|
Re: Need stories of paralyzed pets for my new book
I don't know if this is the sort of thin you want but this is William's story. The story of the dog that defies the vets and recovered.
William is a beautifull show bred greyhound. He enjoyed life running in the park with his whippet friends but he did have anxiety issues that we were slowly working through. Although not a highly successfull show dog he had competed at Crufts every year and always came home with a card.
On that fateful day. They day that will haunt me for the rest of my life we had 2 whippet pups that someone had arranged to come to see. I was rushing round making sure everywere was tidy and the pups were clean. William barked to ask to go out so I put him in the garden leaving the door open so he could come back in but shut the kitchen door so he couldn't get through.
I went out of the front door to take out some rubbish. The next thing I saw wasa white flash behind me. William. Instinct told me to call him to me. He ran straight out into the road but heard me and hessitated If I hadn't called him he'd have gone straight across and the car would have missed him. Fotunatley as our house has a sloping drive the car driver saw William and had slowed right down. William was pushed down the road on his back. The car was undamaged and i told the driver everything would be ok after all it wasn't his fault.
I scooped William up in my arms how I don't know he weighed over 40kg. He could't use one front leg it was just hanging. We got him to the vets as soon as we could. Our vet was away it was his weekend off. The locum did xrays and said it was just bruising sent us away with painkillers and told us to bring him back in 4 days.
We did my vet was not happy he said he should be walking on it by then. After more xrays he told us it was radial paralysis and he'd never walk again. Amputation was the only way. We asked him to put William to sleep. He refused and said there was no rush.
I spoke to a friend of a friend who trained racing greyhounds. She told me to massage his shoulder neck and back for 10 minutes every 2 hours and also do his good side.
After 10 days we noticed that when William was having a wee he would try to put his paw down to cock his leg. After 2 weeks he was trying to use the leg. After 5 weeks he went back to the vet he was almost sound. The vet said yes he was but he may never be compleyely sound we said fine at least he had 4 legs still. After 10 weeks we took him on holiday to Great Yarmouth. He was sound although couldn't manage to walk for too long before he tired.
Now nearly 2 1/2 years later William is completely sound. The vet calls him William the wonder dog. It is more than we could ever have hoped for. William is going to be back in the ring next year.
I don't know if this is the sort of thing you want but I thought you may be intersted as it is the story of a dog who was paraylsed but recovered even though it was never expected I am just thankfull that we didn't take the vets advise and amputate straight away as we would never have known if he'd have been ok if we had have done.
|