Penny had her second physio appointment, and Dr. Naomi put her on the full body vibrator. So the dog stands with front paws on a low book, and rear paws on the vibrating plate.... I think the idea is to stimulate all the nerves in the rear..... Penny had to sit/stand/march while the plate was vibrating. When I say march, you know... not real marching... 'cause Penny can't lift her rear legs up, but you pinch her toes till she jerks up her foot and then you put it down for her. Her reflexes are good but no "proprioception" (means she has no clue as to what her feet are doing... no self awareness) All we can do is keep at it. Naomi suggests we video her, as working with her day to day, it's hard to see any improvements.... a good suggestion.
A recommendation was made to look at Holistic Vet, and I do some research on it, and remember Dr. David Lidbetters advise to find a good one with experience.
Dr. Neil Barnsley at http://animalholistictherapies.webs.com/
name comes up, on the fb page and from a friend who is a vet-nurse, so I make an appointment for next week.
I try to take Penny to work with me at least one day a week, but I am very cognisant of the fact that her incontinence can really stink up the office, so she has to wear a nappy and I have to clean her up immediately. It's a pretty big ask for the ladies in my office to put up with.... I am so lucky everyone loves Penny!
Fortunately, by now, I can sort of badly predict when Penny needs to poop so I can take her outside in time- if she gets excited and barks she poops. And she does tend to poo if you pick her up, so theres that. It's really nice when you pick her up and she drops one on the floor, and you don't notice it, and then you step in it.... But most of the time, it is becoming more manageable, morning noon and night. The pee is not so bad, as she usually just goes when we pick her up and when I express her bladder which I do 4 times a day now.
The Ester-C seems to make her more thirsty, and when she is in her pram, I have to remember to offer her water every hour or so.
The depression is so heavy.... I continue to cry for no reason, and try to gain strength from all the recovery stories....
Penny is so lucky to have you as her "mummy". She knows what you are doing and trusts you implicitly.
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