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Nixon is lame and we don't know why
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Raleigh, NC
Member Since:
29 April 2013
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14 February 2015 - 7:53 am
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First, let me say he is showing improvement! I've written a novel here but I'm hoping someone might spot something in his symptoms that could help us pinpoint where the injury might be and what kind of supportive care and then maybe rehab might be good for him.

Sunday night, I noticed some discoloration on his front leg at the wrist.  Like there was a circulation issue and it was colder than the rest of his leg.  I put water bottle on it for 5 minutes which he really enjoyed and the color went back to normal and we were good.  He showed no signs of discomfort but his bulging forearm looked bigger than normal but it doesn't feel swollen. 

Tuesday, we celebrated 22 months post amp.  His chest xrays were clear in January.  Nixon and I left Cookie at home (after she had a 4 mile walk) and went shopping and then to McDonalds for a McDouble, plain, hold the bun.  He chased a family around Petsmart to make sure they stopped to pet him.  He really wanted their youngest to love on him and he had to charm her before she got over her fear of such a big dog.  We pee'd all over the parking lot and several storefronts which was very embarrassing when he left puddles near the entrances but this is Nixon and he doesn't understand "No" when it comes to peeing on all the things.

So Wednesday, he was fine in the morning.  I came home from seeing my horse and he bounced around the living room like a madman as always.  I work a 4 hour shift from home and when I finished up, he was lame.  Really lame. At that point, we couldn't figure out what leg it was on.  He just spread all 3 legs out as far as he could, had trouble making left turns (he's a right leg amp) and just looked like he was in obvious pain.  I didn't have any pain meds to give him but he settled in and went to sleep without incident.  In the morning he was worse and had swelling behind his scapula.  I put an ice pack on it and he actually threw himself on top of it.  I called the vet and made an evening appointment.  Going down the ramp to the backyard was impossible unaided.  By lunch time, walking was impossible without assistance.  He took me to the car and refused to leave.  Nixon knows if you feel bad, you get in the car and go to the vet.  By 7:30, standing on his own was impossible.  His front leg just kept buckling, sometimes at the wrist, sometimes at the shoulder.  Our vet appointment was at 8.  Dr. Huff did range of motion tests, checked for neurological issues, and probed everything that he could.  Nixon had some issues with his right hind leg but after his spinal cord injury in 2010, this has been an ongoing issue.  As his human, I know the delay was a little longer than normal but have seen it much worse on other dogs.  (I can only imagine what it is like to have me as a client.  I give respiration rates, pulse, temp, cap refill rate, every little pant, groan, twitch, mark bruising with a sharpie and date it, etc)

His front leg just looks off.  The veins are bulging like a weight lifter and the color does appear to be off slightly.  His elbow is red and stays that way but it has been that way for a year.  We've debated getting him an elbow guard but had not so far.     We didn't take xrays at that point and just went with Previcox and laser therapy.  I was also sent home with Gabapentin if we didn't see any improvement.    Dr. Huff didn't do an chiropractic adjustment at that time.  He said we could bring him back on Friday if we saw a huge improvement for another laser therapy.  I wasn't able to get off of work to bring him back but we did see an improvement.

Nixon is eating normally.  He stood up yesterday and this AM when he heard me open the can of dog food but was unable to walk to the kitchen.  Water intake is normal.  Since he went on the previcox, the panting has stopped.  This was about 30 seconds of panting when he would lay down.  He enjoys gentle massage and TTOUCH.  He insists on circling 3 times before he lays down.  Even when he couldn't stand without assistance, he did this!  Every few hours, he's changing sides but he is reluctant to lay down without a body pillow to support him. 

He wants to pee where he wants to pee.  He's very alert and interested in everything going on around the house.  I should mention, this is the THIRD time in his life that he's been on bed rest.  My husband and I have done lots of 24x7 care for Nixon in the years we've had him and are both good at reading him and his wants and needs.  We are well trained humans.  Most of the time, Nixon makes very good choices about his care.  When he is unsure of his mobility, he wants me to assist him.  When he wants more freedom, I'm not allowed to help and my husband has to take him.  He wants us to set up his ramp on the front porch (we have a nice 8 foot ramp for a 3 foot drop)  and to use that to potty instead of going out back.  He's actually refused to use his piddle pads and wants to go outside.  Dr. Huff wants him to rest as much as possible so going out the front door is a shorter walk than out the back.

My husband wants to xray his remaining front leg on Monday.  We have xrays to compare it to so we can see if what kind of changes there are.  I'm sure with the way he bounces around, there are going to be changes to the joints.  We're thinking this is more a tendon/ligament injury than bone but my husband just wants to be sure there is no tumor due to the history.  We're pretty sure that it is his front leg and not a rear leg issue.  He normally stands up with his front leg first and then the back.  Now he's standing up with his hind legs first and then using his stomach to pull his front up.  Of course, using new muscles is a good way to strain them.  His wrist has not been giving out and he is starting to do the hop again.  He had been leaning all the way down on the support harness and just walking and letting us support his weight.  And this morning, he stood and shook his body which is another sign of improvement.

About two weeks before Nixon was diagnosed with cancer, I was talking with a friend about paying $1800 for an MRI on Nixon (and the emotional trauma he endured) that was inconclusive and didn't help with his recovery from his spinal cord injury at all.  I said I was not going to put him through any more if his health declined.  Then he got a tumor. I wasn't planning on amputation but Nixon showed me that just waiting to die wasn't an option.  We never were expecting him to live more than 6 months after amputation.  He's going to be 12 in August.  Now the focus is really about keeping him injury free and being able to do the things he wants to do.  We've been offered doing a CT scan before and I have said no but now, I'm thinking about it if this become chronic.

I know handicapped pets and DogLeggs make various braces, wraps, and supports.  Does anyone have any experience with them?  Should we get him an elbow support even though he doesn't have a hygroma?   How do I find a really good rehab vet who understands the needs of an amputee?  The last physical therapist injured him so badly, it took 3 weeks of bed rest to recover from.  And this was at research facility.

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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14 February 2015 - 12:45 pm
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Ohhhh my gosh, I know you must be feeling so worried, I would be. And I can't blame you for feeling leery about going to rehab after what you went through. Even though you saw a practitioner at a university, who knows if they had actually graduated from the Canine Rehab Institute (best education one can get for canine rehab), and was really qualified to do that work. Sounds like they weren't.

So here are my thoughts: you've got the pain under control right now, which is great. That's the first priority. Now I think that if it were me, I would seek out another opinion from a vet with a different approach, one who combines eastern and western medicine along with canine rehab. How do you find a qualified one? Easy. Go to the Canine Rehab Institute Website and look for a provider (wait though, keep reading). Anyone with the initials CCRT or CCRP after their name is a qualified practitioner. Ideally I would want a veterinarian who also has the CCRT or CCRP qualifications. And even better is one who practices both eastern and western medicine.

I went to the Canine Rehab website and found these providers near you. I like the way their clinics sound and the vet's approach to care. See if any of these work out, there's even a mobile rehab vet in your area too, is that cool or what?

Whole Health Mobile Pet Care
Morrisville NC
Phone: 919-407-8387
Website: http://www.whol.....lthmpc.com
Elizabeth Graham Williams, DVM, CVA, CCRT

Creedmoor Road Animal Hospital
5919 Creedmoor Rd
Raleigh NC 28612
Phone: 919-783-5191
Website: http://www.cree.....spital.com
Elizabeth Jordan, DVM, CCRT

Arbor Creek Animal Hospital & Rehabilitation Clinic
4240 Sunset Lake Rd
Holly Springs NC 27540
Phone: 919-303-7880
Website: http://www.acvet.com
Rachel Blackmer, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline), CCRT

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Raleigh, NC
Member Since:
29 April 2013
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14 February 2015 - 2:16 pm
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Thank you!  Yes, his pain seems to be well managed.  He is changing beds now without assistance so that is a great sign.  I'm still making him eat and drink in bed.  Sitting up but not on his feet.

Dr. Blackmer used to be Nixon's vet.  She left the practice we went to.  She is known for her beautiful borzois and is an advocate for keeping dogs at a healthy weight and active.  Moving to PT makes sense.  We also have gone to Arbor Creek for Nixon when he had an Fibrocartilagenous embolism.  They worked miracles for him.

I've emailed Whole Health Mobile Pet Care.  We'll see how it goes.

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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14 February 2015 - 5:13 pm
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Oh pawesome, I'm glad he's feeling better and you're familiar with those vets. Let us know what happens OK? We'll be thinking of you two and hoping for more improvement.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Raleigh, NC
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29 April 2013
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16 February 2015 - 5:44 am
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Nixon is improving.  He is more independently mobile but he doesn't want to go anywhere without a person with him EXCEPT for when I come home.  Then its madness as usual.  The worst part is, I don't come into the house until they lay down and are calm.  I have no idea why they still think running laps in the living room has any benefit. 

His entire leg is slightly discolored on the outside from time to time.  I can't tell if it is due to lack of circulation or bruising.  Most of the areas that are discolored do feel inflammed.  There is a cold spot right at the center of his wrist and he likes a heat pack on that.  Nixon is extremely stoic so probing rarely leads to him being honest.  It really has to hurt before he'll let you know.  When he had his FCE, he was tested every 30 minutes for deep pain for over a day.  They grab forceps and squeeze the toes until the dog registers he feels it.  This was horrible to watch because Nixon would let them squeeze extremely hard and finally would just scream.  If you tried that with Cookie, just approaching her with the forceps would have her screaming without even touching her.

As always, my vet is aware of Nixon's condition.  I'm not sure how many other people make themselves at home like we do at the vets.  Our weather is going to be nasty for the next 2 to 3 days as we're preparing for an ice storm which will limit access to the vet if we need to go.   Snow would be nice but we might be too far south for that.  On the bright side, I do have a mobile vet across the street from me if we have an emergency.

Nixon is a diva so limited mobility doesn't drive him crazy like it would for other dogs.  He still considers himself an elite athlete and has unrealistic expectations on what his body can do but he doesn't mind extended down time.  Like I said before, this is the 3rd time we've gone through this and he is able to communicate pretty well what he wants and needs.  He is the only dog I know that will happily ride on a stretcher (with people he trusts) even when he's perfectly capable of walking himself.  Being carried doesn't stress him out unless he's at NC State and then he just hates everyone and everything. 

Norene, TN
Member Since:
21 October 2014
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16 February 2015 - 7:45 am
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Poor Nixon. And good gracious, bless your hearts!

I'm glad to read that he's doing better, but I so hate hearing about  his misery.  Greyhounds are so wonderful and gentle.

Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.

"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."

- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey

Raleigh, NC
Member Since:
29 April 2013
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16 February 2015 - 8:47 am
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One more thing, I just wanted to mention that Dr. Blackmer is more than an hour away from us in good traffic.  She can be up to 2 hours away in bad traffic. My husband and I work very unusual schedules that require us to be oncall and don't have a set end of shift.  If an emergency comes up, we have to stay with the emergency and to hell with our personal lives.  I actually had to change shifts twice before to get Nixon in to see them in 2011 but they also were the only game in town at the time.  At first I worked nights, had an hour commute home, then would pick Nixon and Cookie up and it would take about 90 minutes in traffic.  We'd walk in with minutes to spare before their drop off time ended.  Later I went to second shift and my husband had to pick them up.  There were a few times where they almost had to spend the night because traffic was so bad.   My current schedule is fixed but if he needs to go, I obviously will make it happen.  They've added a lot of new modes of passive therapy which might be a better option for Nixon.  (Cookie went to daycare while Nixon did therapy.  Cookie was extremely protective of Nixon.  This time around, she may do better going to PT or fat camp.  Poor girl is 12 lbs overweight and I don't know how to get it off her.)

I'm still waiting to hear from Whole Health Mobile Pet Care to see if they come out this far.  My husband works from home almost 100% so having in home therapy would be great but it might not be what he needs right now.  After listening to Dr. Worley in the podcast last night and reading more about the gait study, I wish I had gone with my gut and had Nixon in for PT a year ago but I wasn't sure how he would handle it emotionally.  When you can't predict the future, it is hard to determine how aggressive you need to pursue things.

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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16 February 2015 - 10:04 am
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Ohhhh my gosh it's great news that Nixon is improving. Please please please don't beat yourself up about not doing PT sooner, you are such an awesome dog mom and give soooo much to your pack and do your best. No regrets OK? Thanks for listening to the podcast, by the way.

Thank DOG Nixon is such a chill pup, it's got to make this situation more bearable for the rest of you. Plus, how the pups all take such good care of each other, well they have a very cohesive bond that will help you get through this, even the lap running in the house (which of course is fun, you silly!).

We all have our paws crossed that this week goes very, very well. I hope one of the vets works out for you, let us know and stay warm. It looks so cold out there.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

On The Road


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16 February 2015 - 10:17 am
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By the way, about Cookie, have you looked at any of the Fenzi classes being offered? In addition to the Tripawds one that's happening in April, they have lots of others that may help her take those pounds off.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Westminster, MD
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31 August 2013
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17 February 2015 - 7:56 am
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So sorry to be reading this about sweet Nixon, but sounds like he is doing better, and I hope he continues to improve and heal. I really can't be of much help with this situation but I am definitely here for support and hoping everything gets back to as normal as possible for him. Things can pop up at anytime going through this journey, and we always hope it is just a bump in the road and not something serious. With the way Nixon is acting, it sounds like he is still a very happy, active, pup, so that is a very good thing.

Keeping you in my thoughts, and keep us updated on your boy....
Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly

Raleigh, NC
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29 April 2013
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18 February 2015 - 7:57 am
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Thanks Bonnie.  He is doing better each day.  We're iced in still probably for another couple of days so it is helping us stay home and be quiet. 

I have heard back from the mobile vets.  They are out of town this week at a conference but are able to drive out this far.  So we'll at least get an evaluation from them in the comfort of his home.  If they think he needs more than what they can do, they'll send us on to Dr. Blackmer.  That will take a little longer as we'll have to discuss why Nixon isn't vaccinated anymore for most things.  Rabies and lepto is all he gets.  Lepto is on the rise here and we live by a river so our backyard often has standing water and lots of wildlife. They do accept titer tests so we may have to have blood drawn.

Yes, I have been looking at the Fenzi classes for Cookie too. Canine conditioning and nosework.  We'll do the nosework class next round because I'm sure both dogs will enjoy that.

On The Road


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18 February 2015 - 11:43 am
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Oh yay for him feeling better and for the mobile vet! Please let us know what they say once they make it out. That practice (Whole Health, right?) is holistic-minded so I'm going to bet they'll click with Nixon and you and understand about titers and all that.

Keep warm, it sure looks soooo cold out there! Give those pups smooches from us.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Raleigh, NC
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28 February 2015 - 7:08 am
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We have been trapped at home more often than not the past two weeks with all the snow and ice we've been getting.  Its encouraged Nixon to take it easy.  He's doing well and moving completely under his own power.  Although there is a call for possible snow this week, there is a strong possibility that he'll get to see the physical therapist finally.  Being 11 going on 12 and even for an athlete, his body awareness has never been the best, staying mobile and accident free is very important to us now. 

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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28 February 2015 - 9:27 am
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Thanks for checking in Ingrid! Glad to hear things are good...well, except for the #$*&$# snow and consistently zero temperatures!!

Nixon is such a wonderful fella! He just deals with whatever comes his way...and with such grace! Old age is not for sissys, but dogs show us how to just continuously adjust, accept it, work with it, and wag the whole time!

Sending love and warnth!

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

On The Road


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28 February 2015 - 2:46 pm
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Ditto, it is really great to hear that he's moving around better. What a champ!

I hope that weather eases up this week, you all must be going batty. Keep us posted.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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