Kiko’s issue began with him. Keeping his leg up and then biting a toe, which he took the whole toenail off, which I immediately took him to his vet which he diagnosed as soft tissue pain etc and a tumor of some sort and he amputated his toe. And said he should be walking back on it normal again soon. So after a week or so still progress, I took him back cause there was no progress, his muscle was smaller in that leg now, didn’t wag his tail much and he would have issues now coming up the stairs and no longer jumped in bed at night, his daily ritual for 10 years (even if I said no, lol). So then he put wrapped a cap on the good leg and said it was probably psychological. And he did start walking on that leg, which I said cool. NOT cool cause after removing the cap and his bandage, he bit off his other foots toenails and the pad of that foot. I took him back to the vet (this all happening within a month) and that was then diagnosed as allergies, etc so after steroid shots, cortisone shots and bandages etc. Kiko now started walking on his two front legs with his hind legs up and no longer could urinate or defecate on his own. I then took to researching, all of his symptoms and new characteristics, because he has always been very active as if he were a puppy (running, jumping, happy etc). – found C.A.R.E. in the process and emailed my story. I immediately received a response from Dr. Heather Oxford and she said it sounds like a neurological spinal issue and said to bring him in which was diagnosed as severe paraparesis and severe LS pain likely secondary to IVDD vs others. Etc. So he began treatment in the 8 week program with their very caring, experienced and knowledgeable staff. And with his treatments of acupuncture, massage, stretching and water therapy 80% of his pain was controlled, his hump in his back straightened, his shifts his weight more so using his hips to balance. He still has issues urinating 100% on his own and defecating, and still not using his hind legs, but the progress he had gotten to and where they have been able to bring him to physically, I still trust and believe in the staff at C.A.R.E. That they will be able to get him to 90-100% He’s happier and physically able to do more than he was able to and whenever I get ready to bring him he is over ecstatic and runs around with excitement more than he ever does or has going anywhere. So he too has come to love the staff here. And I have since signed up for another 8 week program, with complete faith that we’ll be ok.
D’Andre Michael, Fall 2011