Mission Statement
Ringo's Road to Recovery is dedicated to providing financial aid, humane education, equipment, and recommendations for veterinary care to owners whose dogs are suffering from Intervertebral Disc Disease and other related issues. Ringo's Story
At the time of Ringo's accident, I wasn't in the position to pay for an expensive surgery. But so many family and friends stepped up to h
elp with what he needed. It is the goal of Ringo's Road to Recovery to Pay It Forward and help others in need just as he was helped during that unfortunate and difficult time.In a freak accident on Sunday December 21, 2014, while chasing a squirrel, Ringo sustained ruptured discs in his mid back. Ringo required emergency surgery at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview in order to repair the damage. The surgery went well but his spinal cord has an extreme amount of swelling. Ringo will be on the following medication diet through January 5, 2015:
Prednisone 2Xs a day
Tramadol 3Xs a day
Bethanechol 3Xs a day
Phenoxybenzamine 2Xs a day
Gabapentin 3Xs a day
Cefadroxil 3Xs a day
He will have a long road to recovery and his prognosis is uncertain. Ringo will require months of physical therapy to keep his muscles from going into atrophy while his spinal cord heals. This page will chronicle Ringo's progress in his recovery. I hope that it is inspiring to some and comforting to others who may have a pet with a spinal cord injury. January 31, 2015 Ringo is officially at 50% mobility. Starting Monday, Ringo's new treatment plan will include Physcial Therapy 4 days a week at Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital in Garden City Park, NY, Laser, Acupuncture and Electro-acupuncture and Swim Therapy. Ringo is making an impressive recovery. Thank you all for your continued love and support!! May 7, 2015, 19 weeks post surgery. Ringo has made tremendous progress. He is able to walk on different floor textures ranging from grass to ceramic flooring. Wood flooring and certain linoleum flooring is still quite slippery for him. Ringo can climb into and out of his crate on his own and can walk on uneven flooring such as sidewalks and curbs. Ringo can lay on his back and scratch it, scratch his ears with his hind legs and is able to p**p standing up with some support. Ringo is learning to make figure 8s which will help with turning left, right and around. Ringo can walk through Cavaletti bars which helps remind him that he has back feet and must pick them up. Ringo's PT at Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital has decreased to 3 days a week. He receives acupuncture once a week and swim therapy 3 days a week. Ringo continues to take Rimadyl and Amantadine daily injunction with Vitamin B complex, Cell Advance and a joint/bone supplement. September 19, 2015 Monday will mark 9 months since Ringo's accident. To date, He swims 3 times a week and receives I-Therm at Village Animal Hospital in Jericho. He also continues to go to physical therapy at Crawford Dog and Cat hospital in Garden City Park. In August, Ringo had his annual check up at Crawford. I was so excited to hear that Ringo had gained 1 lb, that is 1 lb of muscle to be exact. After his accident, Ringo had lost a pound and a half, which put him at 7.5 lbs and under weight. So this gained pound was big news. In the past month, Ringo has begun to practice going up a small set of stairs. This is a difficult task as it throws him off balance. He also needs to continue to build the muscles in his hamstrings. Ringo is also now able to to a full body stretch. He will stretch in downward dog and the stretch each hind leg individually, balancing on only 3 legs. Ringo suffers from Ataxia which is a neurological disorder due to his spinal cord injury. Ataxia is defined as a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that includes gait abnormality. It is with your love and support that Ringo continues to make great strides. Thank you
xoxo
Suggested Links on IVDD
http://sevneurology.com/articles/intervertebral-disk-disease-ivdd-in-dogs/
http://www.dodgerslist.com/
