GREENVILLE, SC.....Adorable LILY is a 3 year old Dachshund that was hit by a car in Greenville, SC. A passerby saw it happen and rushed her to Animal Control. Lily was in terrible pain when she arrived and could not move her back legs. We were contacted and told that she was on pain meds and that she had a broken pelvis but they thought she would be fine once she healed. Because of her injury she had to be out ASAP or she would be put down if no one stepped up for her. We made arrangements for her to be taken to our vet in Columbia, SC. where she would get cage rest and would be back to normal in no time. The next morning, I got a phone call from the vets and they informed me that Lily had no feeling in her rear legs and she had no control over her bowels or kidneys. Our little girl was paralyzed in her rear section and her pelvis was broken. There was nothing they could do for her and she needed to go to a Neurologist and have more scans done or she needed to be put down. Well, I can’t even begin to tell you how devastated I was with this news. Lily was now our little baby. I decided to get her to the Neurosurgeon in Charleston and see if they had any good news. I spoke to the Neurologist and he said that there was no point in doing any scans he already knew all he needed to know. Lily’s back was broken right above where her hip begins. Lily would never walk again and the chance of her ever having bowel or bladder control were slim and they would put her down. Our little girl was happy and sweet and other than her injuries, she was perfect in every way. She was dealing with what had happened to her by giving everyone kisses and licks and never complained. I told them to give me a little time to come to grips with this new outcome and I would let them know what my decision was. By the end of the day, I knew there was no way I could put Lily down. We would get her a cart and learn how to express her bladder, etc. The surgeons came back and said that is not possible given her condition. Her spine is broken and her spinal cord is compressed and damaged. I was now so confused and upset that I just cried. Here is a beautiful, loving little dog that is perfect in every way except for her injuries. I went back to the surgeon and told him that all the things he had described were inconveniences but were something I would figure out how to deal with. I wanted him to go in and stabilize her spine and repair the injuries so she could eventually use a cart. He said there is a 5% chance she will walk again and get back control of her bladder and bowels with the surgery. He went on about how costly the surgery was going to be and I still said to go ahead and operate. I really don’t know if he was shocked or happy. He did the surgery last week and stabilized the spine. The pelvis will heal with rest which she will be getting while she is recovering. It will be a while before we know the outcome. Because she is at a greater risk for infection than other surgical cases, she has to have a special nurse that is caring for him in her home. She has started to move her legs a little and her pain is improving.
I know there are going to be a lot of people that will not agree with my decision. It was my decision to make and whatever the balance is for her that we do not raise, I will personally be paying. People have unfortunate injuries all the time and are paralyzed. We do not put them down and I could not put her down. No matter what the prognosis, we will never turn our backs on any animal we agreed to rescue. Once rescued, always rescued and safe with us. I am praying for her to have a long happy life, running around in a tiny little cart with a big smile on her face. When she has recovered from her injuries, we will be looking for a great home where she will be loved and adored forever.
Lily is doing great since her surgery. She has started to move her tail which is a good sign. Her catheter is being removed today and we will express her bladder from now on.
Dear Lily is winning over the hearts of everyone that gets to meet her. She is peeing and pooping on her own. We only have to express a small amount of urine from her bladder. She still cannot use her cart until her spine and pelvis have had time to completely heal. She does not like being on restricted exercise and is dragging herself all over her play area. I am so glad we stepped up for this incredible little girl. She is a delight to be around and is always happy and loving. As you can see, she is surrounded by lots of toys to wrestle with in her special area. Lily has 8 more weeks before she will be approved to use her cart. She is getting rehab while she is recovering so her legs will be ready to go when we get the go ahead on her cart. She is a delight to look after.
Adorable Lily has finally healed enough so she can go to Aiken, SC to the Carolina Animal Rehabilitation & Exercise facility so she can get back her ability to walk or atleast give her the best possible chance. She has had her spinal surgery and now the only thing holding her back are her legs. She has gotten back 90% of the function of her kidneys and her bowels are 100% back. In addition to getting water and physical therapy, she will also be getting laser treatments and acupuncture. Dr. Maria Glinski is the best at bringing dogs back that no one else can. She has worked on several of our dogs. Without her, those dogs would not be walking today. We have committed to Lily getting two solid weeks of therapy. Everything that can be done to help Lily live as normal a life as possible will be done during this time frame. After that, it will be possible for us to continue her physical therapy. Lily has had a terrible Urinary Tract Infection that we are working to clear up during this time. Dr. Maria will also be doing acupuncture to see if she can get back the full function of Lily’s Kidneys. If she can void 100% on her own, then her risk for infection goes down completely. Lily is the sweetest, more adorable little Dachshund. She has fought against all of the odds and is winning. At the beginning, all the doctors thought we were wasting our money. Saving a life is never a waste of money. We believed in Lily and she is proving us right. Look at the wonderful picture of her moving her legs in the water. Once she is done with all of her physical therapy, she will be ready for adoption. Lily loves everyone but kitties. She seems to be obsessed with kittens and we are afraid that once her legs really start moving she might catch one and we DO NOT want that to happen.
