2nd Opinions from OSU (Oklahoma State)

I'm making plans for a 2nd opinion towards the end of the month when Claire's crate rest is complete.

The vet out here in Los Angeles is absurdly expensive. Our surgery (hemilaminectomy) is estimated at nearly $6,000 and that did not include the $2,000 MRI that was done to diagnose in June. I'm looking at other options without sacrificing quality.

If you're interested, I've posted the surgery estimate on Claire's blog at
http://sponsorclaire.blogspot.com/2011/07/claires-surgery-estimate.html

I also have Claire's MRI films on a disc to take with me, along with her records.

I've searched the Dodgerslist database, but didn't find any info, so I was wondering what type of experience folks have had with the vet school/hospital at OSU (Oklahoma State University). I have a friend in Stillwater and another with airline miles to burn and am considering flying Claire out there for evaluation and surgery if warranted. I'm hoping a teaching hospital will serve us better, and I've seen/heard stories of OSU being on the forefront of IVDD treatment.

I just spoke for a half hour or so with a Dr. Moorer at OSU, a second year surgical candidate, who ran over the kinds of treatments they specialize in there. He encouraged me to pursue physical therapy till Claire is stabilized for a month or so following the crate rest, then consider Laser Disc Ablation as a preventative measure. So much to think about!

Any feedback? Please post comments on the blog or email me directly.

A Second Treatment & a Second Opinion

Claire had her second Laser Therapy Treatment today. I'm still reserving judgement until she's had a few of them. The vet clinic had an emergency so we were waiting a bit before they took her back, and Claire was highly entertained. The check-in counter height is just the right level to contain her, so we just hung out there and people watched. She visited with at least ten clients and staff. I can tell the crate rest is boring her now, but there's not much we can do about it. Since she broke a tooth on a Nylabone, I can't even offer her chew toys.

On the Claire News front today, Dr. Gorgi's hospital will not set up an account receivable to accept donations for Claire. They gave no reason, other than when they sent it up the chain to the Hospital Regional Manager, saying that there were implications in taking credit cards over the phone. Most foundations like to award grants directly to the vets as well, rather than to an individual, and I doubt they'll be cooperative there either. So they've pretty much ruled out my treating her there.

I did more research on IVDD and when surgery is warranted by reading here. I looked into UC Davis today as I've heard great things about them. Turns out they have a San Diego branch, so I reached out to them, but they don't handle neurology. Davis is 8 or 9 hours from my home, so I haven't decided to take her there yet--I'm just continuing crate rest and conservative treatment for now and will evaluate once that is over, but I'm keeping Davis in the back of my head for a second opinion if or when surgery turns out to be necessary.

I'm going to check out a business I've noticed near my home that manufactures foam. Seems to me this would be a cheaper solution than the wood ramps I've seen on the market. Does anyone have experience with this?

Finally It's the Weekend

(Claire making a new friend

at a pumpkin patch within
a month of joining the family, Oct 2006)

Getting the denial letter from UAN yesterday took the wind out of my sails. They basically said Claire's surgery is too big for them to help. Don't they realize that if everyone did just a little Claire would have the help she needs to be all better?

I spent some time blogging yesterday and keeping up with simple housework. Sick dogs on all kinds of meds mean lots of dishes!

This morning Chance and I went to puppy school. For a couple weeks I didn't really have to worry about latching Claire's crate because she had no motivation to move anyway. Now she's distressed at being left behind when I go out with Chance, so I have been locking her into the crate, for fear she'll jump around at the baby gate and do some harm to herself. It's so hard to leave her but I know she likely settles down as soon as we are gone. I do my best to just ignore her and not play into her insecurity.

At puppy school, I gave our trainer Jacquie Hanson of Practical Dog Training, a copy of the DVD about Intervertebral Disc Disease from Doddgerslist. I hope she shares it with all her clients. Knowing what to do in case of a potential spinal injury can really minimize the damage should one occur. I wish I'd been more familiar with this disease and recognized the signs in Claire a lot sooner.

Chance and I also checked out a local thrift store in search of a doggy stroller for Claire, but no luck yet.

At PetCo today I wandered their homeopathic section. I was looking for Rescue Remedy, which they apparently don't carry. Found something similar--Claire gobbled up the pill, which had chamomile and ginger in it, then gobbled up the one Chance spit out onto the floor! Guess she likes it. At dinner we tried adding a 1/4 teaspoon of fish oil too.

I went to a friend's to print out applications for the Prince Chunk Foundation and Help-A-Pet, and sat at home this evening filling them out. I also added several affiliates to the sidebar of Claire's blog, so please check them out! If you shop after clicking through from the blog, Claire will get a portion of the sales. Even Caesar Millan is supporting Claire's surgery!

This evening Claire got all rambunctious and tried to really play with a toy for the first time since this happened. It wasn't till 1130 at night--I think sleeping the day away in the heat of summer has her sleep patterns completely messed up. And of course, I had to take the toy away immediately so that she doesn't hurt her back playing tug of war while on her strict crate rest. But it felt great to see a flash of my best girl back! It's just still really by-the-moment; for most of the day I thought she was acting like she felt pretty miserable. I'll take what we can get and end the day on a high note. Hope you're having a great weekend too ~ Claire thanks you with tail wags for all your support!

Dodgerslist ~ IVDD Support & Education

After the second BBQ of the weekend, I had a chance last evening to do some quiet research on Claire's physical diagnosis. I've been so overwhelmed by the financial need that I've focused on getting the word out about that for the last week and a half. It was time to educate myself.

I stumbled upon the group Dodgerslist about a minute before someone posted it to Claire's facebook page. They seem to be the only organization out there offering support & education on intervertebral disc disease. The information is staggering, and it's scary to read worst-case scenarios of paralysis and loss of feeling. But I know they'll be a great source of support if/when we do go through the process of surgery for Claire.

Claire seems to be lucky in that she can still walk and feel even though she's in a great deal of pain. That said, I am seeing why we need to do something for Claire now, before she loses all chance of nerve regeneration. In that sense Dodgerslist reinforced the neurologist's recommendation that surgery is necessary for Claire.

Ben the Dog's Spinal Injury

Found a new blog with one doggy's story of Inter Vertebral Disc Disease -- meet Ben the Dog. He lives in the UK and his mommy shares his story here.

Here are some exercises Ben uses in his recovery. Each dog is different, but I want to be able to refer to this page.