PairoDocs
Well-known member
Our dog, Andromeda (Andie for short), a half black lab, half Alaskan Malamute we got in November 1996 when she was a puppy (when Laura and I had been married only six months), suddenly lost her ability to use her hind legs this last Saturday. She had been showing some stiffness and weakness in her hindquarters for about three months, but we thought it was just old age arthritis. We took her into the vet and he X-rayed her and found she had some hip dysplasia, but no dislocations. Her back looked fine. Since then, she's regained some ability to move her tail and her back legs, but now she can't use her front legs because her proprioception (sense of where her body parts are) is impaired, and she can't stand even with assistance. We don't know what to do. If this situation continues, we may elect to have her put to sleep on Thursday. The vet thinks she may have had something called a spinal cord stroke. She is continent and is able to eat and drink.
She's hot and uncomfortable in the veterinary hospital where she's been since Saturday--been panting non-stop since arrival except when sleeping. I am going to as the vet if I could take her home for a while and lay her on a blanket outside near the snow for a few hours so she can be comfortable and see the outdoors for the last time and visit with her goat, chicken, cat, and dog friends. If she rallies, then she stays, if not, one final trip to the vet...
She loves the cold and snow--she used to break through ice to go for swims in Alaska. Malamutes love cold, but hate water, while labs like water... She also loved to dig for voles and eat them--I guess they reminded her of lemmings (Malamutes eat them like popcorn). Her mere presence kept black bears away from our wilderness-backed home on the outskirts of Anchorage (black bears are tormented mercilessly by Malamutes, thus run away at the mere scent of that particular breed), and also the coyotes away from our Idaho place. She used to run 10 miles up and down our Idaho country roads, and we had to put a cable dog run up to keep neighbors from shooting at her because they perhaps thought she would chase cows--she never did, but still a large dog+cows=trouble in many people's minds around here. She got plenty of exercise anyway, and always had two pygmy goats for company, as well as some semi-feral chickens. Our shih-tzu, Oggie, has been out of sorts as of late, though he didn't stay with Andie outside. He always would spend a little time with her every day and misses her terribly.
Sorry if I sound maudlin, but this dog has been a good companion and a very sweet dispositioned animal. The kids like her, and were just getting into the chore of regularly feeding and watering her--I used to do it on my own until recently. We'd really appreciate prayers. Prayers that she gets up and walks so we don't have to put her to sleep. We asked our vet about wheeled carts and other options, but as a country dog who can't stand being indoors very much, she'd never adjust. So the options are she gets back up on her feet, or she has to be released from her misery. We want what is best for Andromeda and the wisdom and the strength to do the right thing.
Chris
She's hot and uncomfortable in the veterinary hospital where she's been since Saturday--been panting non-stop since arrival except when sleeping. I am going to as the vet if I could take her home for a while and lay her on a blanket outside near the snow for a few hours so she can be comfortable and see the outdoors for the last time and visit with her goat, chicken, cat, and dog friends. If she rallies, then she stays, if not, one final trip to the vet...
She loves the cold and snow--she used to break through ice to go for swims in Alaska. Malamutes love cold, but hate water, while labs like water... She also loved to dig for voles and eat them--I guess they reminded her of lemmings (Malamutes eat them like popcorn). Her mere presence kept black bears away from our wilderness-backed home on the outskirts of Anchorage (black bears are tormented mercilessly by Malamutes, thus run away at the mere scent of that particular breed), and also the coyotes away from our Idaho place. She used to run 10 miles up and down our Idaho country roads, and we had to put a cable dog run up to keep neighbors from shooting at her because they perhaps thought she would chase cows--she never did, but still a large dog+cows=trouble in many people's minds around here. She got plenty of exercise anyway, and always had two pygmy goats for company, as well as some semi-feral chickens. Our shih-tzu, Oggie, has been out of sorts as of late, though he didn't stay with Andie outside. He always would spend a little time with her every day and misses her terribly.
Sorry if I sound maudlin, but this dog has been a good companion and a very sweet dispositioned animal. The kids like her, and were just getting into the chore of regularly feeding and watering her--I used to do it on my own until recently. We'd really appreciate prayers. Prayers that she gets up and walks so we don't have to put her to sleep. We asked our vet about wheeled carts and other options, but as a country dog who can't stand being indoors very much, she'd never adjust. So the options are she gets back up on her feet, or she has to be released from her misery. We want what is best for Andromeda and the wisdom and the strength to do the right thing.
Chris
