I just spoke to Dr. Su about an hour ago. Romeo is still doing very well. He sings to her every morning and "tells her stories" from his kennel. :) He still needs assistance urinating by getting his bladder expressed and then he finishes by himself. Today he ate downstairs in the rehab area. I asked if it's quieter down there and she said yes. I said that makes sense because Romeo doesn't like distractions when he's eating. When he's done rehab and exercises, he just sleeps in his kennel.
Romeo had a rehabilitation session with Dr. Pinto today. Dr. Su didn't know if he used the land treadmill with assistance for his back legs or water treadmill (a treadmill in an enclosure filled with water so the hind end floats and the front end walks on the treadmill). Either way, the good news is Dr. Pinto thinks she saw some movement in his leg today! Paws crossed because that's amazing news!
Dr. Su said the techs had him out quite a bit today because they just love him. Andrew and I are so happy to know he's recuperating in an environment where he's getting attention and made to feel loved. That means so, so much to us.
Mia's lonely without him and either just lies around or tries to play with Poe. It was her birthday yesterday so we got her a hoof stuffed with god knows what - hahaha! Still, she'll be so happy to see him again as will we all.
We just heard from Dr. Su with an update. She said Romeo is doing very well. He's eating more food which is good. Both she and the rehab doctor are very happy with Romeo's progress thus far which is great to hear. He had his first acupuncture treatment today and he fell asleep. *lol* I was worried the acupuncture would make him anxious so I'm happy to hear otherwise. Romeo also had a short rehab session and continued leg exercises. It's too early yet for him to be walking but the fact both doctors are optimistic makes us very happy.
Dr. Su also said that all the girls there love him. I said I'm not surprised since he's such a good boy and a very beautiful dog. His name is Romeo, after all, so of course all the girls love him. ;)
Romeo will likely be going for weekly acupuncture treatments when he gets back to Winnipeg as his post-operative care plus we'll have rehabilitation exercises to do with him. We'll likely be taking him to see Dr. Hamilton if she'll take him as a patient.
Thank you all again so much for you continued love, support, and donations. It's so greatly appreciated, we can't say that often enough. xoxoxo
It's not great quality since it was filmed mostly one-handed by myself with one of those little handheld cameras (Kodak Play Sport, to be exact, so at least it's high def), but you get the idea. This is a short video clipping together Romeo heading to Saskatoon, right before the surgery, and the day after. Music: "I Just Want You" performed by Hellsongs.
We're all missing Romeo here. Mia seems a little lost and is on her best behaviour.
Thank you to everyone who has given donations. We picked up a few donations from people today and it's so incredibly generous and appreciated. You can give donations via PayPal using the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com or you can e-mail us at that address if you want to give a donation and don't have a PayPal account (we can arrange to pick up if you're in Winnipeg or come up with other plans if you're outside Winnipeg).
I just got off the phone with Dr. Su. She said Romeo's doing really well. He ate the canned food I left for him, Nature's Variety Homestyle Chicken Stew. While he's still not able to stand without assistance, he has more muscle tone in his legs today meaning they aren't floppy anymore. He needs his bladder expressed, but just to give him a head start and he finishes on his own. They'll be doing leg exercises with him 3 times a day and he starts physio/acupuncture rehab tomorrow. Dr. Su said she's very happy with his progress thus far. I told her we all miss him and Mia seems lost with him (she kept checking the carrier and smelling for him). Dr. Su said he's being very good for them, but he really doesn't want to be there. *lol* As nice as a facility it is and as nice as the staff is, I can't blame him! She said when she puts him down and goes to get or do something else, he tries to head for his kennel. Awww, our poor baby. <3 They're going to call us everyday to let us know how he's doing.
After a blip with Air Canada (don't get me started), Romeo and I (Holly) arrived in Saskatoon last night and we went straight to the Vet College at 11:00 p.m. The vet checked him out and said he had a good chance of success for the surgery. They kept him overnight to put an IV line in and hydrate him.
The vet called me this morning to say Romeo was doing well (albeit stressed) and I went to see him. The plan of action was to put him under anesthetic and do a myelogram (injecting dye into the spine and x-raying) then go straight into surgery. After the myelogram was completed, I spoke to the vet, Dr. Su, who showed me the x-rays. There were a number of calcium/mineral deposits but she said most of the time they leave them in if they aren't causing problems. The one that was causing the problems was pushing on the left side of Romeo's spinal cord which makes sense because his back left leg was the first to go (i.e. buckle under him). After our discussion, she went straight into surgery which took a few hours.
Dr. Su called me mid-afternoon to let me know how the surgery went. They ended up removing more calcification than initially planned because she wasn't comfortable leaving it in. I should have written everything down that she said, but you know how medical mumbo jumbo sounds to us laymen. She said his spinal cord was a bit inflamed but that's not surprising given the circumstances. She's going to test Romeo's paws in the morning to make sure he still has pain reaction and then I'll be going to see him. She has warned us that while the chances of him walking again are 80-95%, it could be that he'll walk funny perhaps just for a couple of months, perhaps permanently. We just have to wait and see.
The plan is for Romeo to stay a week in Saskatoon for recuperation. They'll do physiotherapy and acupuncture as part of his rehabilitation. It'll be hard to be away from him for so long, but we know it's for the best. He's been such a good boy through all this (from travel to vet visits and everything else) so we'll be so happy when he's up again.
Thank you all again so much for your love, support, and donations. Some people have asked and yes, we are still accepting donations to help with the cost of surgery and for post-op care as he may need physiotherapy and acupuncture treatments for sometime afterward.
We are bank approved! Now we just wait for our vet to talk to the College about when they can accept us. Hopefully, we can go today and be there this afternoon.
EDIT: Talked to the vet this morning and she called the vet in Saskatoon so they're expecting us. Now we're just trying to coordinate a flight. Paws crossed!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the donations, well wishes, and offers to help with travel and accommodations! It has been truly amazing and many tears have been shed over people's kindness. Donations are still being accepted and are greatly appreciated. Donations can be made through PayPal using the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com or if you live in Winnipeg please send us an e-mail and we can arrange for a pick up. Some people have asked about e-mail bank transfers and we can certainly arrange that, too.
Thank you again and we'll update once we know when we're heading out to Saskatoon.
We have been asked what would happen to donations if they exceed Romeo's treatment so we thought we should post our plan of action.
Any donations beyond what Romeo requires will be donated to Funds For Furry Friends and Winnipeg Humane Society. Donations can be made through PayPal using the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com or if you live in Winnipeg please e-mail us and we will make arrangements for pick up. Thank you for your generosity! :)
First of all, thank you so much for everyone's generosity from donations to offers for travel and accommodations. I would never wish this on my worst enemy so it's nice to know people do care.
We are still in the process of negotiating with our bank. You can imagine how stressful that is on top of everything else. We were hoping to be heading out to Saskatoon by tomorrow at the latest.
Romeo seems to still be in good spirits. He's such a little trooper and so good at letting us care for him. You can tell he wants to play with Mia and it's breaking his heart not to be able to. We have new pain medication to give him which is better than the Tramadol (which is bitter tasting and really stressed him out). We can tell he's trying to use his back legs, but they're just not cooperating with him.
If you're able to, please add to the donations we've been receiving through PayPal using the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com. If you happen to live in Winnipeg but don't have a PayPal account, you can also e-mail us at that same e-mail address and we can arrange to pick up any donations.
We took Romeo to see his regular vet, Dr. Sexsmith, today. She did a thorough exam and the good news is Romeo continues to have feeling in his legs and tail (though delayed and spasmatic reactions at times) as well as having bowel movements and being able to urinate without having to be stimulated.
Dr. Sexsmith agreed with the vet who saw Romeo on Sunday in that Romeo's best option is surgery. Basically, it breaks down like this:
1. Surgery in Saskatoon (Western College of Veterinary Medicine) to remove the calcification. The cost is $3,000 - $5,000 for the surgery alone. That doesn't include any potential complications or aftercare (such as medication, physiotherapy, acupuncture). 90 - 95% chance he'll walk again.
2. Medical management. Romeo doesn't have the surgery, but is under constant care (being turned over every hour or 2 to prevent bedsores, being cleaned constantly, expressing his bladder or bowels a few times a day if he won't on his own, etc) and strict bed rest or being cradled. Eventually, chiropractor or physiotherapy or acupuncture if there's any signs of improvement. 60 - 65% chance he'll walk again though the problem could happen all over again. Cost wise, it's not a large upfront fee, but with the constant vet checks, medication, etc it could end up being comparable and he may walk or he may lose all feeling in his legs.
As you can imagine, this is a lot for us to digest and a decision has to be made soon otherwise there could be more damage done (such as losing feeling in his legs). The fact he still has feeling in his legs and that he's so easygoing with a wonderful temperment means Romeo's a good candidate for either option. Obviously, we want to try and make it work by having the surgery done. We have met with our bank today and hopefully we'll know soon what can be done.
Either option is costly. This is why we are asking for donations. Please consider providing a donation through PayPal to the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com. Any donation at all is greatly appreciated. Andrew and I are so happy that people have given donations. This means the world to us, as you can imagine. If you've ever met Romeo, you know he's one of the least deserving animals in this world for this to happen to (though, really, no animal deserves this).
We have created a Facebook page to help spread the call for help. Check it out at Save Romeo's Legs. "Like" it and please pass it around.
In 2009, his previous parents tossed him out on the streets without any identification in North End Winnipeg and he was taken to the pound. I found him there and wanted to adopt him immediately. Andrew and I took our first dog, Mia, along to meet him. Romeo loved Mia as soon as he saw her. He ran around and leaped over everything, he was so excited to have a new family who loved him. It's a scene I'll never forget.
Everyone who meets Romeo loves him right away. He's a very good boy and he loves everybody. He loves to run around in circles, chase Poe the cat, and dance and hop.
On May 20, 2011, he was playing with Mia and he suffered a back injury, initially thinking a sprain. The vet said he needed rest and some medication. Sadly, by May 22, 2011, he lost the use of his back legs. An x-ray revealed calcification between two of Romeo's vertebrae. The doctor says Romeo's a good candidate for surgery because he still has feeling in his back legs and tail, but he would have to go to Saskatoon ASAP for surgery which is very expensive. If he can’t have surgery for whatever reason, he may need to get a doggie cart to pull his legs around for the rest of his life.
Won’t you please help Romeo to dance again? He wants to run with his sister, Mia. He wants to hop up on the bed to cuddle his Mommy and Daddy. He can't "sing" (howl) anymore, which is something he loves to do.
Please donate today at PayPal. Every bit counts. The e-mail address to help fund Romeo's vet care is saveromeoslegs@gmail.com. Thank you.
Romeo now:
Now let me tell you about us.
Andrew (aka Daddy) and I (Holly, aka Mommy) have been together for over 8 years. During that time, we have had pet rats, rescued a wild bird and nursed it back to health, and then came Poe the cat. In 2008, we adopted our first dog, Mia, from Funds For Furry Friends. Less than a year later, I thought Mia needed a friend other than Poe (who wasn’t feeling friendly to Mia) so I found Romeo at Winnipeg Animal Services. The two dogs have been inseparable best friends, always worried where the other is if he or she is not around. Romeo particularly likes to know where everyone is in the house and what state of mind they’re in.
The pets Andrew and I have are our children and we treat them as such. We love them as much as any parent would love their child. We want nothing but the best for them.
It’s not easy for us to turn to the public to ask for help in taking care of one of our fur-babies. This is an extraordinary situation for an extraordinary dog. Romeo’s injury was completely unexpected, but we still want to help him.
Time is of the essence to help Romeo. If he can’t have surgery in Saskatoon, he may have to spend the rest of his life in a doggie cart.
Please help by donating. Any donation towards helping for Romeo’s care is deeply appreciated. Donations can be made via PayPal by sending donations to the e-mail address saveromeoslegs@gmail.com. We will post updates on Romeo’s recuperation, whichever method ends up happening. Thank you.
