intervertebral disc disease

Joie to See Nerosurgeon Tomorrow Morning for CT Myelogram.

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_1724 1200We were off to our local vet early this morning.  Joie yelped once before I put her to bed last night, and then twice this morning. She also wouldn’t eat her breakfast. She is not herself. I knew I needed to get her in to see the vet right away.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t know Joie’s past history. I don’t know the circumstances of how she went down or how she was treated.  I’m not sure if she was actually diagnosed with IVDD at some point also. I do know that she went down in May of 2012.  I adopted her in October 2013.

After my vet examined her and given her past history, he feels since the disc issue may not have been properly taken care of when she first went down,  it is now causing pressure and pain. Meds may help, but the fact we don’t know what we are exactly dealing with, he felt it best she have a myelogram done. Meds may only mask the problem for awhile and then it could get worse, and then meds would not even help.

Since my local vet does not do myelogram’s it was suggested I call Lakeshore Vet Services, which is about 40-minutes from where I live. Just about a month ago they brought on a neorsurgeon who is well versed in disc disease. I talked with Amy who is the neorsurgeon’s assistant and we will go in for a consult and CT myelogram tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. The CT portion is a newer method that they didn’t do years ago when Frankie went down.  From what I understand, the CT myelogram is able to show more in depth slices of the spine, so hopefully we can see what exactly is going on in Joie’s spine.

She is resting comfortably now that I have her home again. Though she still is not interested in eating any food. She will have to stay overnight tomorrow as that is required since they will have to put her under to do the procedure.  I pray that all will turn out the best it possibly can for my sweet little Joie.

I know many of you who read my blog have been through this before -sometimes more than once with your little ones.  I also know having been through this in a different way with Frankie, that I can take care of Joie as we move forward. I’ll also be refreshing myself and perusing Dodgerslist website today.  As I so often talk about in my blog posts, I am doing my best to stay hopeful and know there are many blessings ahead for Joie and I. Please keep Joie in your prayers.

What Dodgerslist Means to Me – IVDD Awareness Month

Posted by Barbara Techel

This month is IVDD (Intervertebal Disc Disease) Awareness month. Along with Dodgerslist, I want to continue to give others hope that IVDD is not a death sentence. Joie was my helper in this video and I think you will see in the video toward the end that she thinks Dodgerslist is pretty cool, too. Thank you Dodgerslist for all you do to help save dogs lives!!

 

July is IVDD Awareness Month: “Through Frankie’s Eyes” at Special Price to Benefit Dodgerslist

Posted by Barbara Techel

ivdd awareness

As you may know July is IVDD Awareness Month.

On a very personal note, I’m so grateful for Dodgerslist and the peace of mind they gave me when Frankie was diagnosed with IVDD in 2006. It has become a passionate mission of mine to continue to spread the word about IVDD sharing that it is not a death sentence.

I’ve teamed up with Dodgerslist this month to help with their mission of saving lives and getting more information into the right hands so no other dogs are put to sleep needlessly. As we all know, these dogs can go on to live a happy and quality life with the right education.

Through Frankie's Eyes w award stickerFor the month of July I’m offering a special price on my new award-winning inspirational memoir about my journey with Frankie, her IVDD diagnoses, and her life in a dog wheelchair– Through Frankie’s Eyes: One woman’s journey to her authentic self and the dog on wheels who led the way. **20% of the sales of the proceeds will be donated to Dodgerslist for printing and distribution of brochures or for however they feel will be beneficial in continuing to get the word out.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!  (be sure to use this special link to order so Dodgerslist is credited for the sale)

If you’ve already purchased a copy of my book perhaps you would be consider purchasing a copy to two as gifts for family and friends. It makes a great inspirational gift!

Each copy will be autographed by me and stamped (pawtographed) with Frankie’s authentic paw print. (for more about my book click here for reviews and excerpt)

**Not only does 20% of proceeds benefit Dodgerslist, but a portion of the proceeds also benefits the Frankie Wheelchair Fund helping dogs with mobility challenges that need a dog wheelchair.  Good feeling vibes all the way around!