the ability to use his functions I will have no choice but to put him down.

I am ecstatic that it won't be this time.

I pray that before it blows out again I will be able to afford the surgery for him to get it repaired. I guarantee it won't be with the vet that wouldn't help me and left him in that kind of pain because I  didn't  have a lot  of money. They will never see a dollar of mine again.

VET'S IN CRANBROOK DON'T CARE

I have been crying much of the day. One of my little dogs, Frodo, has blown out a disc in his back. This has happened twice before. Once when he was two, and again a year ago. The incident when he was two was a sudden onset blow-out, most likely because he slipped and twisted the wrong way. Several hundred dollars later, a couple of months on bedrest and a year of recovery seemed to put him to rights. At six (last year) it gave out again, only this time it was a progression that took about a week. Over that week he steadily got worse until he could not use his back end at all. Again, several hundred spent at the vet and on medications for almost 3 months (the medications cost around $150/month). At the same time both my other dogs needed vet attention as well. It ended up running a couple of thousand dollars. Fortunately I had a litter of pups to sell at the time and was able to cover almost everything including Frodo's wheelchair (he recovered once again and got use of his legs back) only having to make a couple of payments toward Ginger's dental surgery.

Now I am out of work and have been for several months. There will be no Christmas in this house, but that's ok. I live alone anyway and family will just have to understand.

But Frodo's back has gone again. This time there was no injury and the process took around a week again to fully take away use of his rear legs. He is in a great deal of pain. I couldn't afford to take him in, but I called and asked if I could get the medications that he was on last time. I took the last of my money to get them for him.

He is laying on his side yesterday and today and I can see the spasms hit him, causing his front legs to extend, but when I touch them he draws them back. He is still able to do his business and has not lost control of his bodily functions. I called the vet again and explained what was happening and asked if there was something more that could be done for him. They said they could add another pain medication so I got a friend of mine to drive me down to get them for him (I lost my vehicle after being out of work a few months. I had already asked on the telephone if I could bring him in and make payments to them to get him seen.... they refused. It's cash up front here in Cranbrook... at  ALL the vets.

I found out that, even if he is so bad he needs to be put down, no one will help without cash up front. They will (and they said this when I asked) just let him suffer, and me helplessly watching.

Anyway, when I got there to get the meds they said they could add to what he is taking, they refused to give them without making an appointment and bringing him in.

Understand that I have NEVER had a vet visit anywhere in this town without it costing me close to $200. And that does not include any bloodwork etc that may be needed, but would include medication in Frodo's case. But not x-rays which will be needed again in Frodo's case.

So, in my opinion, the almighty dollar wins out over everything else. I wasn't asking for them to do anything for free.... just to give me some time to pay for it.... but without the cash up front, forget it.

I thought they cared about the animals, but now I can see that they don't give a damn about anything but how much they can make off someone.

I expect the coming days will be full of tears, as today was/is. If you are prone to prayer, please pray for my little Frodo. He is my buddy and I am at a loss over what to do now. Thanks

Frodo is black and white.... he is 7 next month.... Ginger is with him... she will be 13 next month.