Layla

[Blueyes]

Oh Lindsey, this is so encouraging!! Maybe you can just document when it wags and for how long

[Lindsey]

I have said since the start I was going to keep a journal of her recovery but haven't gotten around to that yet I have pretty good records of it on here and YT though!

[Lindsey]

Layla had a fantastic day! She was the strongest the vet has ever seen her on the exercise ball and she got a lot of good movement. She walked on the underwater treadmill for 8 minutes, a new record! And she also did some sling walking, and finished with some acupuncture. She was really motivated and energetic today.

Yesterday she didn't pee for 10 hours! I kept trying to express and couldn't get anything and it was so frustrated. When I took her to the vet for laser, I asked the tech to try expressing her. After the 5 minute laser session, she tried and couldn't get her expressed either. So she called the vet in, and she tried for a few minutes and said she couldn't feel the bladder at all, so maybe she just hadn't drank much. That extra 10 minutes of time pushed our therapy session from the regular $22 to $53! I was shocked. I won't ask them for help again if they're going to charge me like that for it, when they didn't even accomplish anything anyway! I successfully expressed her a couple of hours later.

We're getting back to our normal life now. She is still in her crate most of the time, but the last couple of nights I've let her lay on the couch with me and suck on a pillow (her favorite pasttime!) and last night we even napped together. My heart isn't broken anymore. I am finding it hard to work today so I've spent most of my time researching carts for her. I think we will order one next month.

[judy]

I am so glad you are not heartbroken anymore Linds. Layla is such a wonderful dog, and you and Scott have taken such good care of her. You all have each other! As long as she is happy, what else matters?

What does it mean that she can walk on the treadmill underwater?

[Lindsey]

Judy, when Layla walks underwater, she is doing what is called spinal walking. This movement isn't controlled by the brain, but the muscles in charge of reflex remembering that when the front legs move in a walking motion, they used to move in a walking motion too, so it's a jerky kind of motion based on muscle memory. It's basically reflexive walking. She doesn't have the strength yet to hold her weight long while moving on ground, but the water is great because she stays afloat with her life jacket and they can work on just the movements of her legs instead of also holding her weight. I'm sure that eventually she can do it out of water too

Here is a video of another dog named Cricket, who is a yorkie cross owned by a lady I met on another forum for handicapped pets. She was told Cricket would never walk again, but he now spinal walks, and does very well at it!

You Tube

[judy]

That's amazing! I hope Layla does get her full responses back, but if not, and she can do this spinal walking, she will be just fine! She can still run around and play.
I would imagine you would still have to express her urine, but that's not the end of the world either.

[DianaB]

I hope Layla is back to herself soon but, you know, this dog in the video looks very happy and playful.....and definitely not in pain. Not exactly what you want but definitely something that you could live with!!

[Lindsey]

Layla is happy and not in pain, so we are glad about that! On Monday, she was put on the underwater treadmill, and started walking on all 4 legs with no help! It was the best day she's had yet! Usually she has her feet placed for her for about 3 minutes before she takes over. This time she started and walked for 7 minutes!

Today while she's at the hospital getting rehab, she will also have a couple of lumps aspirated. Please say an extra little prayer for her today. I hope the lumps are nothing but we want to make sure anyway! The rehab vet actually brought it up and thought it was something we should do.

Before we pick her up today we will stop at Petsmart and buy a little plastic pool for her. She likes being able to walk around on her own and the water gives her that freedom, so the vet thought it would be great to have at home

[paula1961]

I will say an extra prayer for Layla today. I hope the lumps are nothing. Are they going to test them? Did they say what they "think" it could be?
I'm so very happy that Layla is able to walk on her own even if it is for a few minutes. She sure is an inspiration to us all! I hope she enjoys her pool Lynsey! You will have to post pix of her in it.

[Lindsey]

I will for sure! Maybe I can even get some video

They haven't said anything about the lumps, just that they would like to aspirate and test them. I did bring them up to our vet in our town and she said they're probably just cysts that all dogs get. I'm glad the other vet thought we should look at them more closely though. The one on her neck has gotten quite big.

[judy]

I will pray for her. Did you get the results of your tests back yet?

[Janet]

Sorry I haven't post much here Lindsey. I have kept up reading about Layla's progress and continue to keep her in my prayers. I'm just not always sure what to say that could be very comforting. I am thrilled with the news that she started walking on her own on the underwater treadmill...that's great news. Hopefully soon...she'll be back to her normal self....we pray so anyway.

[DianaB]

It sounds like Layla's doing very well. I would think that exercising in the water at home would be very helpful. I hope the cysts end up being nothing to worry about.

[Lindsey]

Judy, I haven't gotten my test result back yet. I guess that means that it was nothing to worry about and my doctor will probably just talk to me about it at my next appointment in September.

Layla is doing so well now. Yesterday she didn't need help walking again. Her vet brought her out for us and told us that she has been just so motivated lately. She took video of her on the treadmill and on the exercise ball... she said Layla is the only dog she's had who has so much movement in her hip flexors on the exercise ball so that's really exciting! So her vet is getting video of that to document it.

I asked if we could see a video of her walking, since we don't see that at home and it's kind of not real to us yet. I know she's doing it every day, but I don't know what it looks like or anything. So she said "Well why don't you just come in for a rehab session with her?" and that's what we're going to do on Tuesday afternoon! I'm so excited to see her moving again!

I just want to share something that I think is so cute. For the past few weeks, when Layla runs out of water in her bowl, she will flip it upside down so we know. If we just glance at her from across the room, we know she needs water if her water bowl is upside-down. It just made me giggle because I was talking with a designer while she was eating her kibble, and when I turned around to check on her before continuing with work, her bowl was upside down and she was sitting there beside it, patiently waiting with a "please, mom?" look in her eyes. I just love her to peices!

[DianaB]

Layla sounds like such a sweet and patient little dog!!!