Emergency spinal surgery (dog)
Any one else here have to deal with this? We've approached week one of recovery (still paraplegic, but can pee and reacts to stimulus but no use of legs. Tonights the first night of no sedatives, sleeping so far...) Despite being expensive, heartbreaking, stressful etc... I'm wondering what to expect. I know a couple people who have had similar experiences, but the healing time was always longer than the original estimate, and came with subtle personality changes.
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We're managing, just have to make some sacrifices - unless there are a lot more expenses coming. I've looked for charities for spinal injuries and have not found any, but would love to donate to one once my savings are above zero!
(our dog is a Chihuahua) .
Dogs are all different just like people. It may take longer than the estimated time or it may be shorter or it may be right in the ball park. I think you're just overwhelming yourself with a situation that is already stressful enough worrying about details that you can't do a blessed thing about... it'll take however long it takes. Don't think about that. Rejoice that he's had the surgery and every day is a tiny little milestone of improvement. Think positive. He's already made pretty darn good improvement in a week's time, so concentrate on how well he's doing already rather than worrying over whether or not he's improving fast enough for your taste. Always keep a clear picture in your mind of how much better he'll be than before the surgery at the end of the recovery period however long it ends up being. Plaguing your mind with what-if's while not seeing the improvement that's already happening is just a bad recipe in a situation that is already complicated and stressful as it is. Just wipe all that negativity from your mind. It's bad for you and bad for the dog that does nothing but make the situation worse for both of you. Eventually, he'll be much better than he was before the surgery, so concentrate on and rejoice in that. You'll feel ever so much better about what you're dealing with, and the dog will pick up on that... they don't like it when we're upset and stressed and feed off of it in how THEY feel, and that's not going to help him improve faster. In order for him to be relaxed and positive so he can heal well and faster, YOU have to feel relaxed and positive first so it channels to the dog.
Seriously, flush all this negativity. Take a few deep breaths and do something that you find helps your stress whether it's exercise or reading a good book or taking a bubble bath or whatever. Your dog needs you to do this if you don't feel you can do it for your own self, but your really do need to do it for your own self.
Hang in there. It'll take however long it takes, and that's that. Just accept it and live in the here and now and think and move forward in a relaxed and positive light. Take each day separately as it comes and every day think of something that was an improvement no matter how slight, and stop thinking and worrying over tomorrow. Write these improvements down every day if it helps and re-read the list to help reaffirm positivity.
I've always had a real problem with negative thoughts... part of my evil anxiety issues. What really helps me though it sounds silly is go into your bathroom, stand in front of the potty, mash all your negativity into a ball, drop it in, flush, and wave goodbye to it. Go through all the silly motions. Then when you walk out that bathroom door keep telling yourself that it was all taken out of you and flushed away and immediately start thinking positive thoughts. ANY positive thoughts just to get you working on relearning how to think positively. The first time I did this I felt like a total nut, but it really works. It sounds ridiculous, but it actually works. It's not instantaneous and you're forever cured, but it really does set you on the right path to being more relaxed and positive... and that first step is always the hardest one to take. That's what it does... forces you to take that first step and it's all easier from there. I'm not kidding, it works.
Both you and the dog can do this, it's just going to take however long it takes. Everything will work out well in the end. You'll see. Now get into your bathroom and get flushing.
Here's our dogs 
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dog when he hurt his back (much like yours, by jumping off the couch.)
I wasn't at all a believer in acupuncture prior to that experience but it turned out the veterinary acupuncturist the vet recommended was someone I already knew, so we gave it a try. Truly amazing results. He went from barely able to move to walking pretty comfortably after the first treatment. After three treatments, he was back to his frisky self.
We did this instead of the exploratory surgery which the vet said was our only other option and he (the dog not the vet )went on to live many, many happy pain-free years after that. Near the end of his life, we used acupuncture again to give him some relief from the complications of renal failure.
