Milli
CONDITION: IVDD
LOCATION: AUS
"I truly am speechless"
Hi Team,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know about our little Milli dog, a miniature short-haired dachshund.
The worst happened to our girl. We woke up one morning and she had completely gone in the backend, as in heart wrenching, paralysed back legs. She could hardly move and when she did, all she could do was drag them. She couldn't wag her tail and was incontinent.
We saw the vet immediately and they diagnosed her with potential IVDD.
We live rurally, so it was quite a distance to get to SASH for the MRI and with no guaranteed outcome for our 9-year-old ball-loving, mouse chasing girl, we declined the operation and prepared for the worst.
Milli was our baby before human babies. I know true dog people will ‘get this'. We owed it to her to give her every opportunity before making what would be one of the toughest decisions I have ever made.
When crying on the phone to my Nan, who also has mini dachshunds about the situation, she told me not to give up yet and drove to our house at 9pm that night, 30 minutes away, with my 79 year old Pop in tow armed with orange powder she had poured into a big jar.
To be honest, I thought it was never going to do anything. How could it?! The anti-inflammatories from the Vet and steroids hadn't done a thing; but how could I not humour her given they had made the effort to come all that way with her magic powder We kept her crated, continued the medication from the vets and started giving her Rose-Hip Vital.
I cried some more and every morning my 5-year-old daughter read and continues to read Hairy Maclary to her ‘to help her get better'.
We are now 1.5 weeks on and one morning we woke to Milli wagging her tail.
The next day she would let us know when she needed to go to the toilet rather than just soiling her crate.
The next she was trying so hard to get her left back leg under her, the next day she could! Although not consistently and her right leg was still motionless.
And today, her right leg had movement and there are periods where she is actually ‘walking', albeit it's not pretty and there is still a very long way to go.
I only wish I had footage of the initial days to show you, although at the time I would never have thought to, because I didn't want to remember her like that.
Here is some footage from today. I truly am speechless. I have ordered my own supply of ‘magic powder' as well as the capsules for my husband to try for an ailment in is shoulder and knee.
Thank you just doesn't seem quite sufficient but is the only way I can express my gratitude.
Tash X
