Our veterinary surgeon in Spokane, Dr. Howard Lawrence, called this afternoon at 2:30. Kodiak was on the operating table with his back opened up. What he had found wasn’t good.
There is a sheath or membrane of connective tissue called the dura mater that surrounds the spinal cord and holds the spinal fluid. It’s basically a watertight sack that protects the cord. This sheath had completely calcified in one spot … the surgeon said it was almost solid bone 2 millimeters thick … and was compressing the cord.
The condition is called dural ossification. Dr. Lawrence said this is the first case he’s seen where it is so severe that it compresses the spinal cord. This is why Kodiak can’t get up on his own and why he falls down once he starts walking for more than a short distance.
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything he can do to relieve the pressure. Trying to chip away at the calcified sheath could damage the spinal cord itself. Kodiak has multiple areas along the spine where the dural ossification is occurring, but only one area where it’s causing cord compression.
He will most likely get worse as the ossification continues. Given the prognosis, Dr. Lawrence said we should consider not bringing Kodiak out of anesthesia but putting him to sleep while he was still on the operating table.
I didn’t know what to think or even say. We had already scheduled euthanasia for this dog once before. I wasn’t ready then to let him go then. I finally decided this wasn’t the time either. I just see too much happiness in this dog’s face … despite his problems, he still enjoys life.
I asked Dr. Lawrence to close Kodiak up and bring him out of anesthesia. I told him that I want Kodiak at least to get a chance to enjoy the rest of summer, laying on his bed on the porch. If we see a rapid decline, or any sign of suffering, then we’ll let him go.
But not yet. He’s coming home in a couple of days.
To Jan and Wayne in Seattle, who paid for the myelogram and surgery, thank you for letting us give him this chance.
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