“In April my 3 year old mastiff, Boo Boo, suffered a spinal cord injury while playing with his brother, which left his both hind legs paralyzed. He gradually regained use of his left hind leg, and with time was able to support himself with his right hind leg for brief periods at a time. However, his right paw knuckled and he had no voluntary movement, so his leg would drag behind him when trying to walk; and we had to use a sling (walkabout) to help get him around. Although there were minor changes over the next few months, he still needed the support of the sling whenever he was up and because it was so difficult to watch him dragging his right leg, I’d “walk” him with his foot on top of mine. Needless to say, he had no independence. However, his attitude and personality remained great and he didn’t seem to know he couldn’t do the things he used to do and well actually, he still did them, but now he had me hanging on to him so he wouldn’t fall! Although we felt fortunate to have Boo Boo at all, and were thankful for the progress he had made, the extent of his care was really taking a toll on all of us. With an 185lbs. growing boy, it wasn’t going to get any easier.
When Boo Boo began his treatment at CARE his right paw knuckled, he had lost muscle mass, and he had no voluntary movement- i.e. Picking his leg up or advancing his right leg. He also had “toning” where his leg would be rigid and stay that way when he exerted himself. This caused much difficulty when he attempted to sit/lay down or when getting up. We were also concerned about his lack of progress overall. Within the first week at CARE the toning noticeably decreased. He started to utilize his muscles and gain flexibility and strength over the next weeks. Finally, during the 4th week he began initiating with is right leg and showed the ability to slightly raise it. At this point his knuckling still interfered with his ability to take a step, so an occupational therapist designed a splint for him, and now he can actually WALK!! It’s still early and Boo Boo needs support and lots of practice, but thanks to CARE this is a major “step”, and we expect that he will continue to just get better. Although it required commitment and the 3 hour drive 2 times weekly got old, it was definitely worth the effort just to see him “walk” again!
When we came to CARE in August, we felt it was our last hope for Boo Boo to regain the use of his right hind leg. We had tried the “at home” exercises, but found them too difficult due to his size, often the need of 2 people, time constraints, and the lack of confidence in our ability to perform them correctly. CARE has been such a positive experience for both Boo Boo and me. Although Dr. Waldman and Amy competently used many different treatment modalities, one important theme seems to be the healing power of laughter and play. All the staff combines hard work with patience and affection towards the animals. After bringing Boo Boo to the clinic 5 times per week for 4 weeks, I was impressed with their level of commitment. I felt that not only were Amy and Dr. Waldman investing in the clinical challenge of Boo Boo’s situation, but they had a genuine desire to help Boo Boo walk again and improve the quality of his life. Although he had specific appointment times, they often worked with him other times during the day and were progressive in working with other professionals develop adaptive equipment. Boo Boo loved his “family” at CARE and enjoyed going to “camp” everyday and we are SO grateful!”
J.V.