The Back Story
We’d love to share an update on Kennedy. As you may remember, this beautiful boy was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the spine a few months ago. Although the vet assured us Kennedy wasn’t in any kind of pain, the visual signs of his condition quickly progressed as he began to lose control over his back legs. Don’t get us wrong–it didn’t slow him down. His spirit still said he could run and play, even when his legs didn’t agree. He needed to get out of the kennels and into a foster home and, thanks to some combined efforts from several members of Team Russell, that is now a reality.
Second Opinions
Naptime with Belle
Kennedy is in the second week of foster life with Pam, Bonnie and their pack and doing very well. He went for a consultation at Clairmont Animal Hospital last week. Dr. Smith reviewed his X-rays and bloodwork and gave him a very thorough exam. He confirmed that Kennedy has collapsing discs in his lumbar spine area, fusing of these discs, and calcification. This is the area where his back arches upward a bit. There is arthritis and inflammation, but again, he assured us, he is not in any real pain. Our special boy was a perfect boy during the exam and didn’t make a peep.
Two new new X-rays confirmed that there has been no further progression of his collapsing discs since the original ones, which is great. Because of this, doc felt that Kennedy was a good candidate for laser treatments in his lumbar spine area as it may help stimulate blood flow to the nerves in this area. If he responds, it could give him a little better control of his back legs (his left leg is weaker than his right), but it will not correct the discs that have already fused together. He also suggested some drug therapies to help with inflammation and joint issues.
Two of our volunteers, Kim and Sally, stepped up to sponsor his laser therapy, which consists of six treatments. He has had three so far with the others spread out over the next week. If he appears to benefit from these, we will discuss a maintenance schedule of laser therapy … and, of course, ways we will fund this on our already-limited budget.
Aside from this issue, everything else looked great for a 9-year-old dog. His blood work was good, and his heart and lungs sounded great. Most importantly, he can play ball (which he loves to do) and do whatever he feels like doing as activity will not cause any damage.
The Here and Now … and the Future
Because the issue is degenerative, his condition will most likely worsen over time and he may eventually be a candidate for a wheelchair. We will cross that bridge if/when we get there.
For now? Our biggest priority is to find him a “forever foster” or a very special forever family who will love his little floppy back end. We know it’s a lot to ask of anyone, but we also know there are some pretty incredible people out there … and this is a pretty incredible boy. As you can see from the photos below, he has fit right in with his foster pack. In fact, his new nickname is “Middle Man” because he loves to be in the middle of the snuggle pile. He even pays no mind to his foster cat.
If you are interested in helping Kennedy, please visit his profile page, where you will find links to sponsor, foster or adopt him.
