u/AliveInvestigator815

💙 BRUTUS UPDATE 💙

Today we took Brutus back to Northwest Referrals for his latest check-up.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the news we were hoping for.

The good news is that he has now been given the go-ahead to start physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and acupuncture, and we’ll be throwing absolutely everything at his recovery.

The difficult part is that, because of where we are now in his recovery, the chances of Brutus regaining full mobility have reduced. The specialists are now hoping he may develop what’s known as hip walking, which would still give him a good level of independence, but it’s unlikely he’ll ever get back to exactly how he was before.

There is still a small chance that his deep pain sensation (DPS) could return over time, but we’re told that, if it does, it can take many months and the odds are low.

It’s heartbreaking to hear, but we’re refusing to give up.

Brutus has already amazed us once, and if there’s one thing he’s taught us, it’s that he never stops fighting. So neither will we.

From here on, it’s about making the very best of a terrible situation, giving him the happiest life possible, and celebrating every little milestone along the way.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, donated, shared our journey and kept believing in our boy. Your messages mean more than you’ll ever know.

Here’s to the next chapter… let’s see if Brutus has one more miracle left in him. 💙🐾

#BrutusStrong #NeverGiveUp #IVDDRecovery #DogRecoveryJourney #Hope #MiracleDog

💙 BRUTUS UPDATE 💙

Well, here it is… Brutus has taken his first steps in 6 weeks, and I still can’t quite believe it.

He absolutely loved it and soon settled after about 10 minutes of getting used to his wheels. Seeing him playing ball again with my son brought a tear to my eye. It’s something I honestly wasn’t sure when we’d see again.

What’s even more amazing is watching him from behind. His legs are moving as though he’s walking in slow motion, which gives us so much hope.

Hopefully, with his wheelchair, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and all the treatment ahead, we can help our boy get back to his former glory.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, donated, shared our posts, and kept believing in Brutus. Every bit of support has helped us get to this moment.

We’ve still got a long road ahead, but today feels like a huge step in the right direction. 💙🐾

🐾 Little life-saving hack we thought we’d share… 🐾
As many of you know, dogs with IVDD can have accidents, and with disabilities, old age, injuries, or even pregnancy, getting a large dog upstairs for a bath isn’t always easy. Sometimes you’re relying on someone else to help, and we all know the classic “towel under the belly” trick for toilet trips!
We recently bought one of these portable showers from Amazon, and honestly, it’s been an absolute game changer. It came with a 3-metre hose, so we simply connect it to the kitchen tap, run it out of the back window, and we now have an outdoor shower in the garden. It makes washing Brutus so much easier and saves having to struggle getting him upstairs.
This isn’t just for IVDD dogs either. It could help anyone with an elderly dog, a disabled dog, a dog recovering from surgery, or even owners with back problems or mobility issues themselves.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make a huge difference, and this has been one of those for us. ❤️
Hopefully this helps someone else out there. 🐶💙
#IVDDRecovery #DisabledDogs #SeniorDogs #DogLife #DogOwners #BrutusRecovery #DogCare #LifeHack #PetCare #DogLovers

💙💙💙 BRUTUS UPDATE 💙💙💙

Two weeks tomorrow marks the next stage in Brutus’ recovery as we begin physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, and start looking into getting him some wheels to help him along the way.

Unfortunately, we still haven’t had any deep pain sensation return to his legs, and he currently has no feeling in his toes. The positive news is that he has regained full bladder and bowel control, which is a huge step forward, but at the moment he still has no support for walking on his own.

We’re staying hopeful that with time, therapy, and a lot of determination, more movement will return and Brutus will eventually be able to walk again. It’s going to be a long road, but we’re not giving up on our boy.

The GoFundMe is still running, and we are also looking at more fundraising ideas. We will probably be raffling off a Fiat Punto next, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, sent messages, and supported us so far. It really does mean the world to us. 💙🐾

💙💙💙 BRUTUS UPDATE 💙💙💙

No massive changes just yet, but that’s to be expected at this stage of his recovery.

Brutus still has around 3 more weeks of healing before he can begin physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. It’s a slow process, but we’re taking it one day at a time and staying positive.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated, shared our posts, sent messages, and supported us so far. The kindness people have shown has been incredible and means more than you’ll ever know.

Don’t forget, the draw for the car kindly donated by Chris Drake at Drakes Vehicle Services takes place tomorrow. Good luck to everyone who entered!

We’re also looking at more fundraising ideas to help with Brutus’ ongoing treatment and rehabilitation. If anyone has any suggestions, we’d love to hear them.

Thank you all for being part of Brutus’ journey. 🐾💙

https://gofund.me/0c3c359f6

Our little princess can’t play with her little boy 💔 But it doesn’t stop her love for him or her quality time showing him how loved he is and how safe and comfortable he makes her feel.

This is why he is not just a dog he is family 💙

If you wish to help our go fund me is

https://gofund.me/0c3c359f6

Sitting here looking at my boy, I still half expect him to jump up, go running off, and start barking at the slightest sound. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet.

We still have another 5–9 weeks of rest before Brutus can start hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, and possibly laser treatment. It’s going to be a long road, but we’re determined to get him there.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. Every share, donation, message, and kind word means the world to us and helps keep us going.

Just a reminder that both the car raffle and the GoFundMe are still running for anyone who would like to help with Brutus’ recovery journey.

Thank you all. 💙🐾

https://gofund.me/0c3c359f6

UPDATE BRUTUS
Day 18 post paralysis
Day 9 post spinal operation

Brutus has been letting us know when he needs to go out to open his bladder and his bowels. The vet said this is one of the first positive signs of recovery.

I am so happy with how he is more relaxed now that we are able to have a routine of expressing his bladder and I do believe it’s because it’s causing him less distress about having accidents.

We are on our second bed and third harness! Trial and error was expensive we have chosen a harness which can be clipped onto him without moving him around and has four handles on the top to distribute his weight whichever is needed.

Brutus has cuts to his back paws from dragging his feet along we have shoes but they don’t stay on. I tried bathing his feet, putting ointment on and then putting baby socks on. It was win until he moved ‍♀️

How whole eating pattern has had to change because of his medication which has then led to the other dogs having theirs changed. They’re finding it a bit weird eating in the mornings and usually just leave it. If I don’t put some out I feel like they think he’s being fed and they aren’t!! It’s a struggle lol.

Brutus is using his front legs when being lifted to the garden and his muscles around his top end are becoming bigger. If that was even possible - if you’ve ever met Brutus his muscles have muscles.

On Friday The vet is going to reduce or remove his gabapentin, this means that apart from the metacam liquid he takes at night he won’t have any medication during the day. We need to see how he is and up the light treatment because if I’m honest we haven’t been consistent with it.
Then further down the road it’s going to be hydrotherapy and physiotherapy.

These are all going to cost us and we aren’t sure what that cost will look like. We still have just under £3k outstanding on the vet bill and are really trying to push our page if anyone at all could help us please.

I don’t want Brutus to be without the support or the wheelchair because we aren’t in a financial position to give him what he needs.

Remember there are also two raffles going with donations to Brutus care and vet bill. You could win a car courtesy of Chris Drake thank you so much. There is also an opportunity to have a car or a van of your choice sign written for your business. Courtesy of Paul Gilston at Pg printing and Customs. Go check them out on my page (facebook, TikTok)

Again I can’t tell you all how much we appreciate every single penny. Every one counts for something and we appreciate you.

We love you xxx
Brutus

UPDATE - News! The specialty surgeon has called and told us that there is a disc compression on Brutus’ spine. This is something the first vet did not see.

This means there is a chance for Brutus that he will regain feeling back in his legs once the compression has been removed. They said that the embolism is the SECONDARY injury..the disc being the primary.

This means that the disc caused the embolism and caused Brutus to have the stroke. This means we have been offered surgery for him. We are elated that the chances have been doubled for him - and the vet had more positive likely outcomes. Obviously they can’t promise and we have had to put everything into perspective for Brutus’ chances.

Even if he doesn’t make a full recovery, it will ease the pain Brutus is experiencing from the disc in his spine. This will mean the recovery from the embolism will be easier on him.

I have raised the Go Fund Me to incorporate the cost of the surgery which is £4.5k. All I as is if you are unable to donate, please could you share for Brutus to get his story out there. This is a massive deal for him to be able to have some of his life back

Please can we try and get together and try and push this page to raise the funds. Thank you so much 💙💙🐾🐾

Update Brutus 15 days post paralysis
6 days post op.

It’s been emotional and exhausting for us but I really wanted to pick through and give you guys the updates I promised I would each day!!

Brutus is doing well considering everything. His surgical site as you can see is clean and we are hoping the stitches come out tomorrow. He gets itches he can’t scratch - like does that not sound like a level of hell you could get stuck in?? 😱😈

We are giving him the best scratches every so often. Brutus has never been crated and in the beginning he was becoming distressed. Unfortunately due to the fact that Brutus is a determined little boy who won’t let something like paralysis stop him from exploring the house while I sleep - he is now in an open top crate!

He doesn’t like it much and yes I have had to get in with him a few times!!

We have had a couple of moments with him where he has used his back legs. We believe they were conscious movements - the vet said if they are “conscious acts of movements” where Brutus is intentionally doing it with feeling then he could be downgraded from a FIVE to a THREE! This is MASSIVE but we are trying not get ourselves set that he will use them again but we hope every day.

Brutus loves being in the garden which is where we’ve spent most of our time. He is now on antibiotics to make sure he doesn’t get a UTI from the expressing urine.

The exhaustion is another level and the pain in my arms and back lugging round a 39kg boy.
Any tips or tricks would be amazing.

£7200 in we have also had to start a go fund me. It’s scary how fast the bills get out of hand. But you can’t buy love.