Post by Dave on Jun 25, 2013 14:56:53 GMT -5
Gotta love those special needs dogs...
As most of you know, Rocky is afflicted with ataxia of some type, and it has been gradually affecting him more, mostly in his gait and balance. Combined with his 110 mph attitude (he can't seem to moderate his enthusiasm) I worry all the time about injury, especially his spine and his leg joints. I know one day he's going to blow a cruciate or need some kind of joint surgery.
This past weekend he started walking funny, like sideways a little, maybe like crabbing. I watched him all day Saturday, and by Sunday it was so bad he couldn't make forward motion in a straight line, and he kept trying to sit while he walked. I was sure this was some kind beginning of end of his ability to walk on his own, and visions of wheeled carts started flashing in my head. I started freaking.
Backtracking... Friday evening I put a bandana collar on Rocky that I found while I was going through the collar drawer. It's a Harley Davidson head band I made into a collar years ago for one of my other dogs long gone. He looked great so I left it on him. Sunday when I began examining him I removed it, pulling it over his head, and he shivered. He has a sensitive neck; if you scratch it, he tries to scratch himself. So I started scratching his neck and he went nuts, falling down, grimacing, trying to scratch. A light bulb went off over my head.
Apparently the collar was the cause of his current condition. It was irritating his sweet spot just enough for him to notice, but not enough to make him try to scratch it. Sure enough, without it he went back to his normal goofiness. Kind of funny when you think about it.
It's always something.
As most of you know, Rocky is afflicted with ataxia of some type, and it has been gradually affecting him more, mostly in his gait and balance. Combined with his 110 mph attitude (he can't seem to moderate his enthusiasm) I worry all the time about injury, especially his spine and his leg joints. I know one day he's going to blow a cruciate or need some kind of joint surgery.
This past weekend he started walking funny, like sideways a little, maybe like crabbing. I watched him all day Saturday, and by Sunday it was so bad he couldn't make forward motion in a straight line, and he kept trying to sit while he walked. I was sure this was some kind beginning of end of his ability to walk on his own, and visions of wheeled carts started flashing in my head. I started freaking.
Backtracking... Friday evening I put a bandana collar on Rocky that I found while I was going through the collar drawer. It's a Harley Davidson head band I made into a collar years ago for one of my other dogs long gone. He looked great so I left it on him. Sunday when I began examining him I removed it, pulling it over his head, and he shivered. He has a sensitive neck; if you scratch it, he tries to scratch himself. So I started scratching his neck and he went nuts, falling down, grimacing, trying to scratch. A light bulb went off over my head.
Apparently the collar was the cause of his current condition. It was irritating his sweet spot just enough for him to notice, but not enough to make him try to scratch it. Sure enough, without it he went back to his normal goofiness. Kind of funny when you think about it.
It's always something.