Emi
Emi is a tiny dog who has been through so much, but has never ever lost her spirit.
Emi lived a very active lifestyle until she was 4 and a half. She loved her walks and would run around for miles, even coming along to active UK holidays to the Peak District and Lake District. In January 2020 I noticed she seemed a little stiff on her back legs, and was reluctant to jump or climb onto the sofa. I believed it was maybe just the cold weather affecting her joints, but booked into the vets as a precaution. The vet performed a few tests, one being the placement and reflex of her back paws. When her toes were bent over, she didn’t correct the position, the vet was worried something was wrong with her spine and straight away referred us to a specialist vet for an MRI the very next day.
Emi stayed at the specialists for a couple of nights whilst having the MRI and a few other tests. I got a phone call to say they had discovered that Emi had a spinal deformity (Hemivertibra). In simple terms, her spine was deformed and squashing/damaging her spinal cord. This was something she would of been born with, but strangely showed no symptoms of up until this point. I was told to take Emi home and rest her for a few weeks to see if her mild symptoms became any better.
Unfortunately only 2 weeks later Emi had deteriorated drastically and was noticeably unhappy and in a lot of discomfort. I rushed back to the specialist vet as an emergency and another MRI was performed to check for any changes. No difference was found, and I was given two options. The first option was to keep her mostly rested for the rest of her life. No running, playing, or long walks. The second option involved major surgery. Her spine would be cemented and pinned in place to release pressure and prevent any further damage to her spinal cord. After a lot of stress, worrying and not knowing what to do for the best, I decided surgery was her best option, and she was booked in for a few days later.
The day Emi was dropped off for surgery the UK went into “lockdown” due to Covid 19. Luckily the surgery still went ahead as planned because it was classed as an emergency. In total Emi spent 6 days at the specialist vets. Her surgery went well and I was kept updated with phone calls every day. She had unfortunately lost most of the use in her back left leg, but this was normal and we hoped with lots of rest it would improve. When I was finally able to collect Emi I was a mix of emotions. So happy to see her yet so terrified of how fragile she was. She was to be crate rested for 8 weeks. Only being allowed out to be carried to grass for toilet breaks, or for her at home physio exercises. The recovery was so tough, not once did Emi kick up a fuss. Her brain wouldn’t allow her to believe she was weak, i think she would of tried to run if I had let her!
With months and months of hard work, physio, hydrotherapy, underwater treadmill, Emi regained some use in her back legs. She still doesn’t have great feeling in them, especially the left. She scrapes her toes when she walks so has to wear little shoes to protect her feet. Emis condition will never go away. Unfortunately the damage to her spinal cord means she will inevitably decline as time goes on. On top of her ongoing spinal condition, Emi has suffered with two slipped discs in her neck within the space of the last 8 months. Luckily they have both been diagnosed as a lower grade, so we have avoided more surgery and opted for strict 8 weeks of crate rest and lots of medication. She has a noticeably funny walk and she gets tired very quickly, but she still runs around and enjoys the “Zoomies”.
Emi’s life from now on will be a little different. She will not be able to manage long walks, strictly no jumping or rough playing either. She now has a “Pug Buggy” so that she can still enjoy the outdoors, and have somewhere to rest once she gets tired. Through all of the tests, vets visits and stress, Emi not once lost her amazing spirit. When I wanted to cry from the stress, Emi would be there (sneezing in my face) and reminding me that she’s happy, and that is the most important thing.
One day Emi may lose full use of her back legs, and she may even need a wheelchair, but just looking at her face I know I can never give up on her. Everyone that meets Emi comments on how happy she is, even with her condition.
She’s sassy, demanding, and will do anything for a snack.
