[Dailydrool] down in the rear

[Kara Carpenter]

In my lifetime of knowing 5 bassets I've seen one, Muggsy, go down in the rear at the age of 11.  The emergency vet diagnosed it as a slipped or bulging disc.  Surgery would have been through a university 3 hours away was not recommended.  So we were sent home with prednisone and pain killers and orders to make him comfortable in a confined space.  We didn't hold out much hope, but about a week later after doing some research started him on glucosamine (as Kathryn also suggested).  Soon after he was able to stand on his own and showed vast improvement. Within about 2 weeks Muggsy was able to stand with assistance, and not long after he was able to stand on his own and walk with a bit of a limp in the back legs.  Eventually in about 6 months time he was able to run again, albeit with a hop-skip on the back legs.  It seemed one side never got full strength back as the other did.  So stairs were impossible--everything had to be made "handicap
 accessible" for him.  The first few weeks of confinement were filled with lots of baths and laundry, as Momperson mentioned, because he couldn't maneuver his back end to not urinate on himself.  He would get sores from dragging himself that required cleaning and bandages.  We'll never have any way of knowing but I really think the glucosamine made all the difference.  He lived to the ripe old age of 14 and aside from running with that hop-skip in the back, never had any more back issues.  I hope you have as good as an outcome as we did, it is very helpless feeling to have this happen to your hound.  Feel free to email me off list.
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