Four years ago, a very special little guy came into my life. Butch was one of four to mama Freckles who was rescued from an extreme hoarding situation. Butch was brought to NYC courtesy of Waggy Tail Rescue and I brought him home at four months in early March of 2017.


In the past four years, Butch and I have been on many adventures. He helps me with my Anxiety and Depression stemming from lifelong chronic Alopecia Universalis... 


And... supports my clients with early to late-stage Dementia. 


On March 2, 2022, I took Butch to a local vet near our home in LA for a checkup and to update his shots. He’d been a little more sluggish than usual on our routine walks and not jumping in laps or on the couch (or ceremoniously humping…yes, he’s fixed) as per his usual activity. The new vet took X-rays which showed a slipped disk and excess spinal fluid. He was given a shot and prescribed anti-inflammatory meds. We were dismissed and instructed to monitor and call immediately if things got worse. For the next seventy-two hours, Butch seemed to be on an upswing. That all changed on March 9th when he was non-ambulatory (paraplegic) upon waking. I rushed him to the vet again, where I was told that Butch would need emergency surgery ASAP, and that any delay would result in permanent paralysis.

I called several places trying to get him in and ended up taking him to Access in Pasadena. After several hours, I was informed that their MRI machine was broken and that he would need to be transferred to Access in Culver City, without any guarantee of when the necessary surgery would take place. Still in shock and riddled with anxiety, I decided to take him home with their prescribed pain meds.

 

At 2am on Thursday morning after a fitful sleep (alternating between sleeping next to Butch on the floor and my own bed), he was looking at me wide awake. His pain was evident. After calling a few more places to see who could immediately take him in (still backlogged from Covid), I followed up on a referral from Lisa Young (Exec Director at The Rescue Train) and ended up taking Butch to VCA Animal Specialty Group in Glendale. He was admitted around 3:30am. After waiting for several hours to complete the process, I returned home to wait. The CT Spine scan revealed Dr. Oliphant’s suspicions.

 

Diagnosis:

T11-12 acute Hansen type disk extrusion - left sided

 

Surgery:

Hemilaminectomy at T11-T13 with fenestration of T12-T13 was performed on 3/9/22

Case Summary:
Butch presented for evaluation of inability to walk. His physical exam revealed he was non ambulatory paraplegic with deep pain sensation. We performed an MRI of the thoracolumbar spine which revealed Butch had an acute intervertebral disk herniation in his T11-T12 region. This is a process where disk material herniates into the spinal cord causing compression of the spinal cord and consequently can cause pain and neurologic deficits. This can occur accutely , or slowly over time, and is usually due to degenerative/dehydrated intervertebral disks in chondrodystrophic breeds (short legs, long backs) but can occur in any breed of dog. Treatment for IVDH can either be medical or surgical. Surgical treatment was recommended in Butch's case due to the severity of his clinical signs. He underwent surgery to remove the extruded disc material and decompress the spinal cord.

 

Status at Discharge 3/12/22:

At the time of discharge, Butch was non-ambulatory paraplegic (moderate motor in both PLs right stronger.) He was able to stand when placed in standing position for 2-3 seconds. His postural reactions were absent in his pelvic limbs. His spinal reflexes were intact. He was not urinating on his own.

 

Update:

Since picking Butch up on Saturday afternoon, he continues to show encouraging signs of improvement. Apart from lots of sleep, Butch is eating and drinking and able to urinate on his own with the aid of a doughnut sling supporting his back legs. I take him out to the grass for potty and PT several times a day. This gives him a chance to stretch and breathe the fresh air, in between hours of strict bed rest.

Gratitude:

As with most crises, this one came with a silver lining. I'm transferring my knowledge in caring for non-ambulatory seniors with neuro-degeneration to my four-legged baby. In time, I hope to use this experience to expand my outreach. When Covid hit, many of us were forced to pause and take stock of our lifestyles.  Nature and animals continue to show us many valuable lessons. With all the constant suffering in the world, it's comforting to know that we can always count on the unconditional support from our beloved canines.

Onward and upward...Transforming Poison Into Medicine!
Of course, this sudden emergency came with a hefty price tag...$8,948.38, and there will be additional costs with the follow-up visits, therapy and additional meds once we have exhausted our current supply.   But it's hard to put a price on the life of a loved one.  So now the work begins. 

Thank you for all of your texts, calls, prayers and support during this very difficult time.  Please check back for updates! I will continue to post progress on my personal Instagram page as well.  

IG @margarethbaker

Please feel free to follow and spread the word.  I also appreciate that these are really tough times for all, as we navigate inflated living costs and emotional insecurity.  A prayer and a share do just as much as a dollar donation! You matter.

 

In love and health,

 

Margaret & Butch