[linz06]

It happened over a couple of days but we didn't really realize the symptoms when we saw them. We had just moved to a new house two weeks prior and had been unpacking and she was acting abnormal but we thought it was just her new surroundings.

On a Sunday she was laying around a lot, not wanting to move. She would go partially up the stairs and then just lay down on them. That night, she was walking around with her tail down and she was VERY clingy, needing to be with me constantly. That night, she didn't jump on our bed to sleep with us like normal.

Monday morning she was still not herself, and her stomach was bloated so we thought she was just gassy and had an upset stomach. She was still eating and drinking normally so we'd see how she was after a day of rest. She went outside to pee in the morning and Scott carried her back up the steps when she didn't want to come in.

I worried about her all day and when we came home from work, she came running to the door with her tail wagging - the last time we ever saw her tail wag. She was walking very stiffly with an arched back, and she would NOT sit down. Scott called the vet in our new town, and I called her old vet in the city. The new vet was not in, they had just closed. Her old vet said she probably has a slipped disc, I could bring her in and they'd crate her for the night and look at her in the morning, or we could take her in to the emergency hospital in the city. Before I could make a decision, the town vet called back (Scott left a message) and said she'd meet us at her office in 10 minutes.

We took her in and she was able to walk, although she looked drunk. She still had feeling in her back legs. She put her on Metacam for an anti-inflammatory, and sent us home telling us to keep her still. We had troubles keeping her still because we didn't own a crate and she just walked and walked and walked. Scott took her to her pad to pee and her legs just gave out, they were rubber. We frantically called the vet in tears, and she met us at her office again, close to midnight. She did x-rays and suggested we bring her in the next day to be observed. She still had deep pain sensation and could feel her legs... a great sign.

Layla cried all night long and I was awake all night long. The vet called first thing in the morning and gave us our options, saying surgery gave us the best chance of recovery at that point. She arranged EVERYTHING and I was hysterical driving Layla to the emergency vet hospital, and she had her surgery. A disc had ruptured pretty badly and it did enough damage that so far she has not regained any feeling. But that is all that has changed, she is still the same dog, and she is so strong and gets around very very well! Animals adapt to these things very well!

Sorry for writing a novel! But I want you to know that you can prevent it from going this far by being educated and taking measures to help Annie, because she doesn't know how to help herself!