Ziggy the Cardigan IVDD update - clinical trial complete

In the spring, Ziggy completed his trial in the Clinical Trial for Paralyzed dogs at ISU.  It turns out that Ziggy was in the control group, meaning that he did NOT receive the chondroitinase injection.

If a dog is in the control group, after the dog has completed the trial, the team at ISU offers to administer the injection of chondroitinase.  We decided to take them up on the offer, with hope that the drug might help Ziggy regain some hind-end function.

Unfortunately, Ziggy had too much scar tissue at the injection site for them to administer the drug. They did offer to have him come back so they could try again a few months later.  We dropped him off at ISU in mid-August in out last-ditch effort to help Ziggy.  Once again, though, they found too much scar tissue and were not able to give the injection.  On the up side, Ziggy really seemed to enjoy being back at ISU, and the students there loved him.  So I guess it was like a spa week for Ziggy...?

Ziggy is now back home and has settled into his routine of barking, napping, and snuggling.

Ziggy the Cardigan IVDD: Clinical Trial Update

It's been a few months since I've provided a Ziggy update, so here it goes.  Ziggy continues in The Clinical Trial for Paralyzed dogs.  He has been to ISU for his second and third visits, and is scheduled for his fourth and final visit in late November.

We still don't know if he received the placebo or the treatment (we'll find out on his last visit), so we're now just guessing.  The Husband believes strongly that we're seeing more movement in Ziggy's tail and hind legs.  I am still playing the role of skeptic, but even I must admit that there seems to be something going on.  He is flagging and raising his tail more than usual, and he seems much more intentional with his hind legs.  I haven't seen a paw dragging in a long time.

We got some video footage of Ziggy moving last week, so you can see how things are going.  He's going at a slow pace, which is where we used to see the most foot dragging.   The Small Human served as videographer so it's not the most steady video you'll ever see and there's a little added "music", but here's the Z:

Ziggy continues to be happy and healthy -- he's still barking (lots, and at inconvenient times),  doing therapy dog visits to the hospital with The Husband, and he's gone months without a UTI (touch wood) -- so things are good with Z.

Here's one of my favorite Ziggy pictures from this summer:

Ziggy the Cardigan IVDD: We're In the Clinical Trial for Paralyzed Dogs!

When I last posted Ziggy had been accepted into the Clinical Trial for Paralyzed Dogs at Iowa State University.  After a bit of consideration, we decided to have Ziggy join the trial - more for the greater good than for any expected direct benefit to Ziggy.  Ziggy is now Dog #31 in the trial - and one of only two corgis so far in the trial.

Ziggy at drop off day last week 

with Dr. Hu and Brittany, "his" student for the week.

We've taken Ziggy for two of his four trial visits.  During each visit a number of tests are done to assess neurological function.  (Thanks to the team at the Clinical Trial for giving me this info to share.)  These tests include:

• Neurological exam to assess neurological function
• Treadmill gait recording which measures gait using sensors and cameras (if you go to the Clinical Trial's Facebook page you can see Ziggy on the treadmill.  It's not his favorite thing.)
• Cystometry to measure bladder function
• Electrodiagnositcs to assess spinal cord conduction
• Urinalysis to check for UTI
• Rehab therapy & evaluation

Ziggy on the treadmill.

On the first visit, Ziggy got an injection - well one injection at two different locations along the spine.  Since it's a clinical trial, we don't know if he received the placebo (control group) or the chondroitnase (treatment group).  We're pretty sure he got the placebo - but that's just because we're pessimistic when it comes to Ziggy.  We've learned to become pessimistic when it comes to Ziggy - it makes things less disappointing.

Even though we're convinced Ziggy is in the control group, we can't help but see "new" activity - he seems to be wagging/flagging his tail more, and paddling his hind legs harder.  But it's probably just wishful thinking.  

Ziggy has two more visits - one in August, and one in October(ish).  During the last visit, if he was in the control group, he will receive the chondroitnase.

So far, Ziggy has received reviews that he's a stellar patient.  The student who was in charge of Ziggy last week said he was the best patient they have.  And Ziggy is a patient, patient, kind dog, so I'm not surprised they like him!

Ziggy back at home after his first visit.

He and Blossom the cat missed each other.

His reverse mohawk is due thanks to site prep for the injection.

 

If you'd like to keep up with Ziggy and the Trial, I recommend visiting (and liking) their Facebook pages:

• Ziggy, Therapy Dog
• Clinical Trial for Paralyzed Dogs

Ziggy Visits Iowa State University Vet School - Chondroitinase Clinical Trail

Ziggy in the waiting room - a Corgi has to know what's happening

Ziggy and I made the three-hours-one-way trek to the Iowa State University Vet School in Ames, Iowa on Friday to see if Z can participate in a clinical trial for paralyzed dogs.

We heard about the trial on the Wheelcorgis Yahoo! group, and since we're (relatively) close to ISU, I wanted to check to see if Ziggy could participate in a trial that might some day help other dogs (and even humans!) regain function after a back injury.

The trial is testing the enzyme chondroitinase to see if it can be effective in breaking down scarring tissue left by a back injury, allowing nerves to regenerate.

We contacted the Veterinarian running the trial, Dr. Hilary Hu, to see if Ziggy might be a candidate.  Since Z had been to ISU many times (for PT and for an MRI) they were able to review his files and confirm that he was indeed a potential candidate.

Z resting between evaluations

Our trip on Friday was for hands-on evaluation to see if he met the criteria to be accepted into the trial.  The good news is that Dr. Hu and Dr. Jeffery confirmed that he could indeed be in the trial.  They did issue us a word of caution, though.  Since Ziggy has pain sensation and bladder function, he does have something to lose.  And while long lasting negative impacts aren't expected, it could happen.

The Husband and I thought about this, but in the end decided that the benefits to cart dogs outweigh any potential risk.  And heck, Ziggy might even benefit!

We're now corresponding to see when Ziggy can start the trial.  I'll post more when I know more.  In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about the trial, here are some links:

ISU website:  http://vetmed.iastate.edu/vmc/small-animal/clinical-trials/chondroitinase-clinical-trial-0

Facebook page for the trial:  https://www.facebook.com/ChondroDogsIowaStateVetMed?ref=hl

Ziggy, Therapy Dog

If you'd asked me a year ago which of our dogs would accomplish something in 2013, I would have been wrong.

Rip had a great year rolling, running, licking, wagging, and learning new tricks, and Ziggy was busy doing great things.

The Husband worked with Ziggy to become a certified therapy dog with Therapy Dogs, Inc.  Ziggy passed his requirements late last year, and today he and The Husband had their first official outing as part of the Trinity Hospital Caring Canines program.

Ziggy is proud of his officially embroidered vest.

On his way to work.

I'm so proud that Ziggy is able to get out and make people smile, and I look forward to many great stories from hospital visits.

The Team on their first day of work.

Oh, and The Husband has set up a fan page for Ziggy on Facebook.  If you'd like to hear about the visit from Ziggy's point of view, here's the link:  Ziggy, Therapy Dog  Just "like" the page to keep track of their visits!

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Cart Dog in the Snow

Since it seems that Snowmageddon is taking over much of the country, I thought I'd share what happens to a cart dog in the snow.

The cart wheels will most assuredly get snowy.

When standing outside and gazing around the yard,

the cart dog gets snowy.

When the snow isn't too deep, the cart dog can run around the whole yard,

making tracks in the snow. 

In this case, running to the tree that contains the vexatious squirrel.

When the snow gets deeper, the cart dog can follow the 

paths the humans have carved through the snow.

If the cart dog deviates from this path,

 and tries to follow the path made by the other dog, 

the going can get a bit slow.

Especially when the other dog's path gets really narrow.

Rendering a cart dog unable to move.

So then the cart dog must bark for the humans.

And give them this look when they come to rescue him.

To me this says, "It's about time!"

And in case you'd like a little live action feature (taken today!), click below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrEzLWC0qQs&list=UUNnAITYiTywLRfrdbpmwIAQ&feature=share

Attention Cardigan Owners! Please Take the OFA Health Survey.

Hi, Cardigan Corgi owners -- maybe you've already heard about it and filled out the survey, but if not, please click the link to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) Cardigan Corgi health survey.

Click Here

The survey is for dogs - alive and deceased - that were born after 1989.  I've filled it out for all four of mine.

The survey gathers valuable info (see OFA survey page) that can help our breed club help Cardigans.

Please help keep the breed healthy and flying high!

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi - IVDD 2 years

I realize that I haven't posted a Ziggy update for a while.

On December 2nd, it was 2 years since Ziggy's disc rupture and surgery.  I wish I could say that Ziggy is walking.  Unfortunately I can't.  Ziggy seems to have defied the odds, but in the wrong way.  Given his condition at the time of surgery, there was a ~90% chance that Ziggy would walk again.  Ziggy is in the 10%.

As you know, we did much rehab with Ziggy - at home, at a local rehab vet, at ISU.  He also had acupuncture and a bit of chiro to help with mis-alignment due to the scooting he does when out of his cart.  (The chiro was done months after healing from the surgery, and not in the surgical site.)

The best thing we've done for Ziggy in this time?  We got him a custom cart from Eddie's wheels.  I think I'll do another post about this, but trust me when I said the cart has been life-changing for all of us.

Currently Ziggy is out of his cart when he's inside.  He scoots around pulling himself with his front end.

Here's a video I took of Ziggy and Rip frapping about a year and a half ago.  You can see him do a bit of scooting as he repositions himself…

When he's outside, he goes out in his new cart.  Here are a couple videos from this summer that show how well he can move in his cart.  You can also see his hind end movement and the ramp that we built to help him up on the deck!

P.S. - there's even a Maggie cameo in this one.  I miss my old girl :(

We have pretty much given up rehab with Ziggy.  At this point I think this is where he's going to be.  Sometimes I watch him move in his cart, though, and I wonder.  He really does seem to know how to place his hind legs.  For now, though, we're letting Ziggy be Ziggy and enjoy his carting and scooting life.

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Month 15

I realize I haven't done a Ziggy post for a while.  Progress seems really slow.  Wait, that's because progress IS really slow.


Here's what's happening now:

• Ziggy continues to use his legs vigorously in when he's in the cart and in the harness.
• He is really trying to stand up more on his own, and is often able to get into a crouch position.
• We've started to take him to the local rehab vet again.  She is now working her clinic full time, and is willing to have Z stop by for the day.
• At rehab, he gets electro-stim acupuncture once a week, a chiropractic adjustment once a week (on different days), gets a couple of PT sessions each day, and gets to hang out in his cart or an ex-pen the rest of the day.

The Laziness continues:

Ziggy continues to be very lazy about his rehab.  He just doesn't seem like he really cares about walking or standing.  It's a lot of work, you know...  We've been putting him outside in cart, allowing him time on his own to perambulate around the yard.  Unless there's a squirrel to chase, he normally just stands in one place.  And saying that he stands is generous.  He often stands on his front legs and just lets his hind end hand in the sling on the cart.  Sigh.

I can't help but think that progress is slower because of Z's laziness.  The positive side of the laziness is that mentally he doesn't seem to mind his life as a couch potato at all ;)

Ziggy getting acupuncture last week.

It's just too hard for a corgi to stand up for that long.

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD month 14

I realize I haven't done a Ziggy update for a while.  This video is from the week before last, on Ziggy's second day (of 8) at the ISU vet school rehab center.  It's the first time he has been in the treadmill without a helper in there with him.  I like that he seems to be doing better with his left hind, and I'm thrilled that the right hind seems to be working just like a "real" leg!

The woman who runs the rehab center was pleased with Ziggy's progress.  She said he seems much stronger than he was on his last visit (November).  This makes us feel much better, as the progress day to day is imperceptible.

Around the house we've noticed that he is trying to stand more often, and sometimes gets in a flailing step or two before falling over.  In his sling, he is weight bearing on his hind legs, though still needs quite a lot of support from the sling for side to side stability.

Our instructions for care are:

• Cart:  Leave him in his cart more often to let him wander around (hard in our small house, but we've been using the cart in the back yard more often).  I'm still thinking of getting him a custom cart, as I just can't seem to get this one to fit right.  I just need to take the steps to get it done.  Maybe next weekend?
• Therapy:  Continue with letting him walk and stand on his own in his sling.  Add standing "side crunches" to help balance core muscle strength.  Get him on the ball more often.  I now have 2 FitPaws peanuts and one FitPaws egg.  Just need to use them...

Ziggy's attitude continues to be laid back and happy.  

We continue to wonder if Z will ever really walk again.  I guess only time will tell.  I'll keep you posted!

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD 1 year anniversary

Before.

Ziggy moving on his own now looks odd to me.

And I miss it.

December 3, 2011

The incision the day after surgery.

Moving in the sling.

We've now progressed to hind end movement, too - 

but still in the sling.

Today it has been one year to the day since Ziggy went in for IVDD surgery.

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you know that Ziggy is still not yet walking, but continues to slowly progress.  Z had quite a few inches of his spinal cord impacted by the ruptures and corresponding hemorrhage, and nerves heal quite slowly, so we are still optimistic.  As long as Ziggy is making progress we'll continue to work and hope.

This has not been the easiest year in my dog-owning life, but I've learned a lot about IVDD, canine rehab, and the special/crazy commitment so many people have to helping dogs with this disease.  I've also developed some opinions on IVDD that some may not agree with.

Here are some of my thoughts:

I believe IVDD has a strong genetic component.

• Both of my dogs that have had the disease also have very close relatives who have suffered from IVDD.
• Though no genetic marker has been found, a study of family lines in dachshunds found that while overall prevalence in the breed is ~19%, in some families it was 62%.
• I believe we should be honest and transparent regarding dogs that have IVDD, or have had an IVDD "episode," so smart decisions can be made in breeding.  I've used Cardiped.net to do this for both of my dogs who've had IVDD - it's recorded in the "notes" section of their profiles.  

IVDD isn't caused by bad care.

• I keep my dogs lean and fit.  
• I provide them with sofa stairs and ramps.
• I try to keep them from doing stupid things -- which is often impossible :)
• I believe that if a disc is going to go, it's going to go.  Yes, good preventive care is needed to help protect long-backed dogs, but preventive care won't prevent a disc from going.  Ziggy's disc went when he was out in the yard for his before-bed pee.  No roughhousing, no craziness.  Just walking in the yard.

The people at Dodger's List are a godsend.

• If you have Cardis, or another breed with a high prevalence of IVDD, you NEED to go to this site.  Now.  Before something happens.
• At a minimum, read the FAQ's so you have some grounding in what to look for and what to do if something (heaven forbid) happens.
• They also have a survey to collect information on affected dogs.  They include Cardigans, and I submitted information on both my dogs, in hopes that some day we can have statistics on IVDD in Cardis.

In Cardigans, we need to take this more seriously than we seem to be at the moment.

• At the 2011 National Specialty, one of the leading experts in IVDD treatment gave a lecture.  Hundreds of Cardi people were at the specialty.  Around a dozen people attended. 
• I attended and what I learned helped me tremendously in the first few post-rupture days with Ziggy.
• Through my Facebook friends, and following blogs, it seems that quite a number of our dogs are having problems, yet I do not often see this mentioned as a problem in the breed.

Dogs will heal on their own timeline.

• Right after surgery, our surgical vet predicted Ziggy would be walking by the New Year.  I guess he didn't specify which new year...
• A few nice Cardi people whose dogs had been through disc surgery emailed me, assuring me that it took their dogs a few months before walking.  Ziggy missed that memo, too.
• Cardis are bigger and bigger boned than Dachshunds and this impacts healing time, so much of the "time to heal" info that's out there doesn't apply to Z.  
• It was the Dodger's List folks who have kept me hoping.  In reply to my posts on their list, they assured me that many dogs take longer than expected, and reinforced that as long as progress is being made, there is still hope that a dog will walk.

The cost and effort required to help a dog with a disc rupture are tremendous.

• The initial decision about what to do after a disc ruptures is not easy, and, after living through a year of Ziggy care,  I will not judge the choices other people make.

Please contact me if you ever experience something similar with your dogs.  I am happy to help, support, and share as much as I can.  I know that it's an extremely emotional and difficult thing to go through.  I can relate, and hopefully I can help.

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD month 11

Ziggy continues to ever-so-slowly progress towards walking.  No big changes in month 11, but some encouraging signs:

• More frequent attempts at standing on his own
• More weight-supporting walking in his sling - he still needs help with stability, but more leg movement
• His right hind is getting stronger w/ better paw placement

We sent him to ISU rehab for a week in the middle of the month.  He hadn't been there in quite a while, and the rehab therapist did notice progress.

The therapist thinks Ziggy needs more core strength, though, as the "c" in his spine (when looking at him from above when he's standing his spine curves like "c") seems to be remaining and maybe getting more pronounced.  She believes that the c is caused by uneven core muscle development.  This impacts his standing, as his left hind comes in too far to the midline to support him properly.  It also causes problems with walking - his left hind often "trips" his right hind. 

So she has recommended ball work.  Today we had a family viewing of disc one of "Get On the Ball Two" with Dr. Debbie Gross Saunders, then we did a little work with Ziggy.  I ordered 2 sizes of Fitpaws peanuts, and need to order one size larger, too.  Ball work will become a daily part of his routine, and (according to the video) we should see results in two weeks or so.

Ball work to strengthen hips and hind end.

Ball work for overall core fitness.

You can see from the panting that he's getting a good workout!

To help with progress tracking, here are some videos of Ziggy from his last trip to ISU:

Underwater treadmill.  

Notice right hind doing really well.

Lots of hind end movement in the cart.  

He still tips left when the padding shifts.  

Z may be getting a custom cart as a Christmas present...

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD month 10

I can't believe it has been over 10 months since Ziggy had surgery for his IVDD.  And I don't mean that in a "time flies when you're having fun" sort of way.  Just the opposite really, but here we are.


The progress:

• Ziggy is now trying to stand on his own more and more.  Sometimes he's even able to walk for a step before falling over.
• Right leg continues to be doing much better than the left.  Rehab vet thinks it may be partly due to muscle tightness on his left inner thigh, and did some stretching last week that seemed to help.
• Rehab vet also commented at what a lazy dog Ziggy is.  He's also quite stubborn.  Not the best combo for a quick rehab!

The work:

• Visiting rehab vet for electric stimulation acupuncture, gentle chiro, and PT each week.
• "Formal" PT at home is still few and far between.  At about 8 months I think The Husband and I  both just got worn out.  Bad humans.
• "Informal" PT continues.  
• I've started grabbing Ziggy's britches (fur on his hindquarters) and having him walk without the sling.  In the sling Ziggy basically just hangs out (see previous comment about laziness), but with "britches walking" he has to support most of his own weight, and he really moves his hind legs.  
• Ziggy is also asked to stand on his own (we offer slack in the sling handles) when he's out in the yard.  I do not need to hold you up when you're standing, lazy dog.
• We're putting Z in his cart in the yard more often during those times we can at least keep an eye on him from the house.  Most often he'll just stand there (laziness), but if a squirrel shows up, or dogs walk by, he'll actually move around.  I'm trying to figure out a way to load the trees with robotic, remote-control squirrels so Z will exercise more outside.  I'll let you know how that goes.

On a fun note, the boys still enjoy frapping.  Here's a video I took a couple of weeks ago (you may want to turn down the sound to avoid the background noise of me steaming milk for my Saturday latte).  A couple of times you can see Z push himself up a bit on his left hind.  Go, Z, Go!

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Month 8

It's been 8 months since Ziggy ruptured his disc.   The dear boy continues to make progress towards walking.

The progress is just really, really slow.  Painfully slow.  Depressingly slow.

8 months of taking a dog out in sling every single time he needs to go to the bathroom - rain, shine, humidity, wretched heat, freezing cold, below freezing cold, etc. - really starts to take its toll.

It also takes a LOT of time.  Think about how many times your dog goes outside to go potty each day.  Then multiply that by 15.  That's how many minutes hours The Husband and I (mostly The Husband, doG bless him, since he works from home) spend each and every day taking Ziggy outside.

But Ziggy does continue to progress.  Here are some things we're seeing now that we weren't before:

• Ziggy is able to hop along on his right leg if he is held upright.  That right leg really seems to know what's going on.
• The left leg is coming along, too, and if I hold Z between the hind legs he can sort of walk.  
• Sort of meaning both legs are moving forward, paws landing on the ground correctly, and then pushing themselves off the ground.  The left hind still moves to the inside so much that Z needs the support to stay upright.
• Better movement in the cart.  

The video below was taken at ISU earlier this month.  The rehab specialist at ISU was really happy to see his paw placement, and to see how he is really getting the paws on the ground in the right way, and using them to push off.

We finally have the cart adjusted better, but it's still not perfect.  You'll see something fall out at the end of the video.  It's a memory foam pad I made that helps him stay straight in the cart.  Definitely a work-around.  I would most assuredly go for a custom cart if I had this to do over again (which I really, really hope doesn't happen).

Go Ziggy, Go!

We haven't been as diligent as we should be with Ziggy's rehab lately.  Life has been hectic, I've been traveling a lot...  But we are doing "incidental" rehab.  For example:

• I make Ziggy support himself when he's peeing (instead of the sling holding him up).  
• I also make him support himself when he is standing outside, and when I'm putting his sling on him.  I'm keen on making him "stand like a big dog" (and, yes, I do say this to him) whenever possible.
• Instead of letting him scoot to his bed when we come in from outside, I'll often have him stand, then support him between is legs so he can "walk."

Ziggy's spirits continue to be very good.  He even scoots to the front door barking when he hears something outside.  A little IVDD won't keep him from guarding the house :)

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi: IVDD month 7

We're rapidly approaching month 7 of Ziggy's IVDD disc rupture recovery.  Ugh.  7 months.  But what can you do when you have a slow dog?

Here's the latest...

What's happening now:

• We're starting to see some real progress!
• He is getting himself up into a standing position more frequently - though his left leg still isn't cooperating enough to keep him standing, things are improving.
• He is really pushing himself along with his hind legs when he scoots around the house.  The legs have gone from dragging behind, to scooting tucked in, to (now) pushing while he scoots.
• He is much stronger on his stands, and can stand for quite a while while in his sling or when placed in a stand for physical therapy.
• He is driving with both of his hind legs much of the time that he's in his cart.  
• On his last visit to ISU, his improvement on the underwater treadmill is noticeable.  You'll see in the video below how his right hind is really driving, reaching, and active.  His left hind is doing MUCH better, but the vet student had to place a hand on him to straighten out his spine so the left hind would land properly.   His left hind likes to drift to the inside, and sometimes hits his right hind accidentally.  This happens when he's trying to stand, too, which causes him to fall down.

Ziggy on the underwater treadmill at ISU earlier this week.  

I am SO pleased with is progress.

Compare to the video from month 3 for a contrast.

What we're doing now:

• ISU Vet School:  Thanks to our travel schedule, Ziggy has spent approximately 3.5 weeks at the ISU Vet School rehab center since mid-May.  He hates being left, but all reports are that he really enjoys it once he's there.  His particular love is cruising around the vet school in his cart, which, apparently, draws lots of nice comments :)  Oh, and everyone seems to LOVE him there - they say he's a great patient, and very sweet.  Way to go, Z.
• Continuing the basic physical therapy we've been doing for months - sit to stand, standing, range of motion, etc.
• We've added some electrical muscle stimulation to get him to flex and move his hind legs on his own.  We just started doing this a week or so before his last trip to ISU, but both The Husband and I really saw some nice improvement.
• Using the cart more often:  We still don't have a great fit on the cart (if I had it to do over again I'd buy a custom cart right away), but we're able to make-do by using a towel to support one hip.  Ziggy seems to love the cart and it gives him an opportunity to see the neighborhood, etc.  He even got to go pick The Child up from his summer program, and got loved by lots of kids, which is one of Ziggy's favorite things.  We're still only using the cart about 10-15 mins at a time, but that seems enough for right now.
• Continuing with acupuncture every 2-3 weeks
• Some chiropractic - particularly on his hips and shoulders which seem to get out of whack (thanks to all the scooting, probably)

I must say that in this past month I finally believe that Ziggy will walk again.  Before this last bit of improvement, I hoped he would walk, and really wanted to believe it, and did everything I could to make it happen, but somehow I feel he's really on the path now.  (but my fingers are still crossed)

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Month 6

 I realize that I haven't posted an update on Ziggy for a while, so here goes.

Ziggy's favorite bed is close to all the action.

Z is out of his crate pretty much all the time we're home now--

it makes all of us happier.

No "big" progress over the past month or so.  We feel like there continues to be progress, but it's really slow.

• He continues to try and stand.  He often is able to push himself up on his right hind, but his left hind offers no support, so it all ends in a flop.
• He is pushing off more with his right leg when he's in his sling and when he's just scooting around the house.

Ziggy continues to be very lazy with his physical therapy.  Food works to a point, but when the dog decides he's done and wants to sit, there's not much that can be done.

Right now, while we're out of town on vacation, Ziggy is at ISU for rehab.  As you may remember, last time he was there, the rehab therapist didn't see much progress.  This led us to wonder if anything abnormal was going on, so we took him in for an MRI.  

This time the notes from ISU are better.  The rehab therapist notices progress in his right-hind-leg's mobility and improvements in his muscle tone.  This is very encouraging for us, as I've got to admit that I haven't noticed much progress.

ISU is also putting him in his cart every day.  They've adjusted how he sits in the cart by using a rolled up hand towel by his hip.  This allows him to have both legs placed evenly on the ground.  I'm interested to see their solution in action as we have not been able to get him sitting in the cart very well.  

Apparently, Z LOVES perambulating around the vet school in his cart.  They say he's using his right hind quite a lot to propel himself along, and sometimes he uses his left hind.  We're going to have to get him in his cart more often, as it seems to be good for both his spirit and his muscle tone.

Of course, any bed near the action attracts other Cardis, too.

Here is a rare moment of peace with the pack.

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Ziggy's MRI

I published a couple of posts last week regarding an MRI.  We decided to go ahead with MRI, so we would be better educated about how to proceed with the Z.

Last Wednesday morning I left early, stopped by Starbucks, and hit the road for a 9am appointment in Ames at the ISU vet school.

The Day

When we arrived at the school, Ziggy happily marched is way into the building (walking in his sling), and started to head back to the rehab center.  This made me feel better about the time he spends at rehab, as he didn't seem upset about where we were going.  He was confused, though, when we went to the waiting room instead of heading right back to rehab.

We saw the neurologist and vet student around 9:30.  They did a neuro exam, then explained the MRI to me, confirming that we still wanted to have it done.  We then discussed what to do if they found something that required surgical intervention.  The options were to go right from MRI to surgery, or consult with me first.  I opted for the "consult with me first" option, as I really wanted to understand what was going on.

With that, they took Z back to wait for anesthesia and the MRI.  This was shortly before 10am.  They figured they would have some news in 2 hours.  I found out where the nearest Starbucks was, and went to have a coffee and read a book (not such a bad way to spend a day off).  I stayed at Starby's for an hour or so, then decided to go have some lunch.  I found a Panera, and ate lunch and read my book my book for another hour or so. Still no call from ISU.  So I went to Best Buy and wandered around.

Still no word, so I went back to the vet school.  The vet student came out and explained that things were backed up because of emergencies, but it should be any time.  It was a nice spring day, so I decided to go for a walk.  I walked for an hour or so.  Still no word.  So I sat in my car for a while and did some work email.  I went back inside when they finally called to tell me Z was headed into his MRI (around 3:30pm).

The MRI plus analysis took about an hour and half (I read more of my book).

Finally, they called me back to discuss results.

The Results

The MRI found nothing that would indicate surgical intervention.  No new disc material was found in the spinal cord, and they didn't find anything else that would be causing compression on the spinal cord.

What they found, basically, was a healing spinal cord.  They did not see any signs of permanent spinal cord damage.  Well, there's always some damage when a disc ruptures, but nothing out of the ordinary was found.  They did find that many areas of the spinal cord were still healing.  The neurologist explained that some dogs just heal more slowly than others, and Ziggy is definitely on the slow end.  Nothing was found, though, that would change the prognosis for him walking eventually.

I was relieved that things seem to be normal, but slow.  I would really prefer normal but fast, or normal and normal, but there you go.

It's funny, though, because the neurologist expressed his regrets (almost apologized, really) a few times that Ziggy didn't need surgery.  I can see where he's coming from in that no surgery means no "easy" fix, but I'm ok with that.

So What Now?

The neurologist's recommendation was that we continue with acupuncture and physical therapy.  He did suggest upping the amount of PT Ziggy gets.  The longer a dog isn't walking, the more chance that their body won't stay in good enough condition (strength and flexibility) to walk.  He's seen cases where the spinal cord and nerves finally heal enough to allow the dog to walk, but the dog is physically no longer able to walk.  He also suggested we get Ziggy out in the cart more often, and allow him to move quickly enough that he starts to pump with is hind legs.

So now The Husband and are I trying to make the "more PT" thing happen.  Ziggy is a funny dog, and after 5-10 minutes of physical therapy, he just quits.  Sits down and (if he's on the floor) scoots himself away.  How do you push a dog to give you just a few more reps??

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Back to ISU tomorrow

We have decided to go ahead with the MRI of Ziggy's back, as we really want to know if there is anything else going on, if there's any nerve damage we didn't know about, etc.  So I'm using one of my last vacation days and taking Ziggy back to ISU tomorrow.  Our appointment is in the morning, so we'll be leaving here at 6am.  Starbucks opens at 5:30, though, so I'll be ok :)

Since my posts have been less-than-perky lately, I thought I'd share a fun video of Rip and Ziggy frapping. Ziggy wants his Cardi friends to know that, with a wild and willing partner, a Cardi who can't walk can still frap!

Enjoy!

Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi IVDD: Weeks 18-20 - Up, then down

I just realized tonight that I've been labeling my weeks wrong.  Tomorrow is 21 weeks since Z's surgery.

Weeks 18-20 have been interesting.  I mentioned in an earlier post that on Ziggy's last trip to the Iowa State University vet school rehab program, they felt his progress was a little lackluster.  There WAS progress, though, so we figured he was just continuing on his slow progress trend.  We hadn't seen any major breakthroughs, but he was standing a bit better, was moving his right hind more, etc.

Last week we felt he had an uptick in his progress.  He seemed much stronger when standing, and he even stood on his own when The Husband took his picture!  Our local rehab vet, who does his acupuncture and helps us stay on track with physical therapy, felt Z had the biggest week-on-week improvement in recent months.  We were feeling pretty good about our boy.

Ziggy finally got wheels!

We're all still getting used to them, 

but hope it gives him a bit of freedom each day.

Photographic proof!  

Ziggy is able to hold himself up on his own 

-- for a short while (a couple of mins) at least.

This week Ziggy was back at ISU for four days of rehab.  I got calls on Mon & Tues, and they felt he had made more progress this time then they had seen last time.  Then yesterday on the call (I was in a meeting, so they left a message) - they said he was doing well, but there was something they needed to talk to me about.  (Maybe that's what prompted me to publish yesterday's blog post - which I had written a while ago but hadn't posted?)

Today I called them during my lunch hour.  The rehab specialist said that she still had a feeling that, though Ziggy continued to make progress, she wasn't seeing what she'd really like to see this far past the surgery.  Since experts are close to hand at a University vet school, she decided to call in a neurologist to check Ziggy out.  

The neurologist had the same feeling the rehab specialist did - that we'd really expect to see more progress by now. 

The neurologist recommends that we have an MRI done on Ziggy.  This will help us  understand if more disc material might be on the spinal cord, or if there is some scarring, or if another disc has ruptured, etc.  It will also help us understand if there is damage to the spinal cord that we don't know about.  If there is more disc material, another surgery is recommended.

I called the vet who did our surgery and talked with him today.  He sees Ziggy every couple of weeks when Ziggy goes in for "daycare" and said that he got the same impression lately - progress, but not great.  He is in agreement than an MRI is a good next step, as it will give us a lot of information about what's going on in there.  He also liked the idea of having it done at ISU, as a neurologist, radiologist, and surgeon are all at hand to evaluate the MRI and provide guidance.

Since an MRI is really not cheap (think montly-mortgage-payment), and surgery is even more expensive, we now have a lot to think about.

Me, Cardigan Corgis, IVDD & the Lottery

I am not a particularly lucky person.  I consider myself fortunate to have a very nice life, but lucky I am not.

I don't win raffles, silent auctions, or drawings.  I have never won any amount of money with a lottery ticket.  Come to think of it, the only thing I've ever won in my life is a TV when I was in college, and the only reason I won this is that the person who held the winning ticket got too drunk and had to go back to her dorm room to pass out, and my ticket was drawn next.

What does this have to do with Cardigans?  And IVDD?  

My piss-poor luck continues here, I'm afraid.  I got my first Cardigan, Maggie, in 2000.  Overall, I've had four Cardigans.  3 of my four Cardigans have reached "IVDD age" (my term)  -- between 3 - 6/7 years old.  According to Dodger's List (a GREAT IVDD resource) and others, this is the age when the first IVDD episode is likely to occur.  

Of these 3 Cardigans, 2 of them have had IVDD episodes.  That's a 67% occurrence of IVDD within my pack.  That sucks.  Since we there are currently no figures I can find regarding what percentage of Cardigans have an IVDD episode, I can't find out statistically just how unlucky I am.  Of course, figuring that out would also require me to dig up notes from my stats classes, so it's probably for the best.  

In Dachshund's, however, it's estimated that between 20-30% of all dogs will have an IVDD episode.  So I'd be unlucky even if I were a Dachshund owner.  

My first dog to have problems with IVDD was Denzil.  His first episode happened around 4 years of age.  The second episode occurred about a year and a half after the first.  Thankfully, he never went fully down in the back, and we were able to treat him with steroids, pain killers, and crate rest.  

Denzil recovered from both episodes, and he was able to resume normal activity (e.g., daily walks).  His performance career, however, was pretty much curtailed.  I did not want him jumping and twisting, so agility was out.  And so was obedience -- he already had his CD, and too much jumping was required to train for Open or Utility.  We did do a bit of Rally, but Denzil then started to have secondary problems with arthritis in his stifles, so he got to retire to a slower life with my parents.

Denzil LOVED agility -- running!  jumping!  barking!  Hooray!!

My second dog with IVDD, of course, is Ziggy, and we're still on the journey.

All of this has caused me to do a lot of thinking about my chosen breed - is it still the breed for me?

For better or worse, IVDD has really disrupted my whole world and way of thinking as it relates to my dogs, performance sports with the dogs, and how I care for the pack.  

This is a large part of the reason I've not been blogging much lately.  What to say about all of this, and how to say it?  I have a few posts in mind that I'll share in the coming weeks.  Bear with me.