Tatum
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nShe is now 8 and has been nothing less than a phenomenal dog who has taught me unconditional love, patience, hope, and perseverance. Here is our crazy story of never giving up hope.
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nOn July 4, 2007 my husband and I rode our bikes to watch the fireworks at city park in Fort Collins, CO and left Tatum in the house because she hates the loud noise of fireworks. We came home at around midnight and let her outside to do her business and went to bed. Tatum slept by my side of the bed as usual. The next morning I woke up and asked Tatum to go outside, she tried to get up but struggled. So I asked again with a little more enthusiasm, still no luck. Hmmmmm this is strange I thought to myself so I went over to Tatum and physically lifted her up to a standing position where her back half slid to the floor and she began urinating all over. I burst into tears and woke my husband up because we had ourselves and emergency situation, every pet owners worst nightmare, our girl was paralized and we had no idea why. We quickly threw on clothes and rushed out the door with Tatum in my husbands arms.
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nImmediately upon arrival the veterinarians grabbed Tatum from us and took her in the back where they performed x-rays, bloodwork, and assessments while questioning us about events within the past 24 hours. X-rays and bloodwork all came back normal and left us all baffled. Tatum was started on IV fluids, steroids and pain medication. No diagnosis was made but the vet believed she suffered from an FCE, fibrocartilaginous embolism, which is when a minute piece of the bone from the spinal column breaks off and embeds itself into the spine causing paralysis. This is a very rare condition that unfortunately we were a victim of. Tatum stayed in the emergency vet all weekend until Monday morning where she was moved to Colorado State University Animal Hospital where she stayed for another few nights.
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nWhile she was in the hospital I did a ton of research to educate myself on the condition and how I could give my girl the best care possible for an optimal outcome. I read success stories from other victims of the terrible condition and decided I would do whatever it would take to get her back on her feet. She was just under 4 years old and so full of live I wasn't willing to give up on her. I love this girl.
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nWhile in the hospital she received acupuncture three times which I was told helps dogs regenerate neurons. I found a holistic veterinarian who uses lots of herbs and alternative therapies with animals and Tatum started acupuncture with her the day she was released from the animal hospital. Tatum received acupuncture three times a week and started hydrotherapy and physical therapy twice a week. I also did exercises with Tatum for at least twenty minutes, three times a day. Hydro and physical therapy lasted for over two months and then Tatum was released. Acupuncture decreased to two days a week and then down to one day a week until progress came to a halt.
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nWhen Tatum was discharged they said she was one of the best cases they have ever worked with and has made the most progress they have ever seen. It was amazing to watch her progress from not being able to walk and having to manually express her bladder and walk her with a sling for months to walking, even running, and able to urinate independently. She does not have much strength in her back legs and has no control of her bowel movements but she can walk, run, enjoy life, and be a happy dog. We still go for hikes, they are just shorter because her legs give out if we go for too long of a hike. My husband and I once took turns carrying her down the mountain for over a mile because her legs gave out.
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nThere was nothing we could have done to prevent her suffering from an FCE. It is a condition that just happens. It is diagnosed through ruling out every other possibility and can only truly be diagnosed upon death by observing the spinal cord. This unfortunate event cost over seven thousand dollars that I charged to three different credit cards because I was in school at the time and didn't have any money to cover the cost. It took me over three years to pay off her medical bills but it was totally worth it and I would do it all over again. I believe my perseverance and dedication and Tatum's love of life allowed her to prevail. She will always have a handicap and never be the same but she is here with me and loving life to the fullest. That is what matters. You can't put a cost on life.
