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On this day two years ago Prince was diagnosed with seven slipped discs. He was given a life expectancy of two months to two years. So today he smashes past that, and has proven what an amazing dog he is.
Two years ago was a tough time for him. Firstly he lost his mum, Storm, to cancer. They adored each other, and he was just beginning to settle down after her death when his back issues began with his back legs giving way. Even now there is no way of really knowing what caused it.
The local vets suspected a slipped disc, but the only way of finding out exactly what was going on was for him to have an MRI scan, which meant taking him down to Fitzpatrick Referrals otherwise known as the Supervet from the television programme. We definitely weren’t expecting to be told it was seven slipped discs! It was shattering news…
We were presented with two options. Firstly an operation, which would mean inserting a plate into his back. The vet there was prepared to do the complex operation, but said that Prince was borderline and right at the upper limit of had had been done before. It would mean three months crated rest, and a changed dog afterwards with no jumping on chairs and beds, or running up and down stairs. The second option was to manage the condition. This also would mean no jumping or stairs etc, and ultimately over time his condition would deteriorate, and hence the two months to two years prognosis.
Myself and Michele spent a couple of weeks trying to work out what to do, and most importantly what was best for Prince. Ultimately we decided that for a dog of his age it would not be fair on him to put him through the operation, knowing that it might not be a success, and the change and quality of life he would have. The aim was to make his time as happy and for as long as possible. Two years we are still going strong.
The decision to manage the condition was a big one for all involved. One of the first things was to buy a big crate for Prince, as there would be times when he would needed to be crated. He now loves the crate especially these days as its never locked, so it’s somewhere he enjoys spending time in. The upstairs was to become out of bounds to Prince. A stair gate would prevent him from going up the stairs and doing himself any harm, but Prince had always slept in my bed up stairs. The only thing for it was to move my bedroom down to the living room, which is where it has remained for two years. I never thought I would capable of doing that especially over a long period of time, but it’s been fine and I got used to it pretty quickly. A ramp was fitted across the bottom of the stairs into the dining room which makes it easy for Prince to move between the living room and the dining room. Lifting Prince in and out of the car has become an everyday norm. Thankfully his K9 harness has a handle, which makes lifting him and keeping his back stable a lot more easy. Long walks went as well, as did his walks on concrete and hard surfaces. Prince had little idea of where he was putting his back legs, and a common problem is scuffing and cutting feet, which Prince did go through at the beginning, but with daily exercises he has learned to cope really well, and he is currently walking really well without scuffing.
It has very much been a massive learning curve, and when something works stick with it, and when things have gone wrong, work out why and how to prevent it in the future. He has physio every three weeks with ultrasound treatment, which has been a big help. Michele’s mum is in charge of massaging his neck and back, which he looks forward to. More recently he has been having CBD oil, and this has helped hugely with reducing the inflammation around his spine making him a lot more comfortable. Touch wood he is doing amazingly well, and now moves into territory of defying the odds. He is a very happy dog, and is eating better than ever, which has also been a bit of a mission to achieve as he has never been food oriented. There is of course no room for complacency and everything that has helped get him to this point remains in place. Each day over the last two years has been a bonus, and I certainly appreciate every day that he is still here. So well done Prince in smashing through the two year anniversary and ripping up the statistics to still be here now in such great shape. It could all change tomorrow, but I am hoping we have a few more years fingers crossed.
