Carmella Gets Her Leg Brace!

A box arrived on my doorstep today that was about 1 foot square. It seemed smaller than I imagined, but when I opened it there was the brace sitting diagonally amongst balls of newspaper.  I took it out and looked it over. There was no assembly required other than to position the straps with velcro that was attached to screws on either sides.

Trying it on Carmella was a little tricky. She got a little irritated with all the fiddling around with her foot because it didn't seem to want to fit into the shoe part.  She lay on the bed and didn't want to get up at first.

When I did get her to stand she started off on tiptoe.

but gradually as she wore it longer her foot slipped down into more of a correct position.

I had to watch her to make sure she didn't try to chew it, and I gave her a rawhide chew to occupy her until she got used to the brace.

For awhile she hopped like a bucking bronco or held it out to the side and tried holding it up and walking on three legs, but after about an hour she seemed to almost forget she had it on.

I decided to se how she did outside in the back yard, and it wasn't long before she started running with it on. She still looked a little like a bucking bronco, but over time ran more naturally.

I was kind of surprised that she didn't trip even once! She began to look like all the dogs in the videos I watched! Alot of photos were too blurred but I managed to get a few good action shots.

Here she is carrying a stick in her mouth. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining.

Carmella looks like a racehorse when she runs! The instructions said to just keep the brace on her for an hour or so a few times a day, so once statred getting tired shelay in the grass for awhile.

Then I took her back inside, took it off, and went back to working on my custom order metal clay ring so that it would be ready to ship on Saturday. Carmella had a look of satisfaction on her face as though she knew that things were on the way to healing.

Sales have begun to pick up somewhat on Etsy in recent weeks!  Keep it coming. I just paid a chunk on my Care Credit bill, but there's still a long way to go before the balance is paid off.

My new copper flower line is out now, so to help contribute towards Carmella's medical costs please consider purchasing some of these pieces, buy an ad on my blog, and/or use the donation button in my sidebar.

Thanks to all those who have already purchased or donated.

Blogging about Carmella's situation, tweeting about it, and posting links on your various social networking sites will help, as will sending your friends to either of these shops;

http://giftbearer.etsy.com/

http://giftbearersupply.etsy.com/

I need to start planning now for Carmella's stem cell transplant, and in the meantime the brace will prevent her injury from getting worse while I raise the necessary funds.

There's a vet reviewing her X-rays as we speak. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Carmella Sees The Orthopedist

This morning we headed to Northlake Veterinary Surgery to find out the extent of the damage to Carmella's ligament and get her set up for a custom brace.

The office was not far from my house, set off the street in an unassuming little building surrounded by a small strip of land containing ornamental grass like that outside of GA. Veterinary Specialists. Sitting just outside Stone Mountain nobody would know from looking at the outside that this small clinic housed state-of-the-art facilities and dealt in high-dollar treatment for canine and feline orthopedic disorders.

Only when you entered did you find out that many rescue organizations brought their dogs here; dogs with broken legs needing repair, dogs with hip displaysia, and dogs with a whole variety of joint and ligament problems, many of whom had been down on their luck until finding that right person willing to go to the mat for them.

A large black Newfoundland limped with his owner to the car, back leg and side shaved.

As we waited in the waitingroom a red Doberman came out with an elderly woman. "What a beautiful dog" I commented.

The woman regarded me with amusement and with a tight-lipped smile said, "An expensive dog!" Sure, it was pure-bred, and most likely show quality but that wasn't what she meant.

Carmella pulled heavily on her leash and whined in anticipation of meeting new people, new dogs, and new experiences. She looks at the world with curiosity and wonder much as a young child does on vacation.

The receptionist asked me to fill out another new patient form because the online system had failed and they'd lost data for the past week. My friend and I talked to each other and some of the women in the waitingroom.

A few dogs came and went and then a vet tech called Carmella back to one of the inner examining rooms.

I noticed that the room contained two small rugs; one on the table and the other on the floor below. Carmella nosed around sniffing and listening at the door to the people and dogs who had come in the front entrance, then plopped down on the small swatch of carpet in front of the chair I was sitting in. She got up and lay down several times, bounced on her leg trying to propel herself forward with exuberance toward the sounds she heard coming from the next room.

In walked a tall, thin young man with dark brown curly hair and a scruffy beard who looked more like a stoner than someone you'd expect to find in an animal hospital. He wore blue scrubs and seemed a little disheveled. He came around the metal examining table with outstretched hand smiling broudly.

"Miss Carlington?" he said in a falsetto voice. "I'm Dr. Corse". Shaking my hand, he then looked at Carmella who had already started to jump up on him. "She's not shy" he laughed, taking hold of her on the head with both hands and looking her in the eye. Carmella licked him and wagged her tail.

"This dog has a very interesting history" he went on. "Dr. Muller told me, and I don't think I've ever really seen a case like hers with myoclonus and a carpal ligament injury. Whether or not the two are related is hard to know for sure but we can do both a neuro exam and an orthopedic exam to see how much of this is related to possible nerve damage and how much related to the ligament, how much might be arthritis-related with one of the joints in the wrist." He went on to explain that in some cases the central nerve can be affected and cause lameness and sometimes it is intact and not a contributing factor.

We discussed the options of surgery, a brace, and stem cell transplant, and I was glad that he was not averse to the idea of stem cell transplant although he said that not alot of research has been done on its use on this type of ligament. He had heard about that German Shepherd with Hip Dysplasia on TV lately who had a successful outcome treated by Dr. Hines in Alpharetta. I told him I would rather work towards regeneration of the ligament than destruction of bone which would forever and irreversibly change her range of motion. I couldn't bring myself to go that route. Something about it is repugnant to me. He said with the brace there was no rush to do surgery, but that he didn't think it would heal from the amount of scar tissue which might develop over time and her leg would probably do the same flimsiness once it was removed after any length of time.

In any case stem cell transplant might or might not work, but it sure couldn't do any harm. I'd heard the same thing about the CSF procedure from Dr. Muller, and it ended up working to cure the distemper, so I thought, this kind of statement is a good sign. Maybe the two are cut from the same cloth.

He examined Carmella's response to pinching the top of her foot and leg, and tapped on her tricep. He noted that the main nerve was intact but that there could be some problem in smaller surrounding nerves although it was impossible to know for sure because of the jerking that might be disrupting her reflexes.

Then he walked her around and felt all her joints, commented on what good overall physical condition she was in.

I told him that I had read up on the brace and that would give me time to look further into the stem cell transplant and exactly which technique might help heal both of her current problems in the leg, while preventing any further deterioration. He seemed to think that was a good plan, and said he could take some X-rays to see what small parts of the wrist might be affected so that the right brace could be built for her. They would put her under "light sedation" and then move her leg to see how far it hyperextends on X-ray. I asked whether there was any risk of making the injury worse, and he said that the pressure applied for that was less than the pressure she applied standing on it.

He said that they could do that and make the mold today and that it would all take about 2 hours or so.

They said they'd call me when she was all done and then my friend and I left to kill some time at my house. Carmella was finished around 3:00 and we headed back to pick her up. She was a little calmer than usual but not extremely sedated.

The vet filled out some forms, and I filled out some forms related to the brace, the vet tech told me it would be delivered to me in about two weeks and then the receptionist checked me out. The bill just about knocked me out and I asked her to give me as much time on my Care Credit as humanly possible because I'm going to need it! I pulled out a few of my business cards and asked her to spread the word to all the staff that I make jewelry and that these sales will help pay off Carmella's veterinary expenses. She nodded and took them.

Carmella had a lttle bit of diarrhea in the pinestraw outside but other than that did not to seem to have any side-effects.

We headed home and I gave her dinner, then finished a small bowl of pasta myself.

I listed a few things in my supply shop while Carmella took a nap. Then I took some cute pictures of her when she woke up stretched and moved around a bit in the kitchen.

I want to thank all those who have donated recently! Your contributions are much appreciated! To those who are reading and would still like to help Carmella, keep it coming;

* Purchase an ad on my blog in the "Top Spots"
* Buy Jewelry from http://giftbearer.etsy.com/
* Purchase Supplies from http://giftbearer.etsy.com/
* Use the Please Donate to Carmella Button in my sidebar for whatever amount you can afford.

Every reader who helps Carmella in any of these ways will be an important part of the solution and will bring us a little closer to our goal of $6,000.

In today's economy medical expenses can be almost as devastating as the health problems they come from, not only in human health but for pets as well. These animals rely on us to be their protectors, and as any animal-lover can attest, they give back so much more!

Step by step we are returning Carmella, this incredibly special dog, to full health.

With Love and Action All Things Are Possible!

New Possibilities for Carmella

A company called Ortho Pets is improving the lives of lame dogs and even some cats with custom-made braces and prostheses making normal ambulation easier and more comfortable.

After speaking with Dr. Muller a few weeks ago I did some reading and found that with rest and protection from further damage some ligaments can improve and in some cases heal.

Scar tissue can build up around damaged ligaments and strengthen them enough to bear the weight a dog normally puts on his or her legs.

Carmella now has an appointment for Wednesday, April 21st with a veterinary orthopedist named Dr. Corse of Northlake Veterinary Surgery who will take a look at her Carpal Ligament and make a mold of her right front leg which can then be used to create a custom brace.

I went to the website of Ortho Pets which seems to be the leader in the orthotic and prosthetic device field for animals, and what I saw was quite innovative!

After reading everything I e-mailed them and sent pictures of Carmella's leg, and one of the owners of the husband and wife-run business wrote me back with some initial recommendations.

Included was this link to a video of one of 4 types of devices used in cases like Carmella's in which the Carpal ligament is unstable and lax. This particular dog is wearing two braces of this type, and has the problm in both front legs. The dog, is able to get around quite well, and unlike with the surgery that is usually recommended for these dogs the legs are not fully rigid and the device allows for some natural bend in the leg. This type has a shoe at the bottom;
http://www.vimeo.com/9601164

Here's a dog with a similar model but on just one front leg;
http://www.vimeo.com/9131566

This one is another variation that does not have a shoe on it, for dogs that don't need quite as much support;
http://www.vimeo.com/9120305

This is a dog with only 2 legs using two of their prosthetic devices!
http://www.vimeo.com/9120345

The quote I was given for Carmella's particular orthotic is around $500 (for just the brace, not including whatever else she might need).

I don't know for sure whether this is paid for through the vet's office or directly from the company but I hope I can initially pay with Care Credit, as I don't have that kind of cash! I am still way far away from my financial goal and have several thousand dollars yet to raise. Carmella has had more than her share of bad luck for one lifetime, maybe even two lifetimes!

I've been trying to limit the amount of exercise she gets until she can get one of these, but that is pretty hard to do beause she tears around the house even when I let her into my room at night to get up on my bed. I'm always worried she's going to injure her leg further because she bounces around so much. She hardly ever just walks from one room to another; she runs at top speed and makes sharp, jarring turns just about whenever she moves. Giving her a rawhide bone keeps her still for awhile, but she is so high energy that  she'd nearly have to be sedated to get her to slow down!

In an effort to bring in some funds I've pulled out a few art pieces I made that I've held back for a few years, but will now offer these for sale to pay for Carmella's expenses. I hope there are historical collectors and other enthusiasts who would like to buy these.

The first two are paintings from my September 11th Series. They are the only remaining paintings I have, as the others were lost at a gallery and I have been unable to locate the rest of the set.

It Makes You Realize What's Really Important

12 1/2" X 12 1/2"

$300

These are both framed.

George W. Bush in the Oval Office

12 1/8" X 15 1/4"

$350

The third is a ceramic sculpture.

Papoose

6" X 3 1/2" X 4"

$135

The sculpture was inspired by Eskimo art.

Please leave a comment if you're interested in purchasing one or more of these art pieces and leave a way for me to contact you and I'll provide you my Paypal e-mail.

If you would like to help Carmella there are a number of different ways to do so;

1) Purchase one of the art items in this article

2) Buy a small Top Spot banner ad in my sidebar through Scratchback

3) Purchase jewelry from http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

4) Purchase supplies from my supply store at http://GiftbearerSupply.etsy.com

5) And/Or use the donation link on the top right of my sidebar in whatever amount you can afford.

Please also forward the link to my blog to as many people you know as you can and ask that they be a part of the solution as well. I'm beginning to worry if things don't pick up soon that I may not be able to pay the minimum payment on my veterinary credit card. With your help the balance can eventually be paid off and we can get her the help she needs to fully heal from what has happened to her.

Keep Carmella walking and running!

My goal is $6,000