PT and equipment for a dog that probably had a ruptured disk
Hello,
Our 15 year old mixed breed dog, about 60 lbs, has an injury our vet has said is likely a ruptured disk that is located between the base of his rib cage and his hips. She's recommended rest, a med regimen, bicycle motions when he's laying down a few times a day, and possibly figuring out a dog treadmill situation. We're still working on the latter.
Currently, he lacks proprioception in both hind feet, but the right is worse. He's trying to move his legs now whenever we take him out or get him up to move, but still won't put weight on his legs. This is an improvement over a week ago, when he was dragging his hind legs while we carried his back end with the sling. He doesn't exhibit any outward signs of pain, mostly just anxiety and lack of confidence and coordination. His front legs work just fine and he's quite strong, which is difficult for me to manage as someone with little upper body strength (though I'm working on it).
It's been two weeks now since his injury. We have a full chest harness for him (onetigris) and a GingerLead, but are open to equipment that better suits the situation. He's a lumpy boy with fatty lipomas, including a sizable one a few inches in front of his peen. We are also looking for input on his care and PT.
Thank you very much for reading this post. I'm looking forward to any advice you all are able to prove!