Hello Our 3 year old frenchie Hector fell ill last week and suddenly lost all movement on his rear end which also made him incontinent. He was referred to an orthopaedic specialist Friday and was kept in over the weekend. At first the surgeon thought it was a possible ‘slipped disk’ but we were also told it could be a number of other possible problems such as inflammation of the CNS, possible meningitis the list goes on. After some tests (CT scan/lumbar puncture) the surgeon was still unsure of the problem, as the lumbar puncture was contaminated with blood and the CT scan showed only large malformations of the vertebrae, (which i believe to be common in 95% of french bulldogs), we were informed that as hector is now 3 the malformations are unlikely to be the problem as it generally has an effect in the first year of the dogs life. He has been put on a high dose of steroid and anti inflammatory and has regained some movement over the last 5 days but is still very weak probably at around 40% mobility. Has anybody tried CBD in dogs? Is it effective for inflammation? Or are we just clutching at straws? It breaks our heart to see him like this and we are trying to explore every avenue other than extensive surgery and a lot more money spent. Thanks
I am very sorry to read about your Frenchie's problem and am sorry I cannot help with any advice. But you say the cerebrospinal fluid that was drawn was contaminated with blood. Did they say whether the blood was caused by the insertion of the needle used or if it was in the fluid itself?
Can't advise with your own dog, but can I say, don't give up too soon. A friend had a dog that was totally immobile for almost three months. The vets couldn't find what was wrong. At 11 weeks in, the dog picked up very slowly and eventually came back to full mobility. It never happened again and she never did find out what caused it
Thank you for the reply. Yes the surgeon said they must had hit a small blood vessel with the insertion of the needle.
Thanks for the reply. Thats really positive to hear and and we really hope thats the case with hector. Think its just a case of the unknown thats thrown us out. The fact they cant pin point a condition and treat it accordingly.
They would have known that of course by the colour in the fluid - had there been blood in the fluid itself if would have not have been the colour of fresh blood caused by the needle hitting a small blood vessel as the fluid would show different discolourations according to what the cause was, such as inflammation of the CNS somewhere. Regarding spinal surgery - I would not rush into it if I were you, especially as this only started last week. Hopefully the steroids and anti-inflammatories will be effective and for the moment that is about all you can do. I do not think I would recommend CBD - it is still very unknown as to what it helps and there is no guarantee that it would make any difference. Sending healing {{{vibes}}} for Hector.
Enforced rest offers the best chance of healing spinal injuries without surgery. No stairs, no sofas, - just bed rest, (preferably crated), with on-lead trips to the garden, and veterinary anti-inflammatories, for around six weeks. It isn't easy to stick to - especially when they start to feel better - but it is the best chance for the body to heal itself. I have used CBD oil for my old lad who has suffered from inoperable so-called benign bowel tumours for the last 5 years. He is not currently on it as Ed does have blood loss from his bowel. Though CBD can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, it also has blood-thinning properties, which is why they recommend that it should be discontinued at least 10 days before surgery.
Very sorry to hear this. Hopefully the surgeon can do something for the little guy. Best of luck to you and Hector.
