Degenerative Disc Disease

Poor Sam…We took him to the Vet yesterday because he was being lethargic and he wasn’t jumping. The Vet checked him out and told us that he has something called “Degenerative Disc Disease.” The reason he wasn’t jumping is because he can’t feel his back legs. (His right leg is worse than his left leg.) He can’t feel his back legs because one of the discs in his lower back has ruptured and is putting pressure on his spinal cord.

If you bend Sam’s back paw upside down, he doesn’t correct it and turn it right side up because he can’t feel it. The Vet said he is not a good candidate for surgery because it isn’t an extreme case, which is a relief because the surgery costs $6000. It is a genetic disease so there isn’t anything we could have done to prevent it, but I still feel absolutely horrible. The doctor gave him a shot which should help shrink the herniated disc and swollen tissue, and at the same time relieve any inflammation that may have occurred within the spinal cord. He also gave us some pills that we have to give him twice a day. Since the pills will make him feel better before he actually is better, Sam has to be confined to a crate for the next three weeks, which breaks my heart. He is only supposed to come out to go to the bathroom. After the three weeks in the crate we have to restrict all of his jumping activities to help prevent this from re-occurring. I don’t know how I am going to keep Sam from jumping, but I am thinking about making ramps. I figured it might be easier to teach him how to use a ramp, rather than teaching him not to jump all together. I am really worried about him and hope that everything works out okay.

I love these pictures of Sam and Sera...They are so sweet together!