Our internal medicine specialist in Missoula, Dr. Dave Bostwick, called this afternoon with the results of his exam of Spirit, the Yorkie who arrived yesterday with paralyzed front legs. (See post below.)
Her paralysis is from neurological disease, not from fractures or other trauma. The disc spaces between the vertebrae in Spirit’s neck have collapsed, and Dave described the bone density of her vertebrae as ‘hyperdense,’ suggesting she’s been like this for a long time.
Honestly, we are relieved to hear this diagnosis, because we feared her paralysis had been caused by physical abuse, given her history.
Spirit’s respiratory problem is actually nasal and not in her lungs. Dave said her mouth is full of rotting teeth, and she has fistulas (or channels) that have opened up between her mouth and nasal cavity. This creates a pipeline for bacteria from the mouth, causing chronic infections. So she will need dental work and some oral surgery to correct it.
Dave said there is no medical or surgical fix for her paralysis, so our next step is to get her a wheelchair. We’ll call our friends at Doggon’ Wheels tomorrow to start the process.
To everyone who has written in with such wonderful thoughts and best wishes for this little girl, thank you! We’ll keep you posted!
(Click on photo for larger image.)
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