Doing the Right Thing

We are trying the last available treatment for our doggie. She has herniated discs, and spinal surgery can’t fix all three, so an aggressive steroid treatment is our last best hope.

Overall, she’s incredibly healthy for a 13-year-old 100-lb big dog, but the spinal injury is causing her legs to splay and fail (imagine Bambi). She’s strong, and her legs work, but she wobbles and swivels and slips and falls.

And yet, she has an incredible attitude about the whole thing and is the love of our life, so we are figuring it out as we go.

We have a back-end harness (or sometimes a scarf works just as well) that allows us to lift her slightly and stabilize her on walks. Little grippy dog booties prevent her from slipping and sliding on the hardwood, and a doggie ramp allows her to get in the car.

And, while I’m inclined to help her as much as possible, to limit her activities so she can rest and heal, and to keep her inside, especially during winter, she wants to be free.

She wants to smell the smells, go in the car, bark, and guard, and be a big curious dog out and about in the neighborhood.