Dog is paralyzed.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh I am sorry to hear of Bibi's situation.

I can understand not wanting to spend the money on a CT as this is very expensive. Unfortunately with this type of problem, there is no less expensive way to get a more accurate diagnosis.

I'll translate for you what the visit summary is saying:

Tetraparesis means that all four legs were unable to move. "Proprioceptive deficits" means that there is nerve damage to the right front and the right hind limb. The right side of her body seems to be more affected than the left. The right front leg seems to have even more nerve damage than any other leg.

What all of this means is that there is a significant problem in Bibi's spinal cord and this problem is probably somewhere in her neck.

Unfortunately when this happens, most dogs need surgery. There are some that can heal with anti-inflammatory medication but when the nerve deficits are this pronounced usually surgery is necessary.

If your friend who is a chiropractor and an acupuncturist is not a veterinarian then what she is doing with Bibi is actually illegal. Practicing veterinary medicine without a licence is a criminal offense in most states. There are some states that will allow a chiropractor to work on an animal as long as they are under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. I am sure that your friend means well but she could actually risk losing her license to practice chiropractic medicine because of this. Doing chiropractic adjustments on a dog with a possibly herniated disc is definitely not recommended and has the potential to do far more harm than good.

Bibi's illness is definitely not due to eating grapes. While some dogs can get grape toxicity the symptoms are an increase in thirst and urination, vomiting and diarrhea and definitely not paralysis.

From everything that you have described, there are really only a few possible reasons for Bibi's symptoms:
-severe intervertebral disc disease. When this happens a portion of disc material from between the vertebrae can push on the spinal cord and cause full or partial paralysis. In some cases, if it is caught early enough and the damage is not severe, dogs can recover with hospitalization and intensive steroid therapy. But, most dogs with this problem will need surgery. Unfortunately the surgery is quite expensive.
-fibrocartilaginous embolism - This is similar but instead of a disc protruding into the spinal column, a piece of cartilage is the culprit. I have heard of rare cases of dogs recovering after months of physical therapy but in most cases when a dog has this condition they do not recover.
-trauma - if Bibi had suffered a spinal cord injury such as from a vehicle accident this could do this, but this is unlikely given she was in the house.

What I am going to say here may be a little bit harsh but unfortunately I see only three options for Bibi:

1. Have the CT done and if surgery is possible, have surgery done. The cost is high, but this is her best chance at recovery.

2. Have the vet hospitalize Bibi and try steroid therapy. If there is no improvement in a few days then option 3 is probably needed. If there is some improvement you could keep going and probably treat her at home. This option *may* work, but from what you have described I think the chances are low.

3. Euthanasia. If #1 or #2 is not an option for you then unfortunately this is what I would recommend.

Given your situation, here is what I would recommend. I would advise that you have your regular veterinarian examine Bibi and also have a look at the medical records from the emergency visit. They will be able to determine if there is any improvement at all, and if there is any chance that medical therapy could work. If they feel that this is not an option then unfortunately it may be time to let her go.

I'm so sorry to deliver this hard news.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

$12,000 sounds high to me. I usually tell people to expect between $4000-6000 for back surgery.

It is hard to say whether Bibi is in pain until we know what the cause is. Fibrocartilaginous embolisms are not painful, but disc protrusions usually are.

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry for the delay. I was not online for most of the day. If Bibi won't eat I wouldn't try to force her. If she is not eating it is because she is not feeling well. It won't hurt her to go without food and there likely isn't a food that is going to make her eat at this point.

I hope you got good news with the CT.

Dr. Marie