Adjusting Carts is Not A One Person Job

After throwing my back out last week I finally felt good enough to try adjusting Bonnie's "FCE Cart" to fit Carl.  Getting Carl into the cart was a challenge as he didn't need to front extension, but I needed to see if the cart would even be an option ... General consensus - the cart should work, if I can alter it, hold Carl still, and take photos at the same time .. LOL!!  

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Tonight I changed the cart back to the original setup.  I got Carl in easily but the set up is still very wrong.  I think the front harness needs to be higher on his shoulder, the cart may need to be longer (his back is very curved, which is exactly what we don't want), and potentially a bit higher (his legs seem very flexed). 

Photos have been sent to Doggon Wheels and hopefully we'll hear something in the next day or so.

It's Official, Carl Flunked Out of the Trial ....

Dr Olby told me today that Carl has shown no change during the start of the trial so has withdrawn him :-(  She can script out the drug that may have caused him to wag his tail a bit and has suggested that I try it for a couple of months to see if there are any changes in the longer term.  If we do, then she can re-enroll him in the trial.

Now ... I have Carl home and I am seeing some significant differences.  Carl is "standing" a lot more, and it seems to me more than just weight shifting, or at least is different to what I have seen before.  I am also seeing a lot of twitching/trembling in his hindlimbs, also something "new".  This could all be a result of his 4 day stay at the vet school, but I don't know that it isn't something more ....

Carl is really pleased to be home, currently sleeping at my feet - sleep being something he did not get much of at the vet school!

Disappointing Day

I had such high hopes for the drug trial, but today I was told that the researchers had seen no movement/improvement at all.  There is one drug left to try, but it doesn't look like Carl is responding which will mean he will not be in the rest of the trial...

I am slightly concerned as all other dogs in the trial have responded.  I wonder if it is because Carl had a tumor and not a disk injury?  What if it is because there is still something actively happening in Carl's spine that we just are not aware of because he is already paralyzed?

Recheck radiographs have been scheduled for May to check for ongoing changes.

Preparing for Carl's Big Day

Tomorrow Carl goes to NC State to participate in the 4-AP and T-BOC trial. I hope that we will see an improvement in Carl's neurological status including bladder control.

In preparation for Carl's big day, tonight he got a bath. Being down and not able to urinate himself we have a lot of problems with bad aiming when I express him and reflexive urinating (all over his legs and chest)when he gets excited. Cleaning with baby wipes just doesn't do the trick which is a shame because it is not easy getting a large, paralyzed dog into a jacuzzi bath!

Rehabilitation Evaluation

Yesterday Carl went for his Rehab evaluation. It went much as expected. Carl has good forelimb musculature, but very atrophied gluteal, quadriceps and hamstring muscles. The initial plan is to work on his core strength and try to build up his hindlimb muscles. I have some exercises to try at home and will be buying a NMES unit to help get his muscles firing. We're also going to put him in an underwater treadmill to see if he will move his legs.

Will Carl ever walk again ... the general consensus is no. The aim of rehab is to give Carl the best chance possible, and who knows, we may well see a miracle .... My initial goal is to help Carl stand for longer periods making it easier to get him in and out of his cart, keep him clean and minimise trauma to his feet.

Neurology Appointment

This week has seen Carl's evaluation with the neurology team at NC State vet school. The findings were not unexpected, but also not what I was hoping for.

Carl is now totally paralyzed from his L3 vertebra down. There is no way to tell if this occurred immediately after surgery or if he did improve for a while then start to deteriorate again.

Radiographs show that his L3 vertebra is very abnormal. This is puzzling to the neurologists, radiologists and oncologists. The lesion in the vertebra is very aggressive but is confined to just the one vertebra. If it were cancerous it should have spread (although it may be a low grade plasma cell tumor which would grow very slowly), and if it were osteomyelitis then it shouldn't have resolved without Carl receiving antibiotics ....

On physical exam it was determined that Carl as no conscious movement nor deep pain in his hindlimbs. Reported movements and ability to urinate were likely simple reflexes and urinary overflow from a full bladder. Carl also has a skin infection and is a bit painful at his affected vertebra.

The plan .... I now express Carl's bladder three times a day which has made a huge difference (no more dribbling), have him on antibiotics for his skin, and Gabapentin for his discomfort. The most exciting part is that Carl will be enrolled in a clinical trial at NC State. It is for dogs with long term paralysis and involves giving two experimental drugs to see their effect on bladder and hindlimb function. For more information visit: