Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Disk Disease in French Bulldogs...







I wanted to start by thanking our family and friends for their support through a very rough weekend of not knowing whether or not Fiona would be able to walk again or would even make it out of the ER.

Today is the first day I'm blogging about our Frenchie, Princess Fiona, even though we have had her for over two years now. I wanted to start this blog for a couple of reasons. First, is to share what Aaron (my husband) and I went through this weekend with Fiona, as a way to support other frenchie owners who may have a frenchie who has IVDD (Invertabrae Disk Disease), or is suspect for IVDD. The second reason I'm blogging about Fiona is because after this weekend, I see Fiona as much more than just our family pet, she has impacted our lives in ways children do. For my friends who are reading this, I know that statement may sound crazy because I've never been known to LOVE animals, but Fiona has really changed my life.

For those who do not know our Fiona, she is vivacious, loves people, loves playing, will make anyone smile who sees her, and is able to win the hearts of anybody she meets. Because she is a fearless, solid 22 lb brick house, she sometimes doesn't know when she is being beat up, like when she slams into walls chasing after tennis balls, or picks fights with bigger dogs at the dog park. Personally, I think her 'toughness' was one of the reasons that brought her to the ER to begin with.

Aaron started noticing that something was wrong with her on Friday, after he returned from his sales meeting. He said she just didn't seem like herself, she was being more stand-offish, didn't want to sit next to him in her favorite green chair, wasn't excited about playing with her ball (her all time favorite toy), and refused a piece of swiss cheese, her favorite snack. Earlier that week, I had exercised her pretty hard (for frenchies, I guess they shouldn't have more than 20 minutes of rough play at a time - because they may overheat), for an hour at a time, so I excused her behavior as her just being tired from playing. By Saturday evening though, she would squeal (not cry, but SQUEAL), whenever we tried to pick her up. That is when we decided to take her to the animal ER in Northwest Portland. The first vet we saw thought Fiona may just be sore from all the playing we did earlier that week and prescribed pain meds and told us to return if she didn't improve within 5 days. The Vet had ruled out IVDD because she still had sensation in her feet and was able to walk on her own. So we brought Fiona home thinking she would be ok with some pain meds and rest.

The pain meds, however, didn't seem to work at all. We stayed up with her all night, while she just stood in one spot; she didn't want to sit or lay down. Finally, at 5am, after doing some online research about back pain in French bulldogs and after she squealed with pain and lost bladder control while trying to climb on our bed, we decided to take her back to the ER. From the time we drove from our home to the time Fiona was examined again (about 10 min), she wasn't able to stand using her hind legs and had lost complete control of her bladder (she peed on the Vet!). The Vet on shift said that she may be suffering from IVDD, where the fluid from the vertabral disk ruptures, hitting the spinal cord and hitting the nerves around it, causing her pain. If left untreated, there was the chance of paralysis, which could progress in as little as 24 hours. As you can imagine, we were pretty freaked out by this point. The oral pain pills we gave to Fiona earlier obviously wasn't enough to cease her pain, so they gave her an injection and referred us to a neurosurgeon in Clackamas (about 30 minutes outside of Portland).

There are very few Vet-Neurosurgeons in the Portland area... all of them were on vacation this weekend!!! So, we had to wait until Monday for him to examine her. But, the staff at the new ER took good care of Fiona, monitoring her every two hours for 24 hours, making sure she still had sensation in her hind paws. The vet had told us that after animals loose sensation in their paws or lose sensation of pain is when the danger of paralysis comes into play. Aaron and I were still very scared. I mentioned earlier that I have not been known to be an animal lover, however, I became the overbearing doggie mother at this point. I called the ER every two hours to check on Fiona's status to make sure she was ok, I wanted to be there right when visiting hours started through when it ended, etc. I never imagined myself as the 'crazy dog lady', but our little Princess Fiona has that power over people.

Anyway, 4 vets and 48 hours later, the neurosurgeon gave us a call on Monday morning to let us know that Fiona had improved - she was able to walk, had sensation in her hind legs, but however, when he rotated Fiona's back foot, she wasn't able to rotate it back to normal, indicating that her brain wasn't getting the signal that her foot was rotated. He mentioned that the first vet we took her to see should have rotated Fiona's feet to see if it would go back to normal, but because the Vet was new and inexperienced, that she mistakenly missed that. Be sure to ask your vet to rotate your dog's feet if you suspect they may have a back injury! Anyway, the vet suspected that something may be pushing against her spinal cord, but wouldn't know for sure without an MRI. He gave us a couple of options - 1: because she had shown improvement from the previous day, that cage confinement for a couple of weeks at home along with pain meds, could have positive results or 2: to go ahead with the MRI to get more information. The downside of the MRI was the cost. Aaron and I had resolved the day before that we would go ahead with the MRI regardless of cost so that we could have all the information we needed to prevent this from happening in the future. So, the Vet went ahead with the MRI and said he was glad he had done it because he found that she in fact had a ruptured disk, which didn't show up on the XRay alone. At this point, we were given 2 options again: 1 - cage confinement with pain meds and hope that the pain will cease - the downside to this was that this problem could reoccur, but may be more severe in the future; or 2: surgery. Again, the downside of surgery was the cost, but the upside was that the doctor would be able to see what was wrong and fix it. This Vet had done over 1,000 of these surgeries, so we were confident that he would be successful with it.

At 6 in the evening yesterday, the surgeon called to let us know that we made the right decision with surgery because Fiona's disk had actually ruptured into several pieces, some hiding under her spinal cord, which was undetectable on the MRI! This is what had been causing her pain. He also suspected that Fiona had ruptured the disk some time ago because the jelly-like fluid that usually comes out after a rupture had started to calcify.... the problem with having a tough girl with high pain tolerance! Not in the clear yet though! The vet said that the surgery went well, but we wouldn't know the outcome until the morning, where they could test her walk, etc. So, we get a call this morning, and she is as good as new! The doc said she is one of the most solid dogs he has ever worked with - it was tough cutting through her skin, her muscle and it took two drill bits to dril through her bone!!! That's our girl.

We are thankful that Fiona made it through this safely and that she will be able to lead a normal quality of life. From this, Aaron and I have come to appreciate that we can't take anything we care about for granted because it can be taken from you in a matter of minutes. We also learned that we're able to work as a great team, in support of each other, through something tough like this. And finally, there isn't a price you can place on something you consider to be a part of the family. I used to think that people who would spend thousands of dollars trying to save a cat or dog were out of their minds, but my view has become completely different becuase I now realize how much love an animal can give and how much love can be given back... and if you have the means, a price cannot be placed on that. Aaron jokes that my new car has four legs and her name is Fiona, but she is so much better than any car we could ever own.

We'll be visiting Fiona tonight, but won't get to take her home until tomorrow evening. We'll keep you posted on her progress and will post some photos of her as well.

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Some other tips for those of you who may have a dog with suspected back problems:

1. Don't be afraid to do your own research and question the Vets you are working with
2. If your dog is acting funny, only you will know this and not the Vet (they can only check for physical symptoms)
3. Get PET INSURANCE if you have a French Bulldog!!! Seriously!

21 comments:

  1. So glad she's improving! And glad you started a blog, too!

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  2. Amen to Pet Insurance! You know we feel for you, our dogs are definitely our children. And you two are Great Parents!

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  3. I am so sorry to hear she had to go through that. I am glad she is doing much better! sending positive vibes your way!

    Yeah, pet insurance is really beneficial to at least take a look at if you have a dog who may need it later down the road. I have it for mine, got it through trupanion (www.trupanionpetinsurance.com ) and they've been really helpful.

    You sound like a wonderful doggie parent! hope she has a speedy recovery! :)

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  4. Irene, I had no idea you guys were going through all of this! Poor Princess Fiona!

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  5. I can totally relate to your feelings for Fiona. Isn't it amazing that this sweet little girl can have such an impact on your heart?? Hope she continues to do well!!

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  6. Thank you for this post. I'm going through the same nightmare. My Kali (my 1 year old French Bulldog - also tough as nails...) had surgery for a ruptured disc two days ago. I know she made it through the surgery very well and that she's eating and drinking on our own. But I'm still waiting to hear if she can stand on her own and the general prognosis post surgery. I am so with you...with the feelings of her being a family member...

    The timing couldn't be worse. I just got out of a bone marrow transplant as treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Ironically enough, Kali is a huge source of strength and toughness ...especially through all the treatments I've had.

    There's alot going on over here :). But I feel better knowing that its happened to other people...

    Thank you for sharing. Sending love to Fiona. Wishing your family well.

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  7. Thank you for sharing this with all of your fellow Frenchie owners.

    Although I did a lot of research on the breed and health concerns before picking my little Artman, I still was unaware of how common the health concerns occur. I think I thought "what are the chances of that happening to Arthur"

    No back surgery yet but he'll be a year on Sunday and he's already had to have eye surgery to fix a severely ulcerated cornea. But from talking to other Frenchie owners, it's a constant fear that he'll jump and twist his back funny.

    I hope that Fiona is doing well.

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  8. Thank you for writing this blog.

    Yesterday my 4yr old Frenchie called DiDi was breathing very rapidly when I woke up and was generally acting kinda strange. I took him to the vet and was told that i'd probably just over exercised him the day before and that he needed a painkiller injection and lots of rest. Within a few hours he went from starting to have "wobbly legs" to having no movement at all. I suspected some sort of disk problem and after reading your blog and the similarity to Fiona's problems I immediately rushed him to the nearest dog hospital with an MRI and spinal specialist. Happily this morning after last nights operation he is showing the signs of a good recovery and should be back on his feet by the end of the week.

    So thank you again for writing this blog and if anyone else in Hong Kong has this problem I can highly recommend Dr Dianne Lu and the PAVC hospital.

    Hope Fiona is still doing well!!!

    Luke & Joanne

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  9. Firstly we'd like to thank you for sharing your story with the rest of the world. We're going through the very same ordeal at the moment.

    Our little frenchie started showing signs of paralysis on the day after christmas and was taken into emergency surgery last night. It was reassuring reading your blog post to know that we're not the only people that have gone through this ordeal, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Reading this post, I couldn't help but laugh through the tears at the funny antics that seem to be common amongst all frenchies. We hope so badly that she'll be back to her crazy, energetic self before we know it.

    Hope Fiona is doing well, and thanks so much for the reassurance.

    Kelly, Ryan and Frankie-Bean

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  10. We went thru this with our Frenchie, Bruno, 7 years ago. 2 ruptured discs was the diagnosis, so we had the surgery. He was 3 at the time. It was a long road to recovery but he prevailed! They told us he would walk but never run or jump again and he showed them up. Within 6 months he was running around like his old nutcase self. We didn't have any issues until he reached age 8 and one day something happened (we still are unsure what) and he was back at the whimpering and swelling. This time the vet thought it was a stomach issue because his symptoms were not the same. By weeks end he drug his self out of his crate in the morning. This time treatment was a 6 month round of steroids and no activity, he recovered. He was wobbly on his hind legs and often lost balance after this round. 3 weeks ago while walking outside to potty my husband said he tripped a little but bounced right back up. That evening he started the whimpering and yelping. We thought "lord help us, it's happening again". The next day tho his neck swelled up to the point were there was no neck, vet thought he had been stung by a bee. Gave meds just in case and ordered rest. Over the next week the swelling was more frequent and lasted for a longer period so we went back to the vet. New meds were ordered because once again the symptoms were completely different. I sit here writing this with tears streaming down my face because yestersday we got the diagnosis of another ruptured disk in a different location. At 10 years old and a major back surgery in his life already, the vet advised us to put our Bruno out of his suffering. It was the hardest thing we've ever done as our dogs become our children.

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  11. We just went through this about a month ago. Same thing friday-sunday she went through surgery bc the previous ER didnt test her feet for any sensation. I too had played ball with her and my other frenchie pretty rough and ruled it out bc she's done it before. We had meds on hand in case it happened again. Gave her some and stayed up all night feeding her pebble by pebble at a time and crushed ice. she went through surgery but after while she was still under she started getting fluid in her lungs an long scaring imagery short she got to the 5% chance and my husband had to make the call. We rescued her 2 1/2 years ago... expecting her to live atleast 8 more... would love like 20-30 lol. She was in such bad shape when we got her. I still to this day feel guilty for not seeing the little signs that where there all along. ugh.. this sucks! Im sorry to read that this has happened to so many others.

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  12. I am in the midst of a medical crisis with my beloved Frenchy Mimi. As the bills mount, there are no concrete answers. She is in pain, shaking, panting and is drawing her back legs together. So far, they can't find anything wrong with her. Have any of you encountered this? Blood work and snap test are perfect, but I'm thinking it's either neurological or suggests a spine/neck issue. I'm terrified.

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  13. i have a 3 year old french Bulldog (Willienelson) who after going to 3 different vets they found out he has 3 bulging disk in his spine. He is on crate rest and about 6 diff med. we are just at the beginning of this process but breaks my heart b/c i have also turned into crazy dog lady!!!! hoping the meds work so we don't have to go with surgery! thank you for your blog it has helped a lot!

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    1. Hi my name is Elizabeth and my beautiful Frenchie was Bella I am writing here today because I lost her yesterday had to put her to sleep because of this terrible disease I was not aware of, she was my life only two and a half I loved her so much I can't see myself being able to get through this,all I can say please always watch them carefully it happens very sudden and not enough time for a solution.
      God take care of Fiona and my BELLA.

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  14. How much did the surgery MRI and aftercare appointments cost you? Mine needs the surgery but I can't afford 10 thousand dollars. :(

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  15. Hi, we have 3 French Bulldogs and our baby, Ollie, who is 6 has just been diagnosed with IVDD. His rupture has come in his neck and is affecting him on every level. Even eating is causing him to shake all over. He is on strong medication that is making him sleepy and the little dog who was so full of energy and life has disappeared. It's hard to know what to do. We have persevered with rest and meds and some days are good and some are not. When he is in bad pain he screams, not so bad he shakes and other times he is completely normal as if nothing ever happened.
    We are not sure what is next - although saying that I do not think we will do surgery. We are hoping we will be able to manage by behaviour modification and medication on a daily basis.

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  16. We are going through this right now. Our guy started showing signs two weeks ago. Luckily still has feeling. He has been on strict crate rest for 2 and half weeks and meds and seems to be doing much better. He wants to play so bad and jump. We went to a neurologist and she wants us to continue with the meds and rest for 2 more weeks slowly taking him off meds and seeing how he does. She says no jumping on furniture forever or stairs. We can live with that but I feel so bad that his life will not be as full. He loves to run and jump and go to doggie daycare and play with other dogs. The vet says we can not do that anymore and I am heartbroken he loves it so much. Ugh what to do.....

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  17. My dog Rocco had that similar issue, my girl was at home with out little guy and she called him to go out to our back yard, while he was walking out he started YELPING pretty bad I was pretty far away buying some stuff for my dad, I rushed home and we took Rocco to the vet they sent pain madication and said that Rocco was just sored for over exercising, Rocco is always going up and down the stairs is jumping up and down the bed couch etc. And he runs like a nutcase in the front yard just picking fights with everyone jeje. That day Rocco keep yelping and he seemed in pain we took him to the ER the couldn't find nothing wrong with him. We did his exams X rays etc and they gave us pain meds and told us to confine him in a crate, the next day he was doing better he yelped only when he was laying down and get up. After the pain meds he wasn't yelping anymore. After all night without sleeping he was looking better, I tooked him for a walk and after doing his business he shook his head and body the way that dogs do and when he did it Rocco started yelping again pretty bad right away I called the ER I rushed him there and he saw an specialist I did an mRI and they saw to calcified disks, but when the specialist touched his spine pretty hard Rocco was like nothing happened because of that he wasn't sure if the pain came because of the calcified disks that he has. He also said that it looked pretty old those disks that he could of be born with those. He send us home with strict rest and pain meds for two weeks, right now is a week after we took the medicine away from Rocco and he is perfect he looks like his old self once again. I am pretty scared of seeing him crying like that again I hope that doesn't affect him anymore in his life I keep praying and maintaining my fongers crossed.

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  18. Please, To all of you who wish this terrible condition will go away without surgery; it doesn’t. It is no different then the bulging and herniated spinal disc disease you might suffer as a human. I tried everything including acupuncture for Frenchie and there was no relief. She finally had surgery at age 5; 1 disc had completely calcified and the neurosurgeon also preemptively dealt with 2 additional discs that were going to be debilitating at some in the future. She is 91/2 yrs now and slipped off a street curb the other day—I think that is all it took. I took her to the ER and they gave her anti-inflammatory medication but she can’t tell where her back feet are and she is having difficulty with the movement and angle which she is holding her head to eat from my hand. I know she needs an MRI and already know what I am going to hear. I am not in a position this time to drop $6500 at the neurosurgeon’s office. That will not include the pre and post visits to her regular vet. I just don’t know what I am going to do... I will pay $1500 for the MRI...and hope for the best —not a confirmation of my worst fear...And should I take on a debt for her surgery at this stage? In all other ways, she is perfectly healthy! How long does a Frenchie live if they have no complications from any of the possible afflictions to which they are prone?

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  19. It's amazing this post has been going for 8 years. Well, now im going to make it 9 years. Reading everyone's comments truly shows how much we love and care for our frenchies. I have 3 of them. I just rescued boomer about a month ago. And like alot of you, on a Friday boomer started going downhill. By Sunday night he was miserable. So i took him to the vet Monday morning thinking he was just sick and after x rays she caught that he has 3 calcified disk in lower lumbars. She also advised he's worse and is paralysis is kicking in and to get him to the neurologist immediately. The mri was done and the next morning (Tuesday) it was straight into surgery. After surgery, the doc said ruptued disk was cleaned out but he also had some bleeding in the canal. It's Thursday evening and no legs or bladder yet. She said the surgery went well but there's always that 'chance'he might not recover. This poor guy has been through hell since birth. Just used as a sperm machine for a little over 2 and a half years all to find out he's been sterile. That's when the breeder decided to give up on him. Always kenneled. Just let out to pee, poop and eat them back in he went. Now it's all coming together why he doesn't play with toys or the other 2, chronic back pain! I'll go the distance with boomer because he deserves it. Even if he loses his back legs, I'll do eveything i can to love and keep him as happy as possible. He's so loving and affectionate. That's all he cares about. He starts water therapy tomorrow. It's hard to be there with him because it's an hour and a half away at the university of Colombia missouri. And the best of the best of neuro surgeons performed the procedure. Hoping for the best.

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