Ruby’s in jail, with limited time out of the pen for the next month and no one around here is very happy about it.

My dog Ruby hasn’t been feeling well and it’s been a stressful and upsetting couple of weeks for us both. 

Those who don’t have a much-loved pet will likely think, “it’s just a dog!” But those who consider their pet their best buddy (read: fur baby) in the world will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Anyone who knows Ruby can attest that she’s a boisterous and active dog.  She can jump into my boyfriend’s truck, no problem.  She greets everyone like they’re the most amazing person in the world.  Basically, she acts more like a one year old than a five year old.

The signs were gradual.  She yelped a few times when I picked her up, and again when she was rolling around on the grass.  Such a sad little sound!  Then, she became lethargic, reluctant to jump up on her favourite chair in my office.  I thought it was the heat.

The next day, she was hesitant when trying to cross the threshold, which isn’t much of step. And, she didn’t want to bend her neck to pick up a treat that had fallen on the floor. Clearly, something was very wrong.

After two visits to the vet and x-rays, we were sent off to a neurologist. I didn’t even know such a specialty for dogs existed.  (The doctors and staff at Canada West are great.)

Being a good girl at the neurologist’s

Unfortunately, her x-rays were inconclusive.  She may have injured herself or she has IVDD, intervertebral disc disease, a problem common to dogs with long torsos and short legs.  IVDD can lead to paralysis of the back legs and can require surgery.  You know those little Dachshunds you see on wheels? That’s probably what’s happened to them.

The neurologist suggested an MRI for an accurate diagnosis.  It costs $2000.  Or, we can put her on crate rest for weeks and see if she gets better.  We’re going with option B for now.

Bummed

Ruby is not a crate dog. She’s had full run of the house and yes, has been sleeping on my bed for years.  (If you had a real live teddy you’d probably sleep with it too.) So this is all a little traumatic for her. She looks at me with those big brown eyes and wonders what she’s done wrong. 

The princess in bed

So it’s incarceration for at least two weeks. Then limited parole. But no running or jumping for a total of 4-6 weeks. And after that, no more jumping into the truck, onto the furniture or running up the stairs.  All this likely exacerbated the problem.  Talk about a bummer of a summer.  But if it makes her feel better, and saves me $2000, not to mention the cost of surgery should her condition deteriorate, I’m in.

Does your dog have IVDD? If so, would love to hear from you, all advice appreciated!

No walkies for a while…