Nichole and I got back to Montana about 10 p.m. tonight; I dropped Nichole at her house and then headed to the ranch. I took the photo shortly after I let Claude out of the truck to walk around the yard for a while before coming inside. He immediately found the cot. (He loves those cots!)
This morning at the veterinary teaching hospital we met again with the neurologist and the attending veterinarian to tell them we had decided not to pursue the surgery and explained why. I told them that this was the most difficult medical decision we had ever made. In fact, it was the first time in more than six years of running the sanctuary that we had decided NOT to do surgery on an animal.
Much to my relief, the neurologist told me he thought we had made the right decision in Claude’s case. He said that the medical team there was concerned about the prognosis for Claude following surgery, and that given all of his issues, they didn’t think surgery was necessarily the best option for him.
I had second-guessed myself many times during a sleepless night and again this morning before we got to the hospital. Were we making the best choice for Claude? Could the outcome be better than the neurologist predicted? What if…? But when I heard him say we had made the right decision for Claude, all the second-guessing stopped. I told the neurologist, "You know, I really needed to hear that. Thank you."
The attending veterinarian told me later in the morning that if Claude had been her dog, she would have made the same decision we made. Whew.
So then we discussed the near-term treatment plan for Claude for medical management of his neurological and orthopedic diseases. This will involve steroid therapy, lots of quiet time, a special diet, and mild exercise.
I felt even better when the neurologist told us that medical management of Wobblers Syndrome can be just as effective as the surgical option, so we should not consider this treatment plan a ‘second rate’ alternative.
With the discharge instructions in hand, we loaded Claude into a giant crate and lifted him into the back of the truck … and off we drove to Montana.
Meanwhile, Miss Brynn the blind foal stayed behind at the hospital for more tests. The staff called me on my cell phone tonight when Nichole and I reached Missoula to tell us that Brynn was doing fine. At this point I have no idea when we’ll be headed back to pick her up, but we expect to hear tomorrow about the next round of diagnostic results.
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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