Paralyzed Dogs Can Recover

Sadie's Story
Don't be heartbroken if you have a paralyzed dog. The future may look hopeless; you may be in tears, and your pet may be in pain; but there is hope. Let me share Sadie’s story because it’s a great example of what’s possible when a family doesn’t quit believing that their paralyzed pet can recover.

Sadie is a beautiful blonde 8-year old Akita-Lab mix that developed sudden paralysis May 18th. When I met her,Sadie was unable to move anything but her head. She was unable to urinate and unable to defecate. She couldn’t take a drink of water or eat a bite of food unless she was rolled onto her sternum and held so the bowl was directly under her mouth.

A few days earlier, a neurologist had told Stacy and Avi, Sadie’s guardians, that Sadie needed an MRI to establish what had happened to her spine. You can imagine the sinking feeling they had when told they needed several thousand dollars for tests. To make matters worse, Stacy and Avi had booked nonrefundable tickets for a trip out of the country. The flight was leaving in 5 days.

Making the decisions that helped Sadie
Stacy and Avi decided that rather than invest in an MRI, they would invest in acupuncture and homeopathic therapy. Stacy asked for my help and we created a treatment plan. Stacy had elicited a friend’s help for the period they would be away; and Abe, Stacy and I refined the plan so it would work in their absence. Then, Stacy set to work changing Sadie’s diet to home-cooked meats and vegetables rather than canned food or kibble.

Our plan included the best of allopathic and holistic medicine. Sadie would receive a house call every few days. During the house call, I would acupuncture Sadie and give her homeopathic medications. Between visits, the family would moxa specific acupuncture points. Sadie would be turned every few hours. Three times a day, she would be carried outside and her bladder would be manually emptied. Her bowls were manually emptied until she was able to defecate on her own. We added flax to her diet to increase the bulk in her feces and get her stimulated to defecate as soon as possible.

The challenges of wet bedding and shedding
Sadie had been an outdoor dog with the thick Akita coat but she couldn't be left outside where, paralyzed, she couldn't protect herself from flies, rain, wind, or sun. Sadie was moved indoors where she shed up a storm.

Loose hairs were not the only housekeeping challenge, because within days Sadie became incontinent and leaked urine. Her bedding need to be changed, washed & dried multiple times during the day. The family bought potty pads by the car load.

Handling the health problems
During her illness, Sadie lost muscle mass. Her weight went from 80 pounds to 70 pounds, and by the time she quit losing weight, she was probably nearer to 60 pounds. Her limbs stiffened. Her bony joints rubbed on the bedding and it looked as though she might develop bed sores. We handled these problems by feeding Sadie more often, frequently massaging and moving her limbs through full range of motion, and positioning her elbows and ankles to prevent skin breakdown. Sadie received bed baths to keep urine from scalding her skin. We continued with acupuncture. We used injectable and oral homeopathics. We added a Chinese herbal formula, Minor Invigorate the Collaterals.

Baby steps
By the first of June, about two weeks after she became paralyzed, Sadie was standing on her own. Stacy & Avi were in Israel and couldn't see Sadie's first steps to recovery. Abe wasn't sure Stacy & Avi believed what he was seeing when he discussed Sadie during their phone conversations. Abe had seen Sadie stumble outside to urinate and, indeed, her bed was no longer wet. Abe also believed Sadie had climbed down one flight of stairs and back up. Abe wisely blocked off the stairs because Sadie was neither strong nor coordinated, and she could easily hurt herself with a missed step.

More problems
Sadie developed diarrhea and we changed her diet. Abe fed her small frequent meals of broth, rice and chicken. We continued acupuncture, homeopathy, and the range of motion exercises. We kept the stairs blocked off but let Sadie spend more time outside. We made sure no flies had laid eggs on her coat as she slept and no maggots were able to penetrate her skin. Maggots are a living hell for many paralyzed animals.

Stacy & Avi return to a stiff, mobile, elated Sadie
Four weeks after having been too paralyzed to pee, poop, or move, Sadie had full control of her bodily functions and was able to walk reasonably well. Stacy & Avi returned to find a stiff, but mobile dog.

At that time, only one of Stacy's legs actually received messages from the brain that let her know where it was in space (proprioceptive placing), but Sadie was able to stand to urinate, defecate, and eat. Her skin was intact. She had not developed bladder infections or skin infections. Her appetite was great and she could begin rebuilding lost muscle mass.

The strength to climb 3 flights of stairs
We were all thrilled, but there was work to do because Sadie lived 3 flights up from street level and our goal was for Sadie to be able to run in the woods. Sadie would need to climb the stairs under her own power. Over the next few weeks, with her beloved family at home, Sadie grew increasingly stronger, and 10 weeks after Sadie became paralyzed, I got this note:

“I wanted to let you know that Sadie is doing very well. She is now able to go up and down the stairs to walk in the woods twice a day. She is loving it. She also is running a bit like a trot and she has a huge smile on her face. I have been giving her the herbs 2x a day - I think it is helping with her energy and vitality. Thank you for all your support. Avi's youngest son said the other day "Sadie's back!" that was a joy to hear. Love, Stacy"

Pray & don't lose hope
If you have a paralyzed dog, be like Stacy & Avi, don't lose hope. We do not have miracles for paralysis, but we do have the great traditions of Chinese & Western medicine. And, we have the prayer, “May the best that can happen, happen. Amen.”

What's coming?
Over the next few Caring for Pet blog entries, let's discuss the acupuncture techniques, homeopathy, herbs and attitudes that helped Sadie overcome paralysis.