Wheelie Boy Babybear's Story

I am the proud mom to a 4 year old Yorkie and he is a disabled pup. He broke his neck on July 29,2006 by jumping off my lap. He had a congenitial defect in his neck that our vets knew noting  about. He had, had problems with his neck and the doctors kept telling me it was a pinched nerve in his neck and would send him home with some med's that made him feel really good. This was until that bad day he jumped off my lap. When he jumped he let out a one heck of a scream. It was so weird it scared me. I looked down on the floor and he was having a seizure then all of a sudden he was stiff as a board and his tongue was all blue. So my husband started giving him mouth to mouth. My husband and I ran to the truck and rushed him to the hospital. When we got there I took Babybear from my husband who was still breathing in Babybear's mouth and ran into the doctors with him crying to save him. They said one more minute and he would have never of been able to survive. The doctors did all kinds of tests to see what was wrong with him x-rays and blood work. I had to wait outside and the doctor came and asked me if I wanted everything done to save him. I said of course. So they did what they could to keep him alive. I had to leave because my husband was full of pee and poo. Babybear did this to him yuck. I took my husband home and then went back. The doctors said I could come back and see Babybear. They showed me he could not stand but thought this might be do to him having that bad seizure. The doctor showed me the x-rays and said there are no breaks in the neck and everything else looked fine they did not know what had happened, but they were still waiting for the blood results to come back. The Doctor told me to go home and come back in a couple hours so they could monitor him for a while. So I left him again .Babybear had a vet tech Denise with him the whole time. She never left his side. Oh did I mention this was a Saturday and there were a lot of people at the office that day. But Babybear was getting all the attention. My husband and I went back at 1 when the office closed so the doctor could talk to us without any interruptions. The doctor said the blood worked showed that Babybear had liver shunts, because his liver levels had changed since May. And that they were really bad but he did not know if Babybear was going to make it the weekend so we should take him to an ER for the weekend so if anything happened they would know what to do. Well, it sounded like the end for him and we were crying. We said we would take him home with us and care for him there. And if he happen to pass over the weekend we wanted it to be with the family that loved him not some strangers. So we took him home.
I sat with him all weekend long and I did not sleep one wink. The doctor said before we left if he was the same way come Monday we had to decide what we were going to do with him. We believe he was talking about putting Babybear to sleep. Hubby and I talked all weekend on what we were going to do. Babybear still could not move I was feeding him water out of a straw.He would eat a little but not much. I held him all weekend long. Well,he made it through the weekend with no change.
Monday morning I called the Vets office I was crying when talking to them making an appointment to have Babybear put to sleep. Hubby was really upset and he kept going outside and looking at Babybear and telling him he loved him. I was so heart broken I didn't know what to do with myself. His furless brother's and sister came to the house and pet him and told him they were going to miss him and they loved him. Then I the Vets office to cancel the appointment again. I told them I  was going to find another doctor for a second opinion. I took Babybear a hour away. To a new hospital ER it was really nice and all the people were nice. I talked to the new doctor and he told me that he didn't' think Babybear had liver shunts. He was a 22 month old at the time and he was 15 pounds liver dogs are small and have a hard time putting on weight. He told me he thought Babybear had Atlantoaxial Instability (AAI for short) I asked what that was. He said it is a congenital defect in the neck. It is a condition where the first two cervical vertebrae are not firmly attached. And he thinks that Babybear had broken his neck and asked if he could take more pictures of his neck. I said okay. About 5 minutes later the doctor came back and said he was right that Babybear had a very bad broken neck. He said that Babybear was internally decapitated he didn't know how I kept him alive all weekend. I told him with a lot of TLC. He told me he could do surgery on Babyear's neck and make him better and he said that there was a 85 to 90 percent chance he would walk again. Of course there are not guarantees with that. I told the doctor I didn't know if I could afford the surgery and what were his chances without it. He said there were no guarantees because he was shocked Babybear was still alive as it was. I said I had to go home and talk to my husband. I then asked if it was alright to take him with me. He said yes but keep doing what I had been doing all weekend. I told him of course she would. We went home and hubby and I talked. We found a way to come up with the money and called the vets ER the next day to tell them it was a go. So I got Babybear already the next morning to go to the hospital for his surgery. I was going to drive down and put Babybear in the back seat. I hadn't slept since Saturday so I was worried about driving. So when I put him in the back.He tried to turn his head to see where I was and he stopped breathing again. I said he stopped breathing again and I had to give him mouth to mouth again to bring him back. I rushed him to the ER. When we got there they said the doctor was called away on a emergency and he would not be back until tomorrow and bring Babybear back then. I said listen he had just stopped breathing again and if they would just keep him there. And that I hadn't slept in 3 days and I was scared next time I would not be fast enough with him to save him. And at this time he had really bad poop problems. When the nurse picked him up he sprayed poop all her and the walls. YUCKY.
He had my surgery the next day. The doctor called me and said he put wires and bone cement in Babybear's neck to keep it stable. I could come tomorrow and see him. I did and I was crying again. I got to go and get him on Friday. They taught me to give him physical therapy and gave him a bunch of pills to take.He was so weak I had to feed him with a syringe. I took really good care of him. He slept with me in my bed. My was hoping Babybear would get better. Babybear went for his 8 week check up and the doctor said he was doing great and asked if he was walking yet. I said nope. He said it looked good because he was standing on his back legs so he had strong muscle back there but he was losing them in the front. And I should start water therapy with him. So we went home and I filled the tub and he was put in the water. I called someone that owns a doggie swim spa and asked a bunch of questions.  He didn't want to move his legs but the water felt good to him after a while nice and warm. I continued to do this three times a week and still gave him physical therapy. I still does it.
I was talking to a lady on line about a wheelchair for Babybear. And her furbaby went to the rainbow bridge a few weeks later and she had a wheelchair and sent it to us so he could walk. We got the wheelchair and it didn't fit. So we sent it to the place that made it, but in the meantime I made him a wheelchair. Because he still needed help holding his neck I had to make a brace for his neck it was still weak. We got the new cart and it didn't fit right but he tried it he took a few steps but didn't like it at all. So he had a doctors appointment with his vet for some shots. I brought his cart with us. We tried everything and gave the doctor game me some ideas on what to do to try and make this work for Babybear. Then the Doctor and I started to talk about acupuncture. His doctor said funny you should mention that he was just starting to learn and become certified. He needed a study subject and chose Babybear. So he had been having acupuncture since March 2007. He still get it every week. He is trying to stand on his own. He even try getting up all by himself. He did it sometimes. I cries when he does it , but I says it is because I am happy.HeI only cries when he is hurt or sad. Well, the cart he had did not work for him. And I was hoping to try and make a front wheeled cart. Then I came acrossed Gizmo's Dogster page. I contacted Gizmo the Great's mom and asked a few questions. I was reading Gizmo the Great's page and saw he got his wheels from Eddie's wheels. I sat down and wrote them a letter and now he had to go in a week and get some measurements taken to get a new set of wheels. I was so excited. He might be able to be my shadow again. I couldn't wait. His back legs work good. His front legs do not. When I tries to walk him,he crosses his front legs he does not know why he looks at me like "I am tell them to go the right way and they don't". I do special massages to his legs and special exercises to his front legs to get them to go right and they won't. So we are hoping that with these new set of wheels things will go easier for him.
Sorry his story was so long. But it is hard to tell and understand unless you know everything. Now I will try to get the word out about this thing AAI so other pups and furparents do not have to go through what I have gone through. His doctor tells me all the time that he is a very lucky boy. Most furmom's and furdads' would have given up and put their pups to sleep. He is lucky to have us because we want to let me live a long long time. I tell him everyday since he hurt himself that I got him to be with me for a very long time and that is how I plans on keeping it.
Thank you for reading his story.

UPDATE: 3/25/09

We need to update everyone for the past 6 months or so. Babybear started Water Therapy with Melody at the Doggie Swim dome in New

Durham NH in August of 08 and he has made such great strides. He has started walking in a sling instead of the wheelchair. The wheechair is now sitting and this is a good thing. Babybear has learned he needs to put pressure on his legs in order to walk with the sling. Water therapy has stregnthed his legs and has made him more confident of himself.

He has started going outside to use the rest room this was in Sept-Oct of 08. He was getting so strong and doing so well. I have taken video of him walking with no help and we all were so excited.

Now comes winter around Nov 08 and snow starts to fall. Things start getting icy and I am scared to take Babybear outside for any walking because I am scared he will fall and injure himself so all walking is done in my house or at water therapy where he is safe. Babybear loves going to water therapy once or twice a week he sings all the way there. All I can say is if you have a facility near you please check them out because they can really save your pup with artheritis,hip displayser,wobblers,and many other problems. And it is also great exercise for you babies too. I know water therapy has helped Babybear so much I wish I would had been able to do it sooner. This has saved BB over the winter months not loosing any muscle mass. He has back tracked a little on his walking this winter but we will regain that when warmer weather comes.

Now it is Spring and life is coming back to all the trees,flowers and Babybear. Babybear is outside every day about 4 to 5 times having a blast he no longer has to wear a diaper as long as I am home and he does all his business outside. I know this is not a big deal for many but for Babybear it is a very big deal where he has worn a diaper for almost three years now and he has gone potty in that diaper so for him to go outside to do his business is a great feet.

Babybear is still using his sling to walk with and is getting stronger and stronger with every day. I am so proud to be Babybear's mom he has more courage, inspiration, and get up and go then you can believe for all he has gone through. He wants so much to please me and everyone else around him and is so happy when he gets praised for doing things that make us happy.

This morning I took BB out to go for his first walk of the day. He did his business and then started to walk across the drive way with me and I let go of his sling and he walked about 50 feet thinking I had a hold on him(I did not) and did it all alone. So we are all in great spirits here today and so proud of our boy.

We will try to keep this date line updated as much as possible. Thank you again for taking the time to read about Babybear.

I want to send out a special thank you to Melody for always never giving up on my little guy and for helping so many pups get thier legs back and become independent again. Don't know what I would do without her encouragement and special friendship. Please if you have a minute check out Melody's website in my link section below. Doggie Swim dome.