I am so very sorry to hear this. How old is Skeeter? I never heard of this but got online to find some info. for you. It can be genetic or caused by an accident....just like luxating patella. I know Skeeter is your baby and you will do what is best for him. If you have the surgery and all goes well, he will need cage rest for 4-6 weeks...no play time at all. He will also need constant care and numerous trips to the vet. Whatever you decide, my heart goes out to you tremendously. The site did mention that this is a common occurrence in toy breeds. Here is a little info I copied from one site...


Surgery is usually recommended for this problem due to the high recurrence rate with conservative management. The goal of surgery is to stabilize the joint using internal devices. These can include wires, pins combined with an epoxy-like cement, or heavy-duty suture material. The joint can also be fused, using screws and bone grafts collected from the dog's shoulder.

Surgery is very difficult due to the small size of the patient and delicate nature of the bones. After surgery, cage rest, neck braces, and steroids are often used as you would for conservative management.

There is less of a recurrence rate when surgery is performed, but recurrences can still happen due to failure of the implants placed in the bones or failure to follow post-operative instructions. The type of surgery depends on the surgeon's preference and the specific injury.

The prognosis depends on the severity of the neurological signs present before surgery. The more severe the signs, the more guarded the prognosis. The spinal cord is an unpredictable organ. Accurate predictions are difficult to make as to how much function will recover as well as how long it will take to recover.

Follow-up

Atlantoaxial instability is a serious problem that requires dedicated and observant owners. Optimal treatment for your pet requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up can be critical, especially if your pet does not rapidly improve.


Administer all prescribed medications as directed. Alert your veterinarian if you are experiencing problems treating your pet.


Follow your veterinarian's instructions for exercise restriction. The tissues must heal strongly to allow the joint to become stable. Excessive activity can lead to tearing of healing tissues and cause a major setback.

I know nothing about this disease but want to say how very very sorry I am fo you and Skeeter....That was so sad to read. I really hope he can be helped because the alternative is just heartbreaking for you.

Bless your heart - I just want to hug my girls after reading your sad post - I'm very sorry and GOOD LUCK with Skeeter...IF they can operate I really hope he comes thru this and live a pain free life.......how sad for you...

I wish I had a magic pill to heal your little one or some clever words to make you feel better. Since I have neither, know that I care and am sending yorkie hugs and kisses. Please keep us posted and remember, Yorkies are fighters, if there is a way Yorkies have the will. Good luck

OMG!!! My thoughts & prayers are with you!!!

I am saying a prayer for your baby and I hope and ray he will be okay

Anyone heard news from Skeeter??

Hi everyone

Thank you so much for all of your support. We received a call this AM from the Dr. She told us that he seems to have improved SLIGHTLY. He has more feeling in his legs now and is slightly moving them. We fed him some Nutrical yesterday since he hasn't been eating anything. The sugar might have been what helped. He's still on an IV too. We are going through with the MRI but there is still a high chance he won't be able to handle the anesthesia since he is thin. We will keep you posted. Please keep praying for him!!

How small is Skeeter? When Sedrick had his surgery he only weighed 3 and 1/2 pounds and his surgery lasted for 6 hours and he came through without major problems and he had been without food for almost 4 days - only had iv therapy. I know my husband pm'ed you back regarding the cost associated with this surgery but I want to instill that if you have the available funds than the surgery should not be an option. If you could see our little boy now it would definately make you go ahead with surgery. If you wish to phone me to discuss the surgery and aftercare we provided just let me know and I will send you my home and work number. You really need to know everything you are up against.
I am glad to hear that he has some purposeful movement in his limbs and he will be in my thoughts continuously until we get an update.
One quick question, if your vet knows that it is AAS why are they doing an MRI? Sedrick presented with AAS with only xray and seeing that AAS is associated only with c1 and c2 vertibrae and I do not know why they feel an need to do this?

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help
With thoughts and prayers,
Lorraine

YOU HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF PRAYERS - I hope he continues to improve - it sounds hopeful right ? Thank you for the update I know I'll be praying for your baby & hoping for good news about Skeeter ...hang in there and the best of luck....Sending hugs your way for little Skeeter

You and skeeter are in my thoughts today.

O My Gosh, I am soooo sorry to hear about your little baby.. This is to sad and I just wanted to let you know that I am also keeping Skeeter in my thoughts and prayers.
I have never heard of this before and have no suggestions for you either.. what a hard time this must be for you and Skeeter.. Please, keep us posted on how he is doing. Sending hugs and prayers.

cmon skeeter we are rooting for ya....lexi and i are sending out prayers to you...you will be in my thoughts.....

so sad
 

I cant even begin to imagine what you are going through right now. I am so sorry. i will keep you and your pup in my prayers. I hope that God will take away his physical pain and your emotional pain. God bless :angel2dl:

Little Skeeter has our prayers and our thoughts are with him, too. Skeeter is tougher than you think. Please keep us updated. :)

Good luck to you and Skeeter. How horrible to be in this situation. The news that he slowly seems to be getting some feeling and minimal function in his limbs, etc., sounds like a good sign. It's amazing how sometimes just a little time to mend makes a big difference. I really feel for you right now. We all here hope that everything comes out okay. You both are in our thoughts.
Tracy