My dog is fully paralyzed

[majufeca]

Two days ago my dog got paralyzed, he couldn't stand up so we took him to the vet. The vet told us that our dog's disc fell out causing near full paralysis with only 1-5% movement left.

We know have two choices, put the dog down or take a surgery route which costs about 3-4k ( which we can't afford ) even if we did the vet told us the success rate of the procedure is low and very likely to do anything better for the dog.

I started doing my own research and I saw in rare case few success stories where dogs partial recovered from paralysis with intensive home care, therapy and special feeding equipment etc.

Anyway, advice or suggestions would be helpful.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@majufeca I'm sorry you've experienced this. No one wants to experience such a tragedy. It's hard, but keep in mind the sort of distress your dog is going through and any distress that the dog may experience during surgery/physical therapy/recovery.

Questions to ask yourself:

Will my dog be able to live a fulfilling dogs life after this?

How many years will he have left after going through the recovery (i.e. this decision for a 2 y.o. vs a 10 y.o. is very different)?

Am I just delaying the inevitable by a few weeks or months because I don't want to say goodbye?

Will the dog be experiencing pain/discomfort/depression during these efforts? Would they be better off just having loving family time for a few days instead?

I'm not going to tell you what to do. It's a sad and distressing time for you and your family. I would explore all your options to get a realistic prognosis before making a decision. In the meantime, spend a lot of time with him. Get down on the floor with him, make sure he's comfortable, give him something safe to chew/lick.

 

[gdssldier]

@majufeca This might be a better question for r/AskVet.

 

[legend28]

@majufeca Find a professional physiotherapist. I'm so sorry you're going through this

Canine Rehabilitation Institute

http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html

American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians

https://www.rehabvets.org/Referrals.lasso

Animal Rehab Division (Canada)

http://www.physiotherapy.ca/getmedi...db23b6b896/ARD_Find_A_Therapist_2014.pdf.aspx

University of Tennessee's Canine Rehab Certificate Program

https://www.utvetce.com/canine-rehab-ccrp/ccrp-practitioners/

Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT)

www.acpat.org/find-acpat-physio

British Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Association

http://www.bvrsma.org.uk/contacts/

Courtesy of Canine Rehab Systems

http://caninerehabsystems.com/find-a-pro/

 

[ilovejesus33]

@legend28 Great resources.

 

[rebecca25]

@majufeca I’m so sorry this is your reality. I have to add my 2 cents worth here. Do you think you can preserve his dignity? He will be incontinent and may need enemas to help his bowels moving. Can you do that? If he is unable to play do you think he’ll know? If your were in that condition what you want done for you? It’s a terrible choice but it’s one you’re facing. Sometimes letting go is the hardest decision you’ll ever make. But the compassionate thing to do is not what we want. I hope you understand that no matter what you choose to do your buddy loves you.