I have no idea how expensive it is yet. I'm going to call today and find out and book an appointment. But something amazing happened last week.... out of nowhere I got a letter from my lawyer in the mail. I opened it and there was a cheque for just over a thousand dollars from taxes I had paid for my condo before I sold! It was completely unexpected and will be put to good use with Layla.

That is wonderful Lynsey!! Layla is a very lucky little girl to have a Mommy that loves her like you do! I am just so happy that you got that money and right when you probably needed it most! See.......God looks out for us!! I truly believe that.:)

I'm believing it too Paula. I don't think it's coincidence that I came into a lump sum of money (profit from the condo) the EXACT DAY Layla needed surgery, plus this extra just now. I think it's a sign that we're supposed to be getting all this help for Layla, I think it has to do some good.

I haven't posted much lately, but wanted to let you know that I think of Layla often and I'm keeping her in my prayers.

Thank you Janet. Every prayer means so much to us!

Layla is going in for her first laser treatment on Tuesday morning at 9:00. I am excited for it! I've heard such good things about this holistic vet, so I will be happy to finally meet her.

I am so thankful that Scott said he would stay home with Layla for a few hours so I could go into the city today. I went to Walmart on the edge of town and bought groceries and flowers and some vegetable seeds for the garden! If it wasn't so rainy and miserable today I'd love to get a start on some gardening. Maybe it'll warm up before I go back to work Tuesday.

I think it is good for me to get out and get my mind on something besides taking care of Layla for a little while. This morning I brought her on the bed to do her exercises, and then I just curled up around her and cried and cried and cried, and she was ferociously licking my tears away. How backwards that she is the one comforting me.

Aww Lindsey don't cry Layla will get better you will see. I too have not been on much but think of Layla and continue to pray for her... She is just so adorable...

Lindsey, don't be sad. It sounds like Layla is still very happy and loves you!!! That's what's important!!

Didn't you talk to others who said that it took 6 weeks? Don't give up hope yet. Healing takes a while. Hugs to you, Layla, and Scott!!!!

How's Layla? Hope all is well Lynsey.:)

I tried to post a couple days ago but it didn't go through :rolleyes: So here I go again...

Layla started her laser light therapy on Tuesday, and I'm hoping it does something. They want me to bring her in every second day for a treatment, so we will be doing that next week when we have some more time. The cost is $64 per treatment, so it's still expensive but not as bad as I was expecting.

I researched it on Saturday, and they have not done studies on dogs but they have on rats. They took 20 rats and SEVERED their spinal cords. 10 of them began laser light therapy, and the others were the control group. I think one from the control group gained a little bit of movement back. All 10 from the laser group were completely back to normal within 9 weeks, not only walking as well as before, but with the same speed too. It's just completely astounding that the laser seems to be able to help nerves jump the gap in the completely severed cord. Of course, that is with treatment starting immediately, and Layla's treatment didn't start for 4 weeks after injury. But Layla's spinal cord wasn't severed either, just compressed. But we'll see and keep hoping and praying every day.

Yesterday we took her to our regular vet because she has been chewing on a front paw. While there, the vet did a whole check of her standing ability and was amazed. She told us it looks like Layla is starting to engage her core muscles and she's sure she'll be walking this summer... I know it's probably false hope but I just want to believe so badly. The specialists and surgeon will not say anything like that to us. She hasn't shown signs yet that anything is coming back except reflex muscles. I'll hear back from the rehab vet this afternoon though, so maybe she'll see some change today. She hasn't seen her since last Friday.

Every night now we do her range of motion exercises on the bed. She always used to suck on the edges of our pillows as a comfort thing, and she does that now after exercises. I just take 5 or 10 minutes to lay there with her and cuddle. I really miss snuggling with her while we sleep at night. But the safest place for her right now is her crate.

It's not false hope Linds, its REAL hope!! Hang on to it:D

You are such a good mommy Lindsey. It really sounds like Lelah is improving...maybe not as much as you'd like, but still...every little bits counts. I think of you and her often and will continue to keep her in my prayers.

I just got the call saying Layla is exactly the same as last week, no changes.

I would imagine she made so much progress last week that her body has
To take a rest this week. Don't be discouraged. I bet the vet is right, she'll be walking in no time!

Layla is still healing.......give her time!!! We're all hoping and praying for her!!! Go Layla!!! :cheer: :cheer:

I can't believe I forgot to update here!

On Friday, Layla started showing signs of "spinal walking" on the underwater treadmill! It's not real conscious walking, but moving her legs due to muscle memory. Basically it's the spinal cord in her lower back telling her legs to walk, but not the brain. There's still no sign of the spinal cord healing, but I need to be confident it will come!

At Reiki yesterday, the woman told me to visualize Layla running and walking and playing with her favorite toys in her favorite places and to send those images from my "third eye" to Layla's. She will get the images and remember what it's like to have 4 legs and will her own body to heal. She said I need to be positive ALL THE TIME, even when Layla's not around. If I talk to someone who doesn't know about Layla's problem, I can say this happened and there was damage but it's HEALING and she is getting better! I am not supposed to say there's a 50% chance or that she might not walk again. She will walk again, because she IS healing. The universe will give us what we believe :) I'm hoping so, anyway!

Thanks for the update Lindsey.. It is so hard for you, but you are doing everything possible for baby Layla.... she is improving, i know it is slow but that is how it has got to be.

She WILL GET WELL, i just know it.:)

I like the way that Reiki lady thinks!! She's right too, Layla has improved. She is going to walk again!! I am keeping the faith!!!:)

She certainly is healing! I missed the post about what the vet said about Layla walking by summer. I am thrilled for our baby girl!

I looked up spinal walking, and, until she is completely healed, she is mobile anyway!

That's the way to go Layla! Max, Annie and I are sending you tons of positive energy, and I am praying. (I don't know if dogs pray, per se).

Lol! Thank you all! Layla's stroller came today and we just got it put together. She LOVES it! I didn't think she'd like it at all, never being in a carrier before, but she settled right in, laid down, and stuck her head on the edge of the front "window" to rest :) I rolled her around the house and she was looking around eagerly. It's very smooth and even has little shock absorbers on the front wheels lol! Then I carried her up here and she's sitting beside me. It's so much easier to move her around. This is the best idea we've had!

Ok I just finish reading about poor Layla.

Just hang in there, I know it's going to be a long journey but eventually she will come around. I also think a stroller is a great idea, I'm sure she feels like a lil' Princess in there. You have to post pics of her in her stroller. :D

I will take pictures when I get time :) Maybe this weekend!

After her laser therapy yesterday, I was carrying Layla's crate out of the vet's office and across the parking lot. There was a paving crew there with a bunch of big burly guys and one of them said something to me. I stopped and said "Pardon?" and he went straight to Layla and stuck his fingers through her crate to scratch her chin and said "Oh you're such a pretty dog! Yes you are! What a pretty puppy!" LOL! Everyone who sees her loves her.

Lol, I saw Layla's pic on YT and she sure is adorable :D

I'm glad you got the stroller in Lyns! And so glad that Layla likes it. YAY!! Yeah like Jessica said...now you'll have to post pix of her in it.:p

That's funny about the construction guy lol. But what's not to love about these precious little ones. And Layla sure is a cutie pie!!!:)

Layla has got groupies!!! The stroller is such a good idea. I'm so glad she likes it.
Now you can take her for "strolls" again.

Layla's vet said yesterday she did better than Monday, but not as good as Friday with her spinal walking. She isn't showing as much movement as she did the first day! But I'm confident it will come, and that feeling will come back too.

Scott said he saw her tail wag this morning. I've seen it a couple of times before too, so I'm glad he's seeing it as well. He always seems to have an explanation for it though, she had to go to the bathroom, something touched her, whatever.... This morning he said it very cautiously and when I said "Was that when she had to go to the bathroom?" and he said "It was AFTER she had just peed and pooped, she was back in her crate, and I came around the corner towards her. It was wagging sideways" I don't want to get my hopes up yet but that's really exciting. When she has to go to the bathroom, it will sometimes wag in a circular motion or up and down, but with nothing touching her for a reflex, I don't know what else a side to side motion could be but a tail wag for joy! We just can't get it to happen consistently so it's tough to say what it is for sure.

Your such a good mommy, I think the best thing you can do for her is to keep your hopes up. I'm sure she can feel your energy.

Thank you so much. I am trying my hardest to stay positive. Layla's already changing the minds of so many people around us who told me to put her down from the start. No way, she's my little fighter. I have gone from wondering if I made the right decision with her surgery to wondering if I'm making the right decisions for her therapy because I KNOW now the surgery was the right thing to do. And I'm doing every kind of therapy I can for her! I think in the end, it will pay off.

She's snoring really deeply behind me right now and it's adorable. This morning, Scott told me he packed a sweater and a fleece blanket in her stroller "in case she gets cold because it's raining outside" and when I got to work I noticed he also threw in her little teddy bear :) What a thoughtful daddy! I took a picture of her sleeping beside it earlier this morning.

No matter the outcome, it seems like one happy family.

She looks adorable next to her teddy :D

Lindsey she is just to cute , she will have her good days and bad days.. Hopefully the good out weigh the bad...

Tail wagging sounds promising! She is just so precious with her little teddy.

I have thought about Lelah quite often and kept her in my prayers. I really think having hope and doing all that you've been doing for her will pay off in the end. You're a great Mommy Lindsey!

Thank you so much. I am finding it hard to read other peoples' stories on the IVDD dogs yahoo group I joined. For example, there was one woman who was devastated.. her dog was down for days and had no deep pain for days and the vet told her to put the dog to sleep, she had less than a 5% chance of walking again. I comforted her and said that even if she can't walk, she can be happy. After encouragement, she decided to go ahead with surgery so the dog wasn't in pain. The day after surgery the dog has feeling back and is moving her legs and tail on her own. It feels like a kick in the stomach for us. Everyone is seeming to get a miracle except us. It's hard to stay positive reading stories like that, and I usually feel like nobody really responds to my questions, concerns, or stories about Layla. It's basically a group for dachshunds so maybe that's why.

But in good news, Layla wagged her tail TWICE this morning. I tried early this morning, even gave her treats, and she was excited but there was no movement. We were sitting in the waiting room to drop her off for rehab today, and I was watching a tv while Layla was watching the people and dogs walk around us. All of a sudden I felt something against my stomach. I looked down and her tail was moving! I told Scott to look and he caught the last wag before it stopped. He asked if she was pooping, but she wasn't! She already pooped an hour earlier! A minute later she did it again for about 5 seconds! I pinched her back but she still has no sensation. I will tell her rehab vet when she calls this afternoon.

That is wonderful Lynsey that Layla is wagging her tail!! I can't wait to hear what they say about that. Stay positive. You are doing all the right things. Try not to get too discouraged. I'm still sending prayers for you guys and Layla.
She looks sooooo cute in her crate. She's happy just being near you.:) That was so sweet of Scott to put her teddy in.:)

Layla is my little rockstar. She is proving everyone wrong and I couldn't be more proud of her.

On Friday we didn't get a call from the vet all day, but when we got there to pick Layla up she was there waiting for us. She apologized for not calling but she wanted to talk in person. Layla did so well that day, she couldn't figure out the difference but there was a big difference in two days. She went from walking 4 minutes on the treadmill to 7 minutes. She had good movements in her legs on the treadmill and the exercise ball, and she has really good reflexes. She does different movements if you massage different areas of her leg, which was something cool the vet figured out! We asked about the tail wag and were told it's really exciting but for now to just chalk it up to reflex, although "Layla hasn't read the text books, so who knows!" She still had no deep pain sensation.

Today I just got a call that Layla had another really motivated walking day. She walked for 8 minutes total, 3 minutes with her back feet being placed for her, and 5 minutes TOTALLY ON HER OWN. When the treadmill stopped, Layla wandered around a little on her own too with all 4 legs walking. The vet wants us to try putting her in the bath tub and seeing if she will do any movements in there with her back legs. She still has no deep pain sensation and the same reflexes as last week, but the rehab vet and the surgeon both really want to see a tail wag and have requested that we try to get one on video for them! That makes me feel so much more hopeful than them just saying "It's probably just a reflex" and leaving it as it is. Now that they actually want to see it for themselves really gives me hope that they believe it might be something returning! And she said again what she said on Friday, "Layla hasn't read the books!" When I told Scott this, he said he forgot to tell me earlier but she wagged her tail for a full 10 seconds side to side as he was getting her food this morning! So I am going to pray and pray that we can get that on video.

Speaking of prayers, we had a very small congregation at church yesterday lol... There were 6 of us. One of the ladies did some readings and she asked me to read "The Lord is My Shepherd" and after singling me out for that, she singled out some other people asking how prayer has helped their lives. She asked Scott and he mentioned his dad having back problems and getting better, and also that our dog is sick but showing signs of getting better. Later when we went downstairs for some juice and baking, people asked more about it and we told them her story. Everyone said they'd keep her in their prayers. We drove an older woman home, who lives in the seniors complex beside our house. She told us how she was born in Serbia, lived in Germany, knows 7 languages but can't read or write, and raised 4 well educated children, and travelled the world. She lived in Ontario, but moved to Saskatchewan to be with her daughter, and said she was very very sick and "I came here to die". But, she kept praying and kept her faith and she got a lot better and she loves life. She is such a spunky and loveable woman! As she got out of my car, she told us she will try to remember to keep Layla in her prayers. It means a lot for so many people who barely know us to understand and see how deeply we care about Layla and to ask God to help us and help her.

I am so glad to hear this, Lindsay! I just know that Layla is going to walk again!

I will be going out of town soon, but will be reading this forum every day or so. Although I may not post, please do not think I am not thinking of you and Layla. I will be thinking of you, everyday and looking for more good news.

Thank you Gayle!

Lindsey, you made my day with your post! I am so sure that Layla will be walking!
God watches over all living things!

The woman you drove home sounds so interesting!

Thanks Judy! The phone call made my day! Whenever I get updates like that from the vet, my eyes fill with tears!

After work there was a knock on the door and when I answered it, it was the old woman we drove home. She brought us a jar of homemade borscht, still warm! We haven't tried it yet but it was so sweet of her to bring it over for us!

Hurray for Layla, I'm so proud of her. I can imagin how happy you must be :D

Oh and by the way, may I ask what is borscht?

What wonderful news Lynsey!!! I know you must be sooooooo happy!! The news that she walked on her own brings joy to my heart!!:) Give Layla a big kiss from her Aunt Paula!!:)