Daily Update From Saskatoon

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.

Update From Saskatoon

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

Little Video

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).

Update From Saskatoon

"Gimme that carrot!"

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.  

Step 2

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. 

Step 1

Romeo & Mommy by Brad Mazur

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.

Question About Donations

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!  :)