BEAUFORT, SC....Cloud is a two-year-old lab mix puppy picked up as a stray a week ago with her brother. Her brother was very rambunctious, and Cloud was very reserved and shy. BCACS found a foster for this special girl since she was so quiet. Right after Cloud arrived, the foster noticed she was holding her neck as if it bothered her. Once the foster realized Cloud needed medical care, BCACS and the foster asked for help with this precious puppy.
I made arrangements with a local vet and had x-rays done. Nothing abnormal was found. Cloud was sent home with the foster and progressively went downhill. The following morning, Cloud lost the use of her front legs and did not want to move at all. I made arrangements for Cloud to be taken to CVRC in Charleston. Bloodwork and more X-rays were done in addition to a tick panel. Cloud was going downhill, and we still did not have any answers.
Critical Care and Neurology were both involved in evaluating her. An MRI was done that showed Cloud had hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus in dogs is where an excess of cerebrospinal fluid has leaked inside the dog's skull. The MRI also showed an area at the base of the skull that appeared to be blocked. We were not sure if we were dealing with an inflammatory condition, a fracture that could have caused a clot from an injury, or something genetic.
A spinal tap needed to be done, but we still needed more information. The following day, a CAT scan was done, and it revealed a small fracture near where the fluid was blocked. I now had three Neurologists and Specialists involved in figuring out the initial reason for the lameness and what could be done now. A spinal tap was done and sent out to be analyzed.
Cloud is the perfect name for this beautiful pup since her injuries and conditions have created the Perfect Storm of events. Our Neurologist, Dr. McManemon, decided something had to be done to stabilize Cloud's neck while we were waiting for the spinal tap and tick panel results. Dr. McManemon and her staff made a neck brace for Cloud. It appears to work in the interim while we wait for the results. Cloud can walk around and is much more comfortable.
In the meantime, we have some unbelievably high bills with ICU, MRI, CAT Scan, and all the special tests that had to be done. We have not even gotten to the part where we can do surgery for the hydrocephalus or repair the fracture.
With your help, we can give this puppy a good prognosis for a great Life. We need to determine what has caused all of her issues. Thanks for caring about Cloud and all the other pups in our care. Your support is greatly appreciated.
