We hope this helps other dogs and their guardians with other alternatives to back surgery or...the worst case scenario...
You see, I have no idea what happened to Scully in his early months but I can tell you that when I first got him, big dogs ADORED him...they thought he was a puppy...They never played rough with him, but naturally, being larger dogs, they had the advantage. I didn't know that just by playing with larger dogs, Scully would get rolled around a bit...He always got right up but that may not have helped him...We don't know...I DO know that sometime in 2004, we got a new landlord that had a pitbull pup...As she grew, she got stronger...One day, he pulled up in the driveway with his dog and let her out of the car before I could scoop Scully up in my arms...She went after him and rolled him over and over again like a rag doll! He did NOTHING to stop her..I grabbed Scullly as fast as I could but a fe days later, he screamed in pain and could barely walk...A trip to the vet showed 4 discs screwed up...there was no relief for him...His screams when he tried to move were heart-wrenching...People wanted me to put him down...but we tried a combination of Prednisone, Tramadol ( a pain med) and Methocarbamol (muscle relaxer)....It helped...He was drugged for awhile...the swelling went down...He even got magnetic therapy..still sleeps on a magnet...Seven weeks later he was running in the park- pain free.
We changed apartments in the Fall of 2005...It was November and we were walking in the park...The dogs were running free because there was no one there...Scully was just walking along, enjoying the sun. Dovi saw him from ACROSS the field and RAN after him as fast as he could...I tried to run after him but Dovi rammed him and I heard him hit Scully's jaw. Both dogs went flying backwards, so great was the impact.
Yep...less than 30 minutes later, our very valiant Scully was screaming in pain...We went through the same treatment...but it was colder now...the dampness wasn't helping...He stayed sedated so he wouldn't walk...this time he wasn't getting better...Again, e3veryone told me to put him down...But I kept making eye contact with him...trying top nderstand him..If only they could talk...I thought about many times I woke up with a stiff neck or pulled muscles...I wanted to scream but I knew better..He didn't know better. He just knew he hurt. I knew it wasn't time to put him down...In spite of his pain, he wasn't ready to be put out of his misery. My friend got a piece of egg-crate mattress and put it in his bed...like an orthopedic bed.
He stopped crying immediately. After all that and everyone, including the vet who told me he needed $3,000.00 worth of surgery that might cripple him so I should consider the alternative-- EVERYONE told me to put him to sleep and a piece of $10 dollar egg-crate foam made him better!!
Most of us have back pains, stiff necks, etc at one time or another in our lives...Aren't you GLAD nobody is putting you to sleep without your consent??? I AM SO GRATEFUL I DIDN'T PUT HIM TO SLEEP and SO IS HE!! Now when he has back pain...has trouble walking...I fix his bed...re-arrange the egg-crate...He's got a few layers...so depending on your dog...try the egg-crate first...Actually, I bought it at Target...it has little points on it...He's on 3 layers...if it's too high, it's just as bad...Adjust it to your dog's size and comfort...He'll let you know...and you'll have many more years with your Best Friend!
I've got my Scully Boy and Dovi....We wouldn't have these beautiful photos of him if I'd given in...He's never given up on me...I will NEVER give up on him!
We hope and pray this blog saves other dogs from an early "forever sleep." After all, we speak for those who can't speak for themselves. ~Jenny, Scully and Dovi
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