3 September 2003
Bran is doing well, in that it now seems to be just his left leg that's affected, and although there's no sign of recovery there yet he's learning that he can use his right leg, and is more cooperative and confident in getting around, helped by the fact that our handling techniques are improving every day.
He actually managed to stand unaided yesterday evening - but that was because the vet called round about 9pm to take some more blood, and the ringing of the doorbell at that time of night caused the usual ructions with wolfhounds barking and taking bets on which door it was, and poor Bran leapt to his feet in a complete panic before remembering he couldn't do that and falling over.
Thank you to everyone who has sent such lovely messages of support to us and Branigan. Please forgive us if there's a delay in replying - as you can imagine, the invalid boy's consuming huge quantities of our time and energy. We're trying to keep him stimulated mentally and physically as much as we can, and between that and the constant washing of bedding there just isn't enough time in the day to attend to correspondence and the website.
7 September 2003
In the last 24 hours Bran has made tremendous progress. At first we didn't dare hope that he was improving as quickly as it seemed. He was certainly managing to get around unaided over short distances, but appeared to be dragging his left leg rather than using it, and we felt he might be adapting well, rather than actually recovering.
Today, however, it's clear that he is making real progress. He still needs some help to get onto his feet (although that depends on whether or not he wants to!) Once there, he propels himself forward with a grim determination and resolve to get to where he's going, whether it's Darcy's bone or Clyde the Cat! He tires easily, of course, and can only manage short distances, often bending his knuckles over, but walk he does, and after all our fears and worry in the last week it's a joy to see. Our main problem now is going to be preventing him from doing too much!
Thank you again to everyone who has sent us good wishes and messages of support - it really has made a tremendous difference to us to know that you're all out there cheering him on.
9 September 2003
Branigan continues to make good progress. He's wearing a protective boot on his left paw, to prevent him damaging his knuckles and claws. This has the effect of making him sound like Frankenstein's monster as he stomps around the house, especially as he seems to find it easier to travel at speed than at a walking pace (must be a bit like riding a bike - the slower he goes, the more likely he is to fall over). So much so that we're now having great difficulty stopping him from racing round the garden.
5 September 2003
Many thanks to Jenny Kendall-Tobias of Radio Guernsey for appealing on Bran's behalf for the use of a heated swimming pool for hydrotherapy. And even more heartfelt thanks to the kind folk who came forward. We are now able to give Bran two sessions of hydrotherapy a week in a pool heated to 35 degrees, which has wide, shallow steps so that we don't have to throw him in at the deep end! We kept the first session very short and light to get him comfortable with being in the water. It didn't seem to be too stressful for him - but we'll have a better idea on Monday when we try to take him back.
12 September 2003
Hydrotherapy is going (dare we say?) swimmingly, with Bran actually swimming under his own steam for the first time.
His mobility generally continues to improve, and he clearly finds it easier to get about as he is now much more inclined to get himself up and go for a 'mooch' about the garden, or check out his toy box. Until the last couple of days, he's needed a specific reason to haul himself to his feet - such as dinner!
19 September 2003
We had a two hour visit from a veterinary physiotherapist yesterday. She was very impressed with the speed of Branigan's recovery, and is confident that he will recover fully with no limp. Music to our ears!
Rachel has taught us exercises to carry out on Branigan's weak leg - including weight training! Given that he already looks as though he's going to grow up to be a cart-horse, all we can say is, 'Watch out, Arnie! Branigan's coming!!'
26 September 2003
Apart from having acquired a huge bursa on his left elbow, Branigan continues to make remarkably strong progress. He no longer needs the protection of a boot, and is back to normal levels of mischief, even with the handicap of wearing a 1lb weight around his hock (one of Anne's old keep-fit wrist weights, finally being put to good use!).
We're continuing with hydrotherapy twice weekly. Bran can now swim six lengths of the (admittedly, small) pool, though he still regards the whole the whole thing as a cruel and unnatural punishment.
10 October 2003
There hasn't been a great deal of change in the past two weeks, but Rachel, the physiotherapist, has visited again and is satisfied with Branigan's progress. She has assured us that we can expect continued slow improvement for several months yet. The difficulty now is that Bran is fit enough and strong enough to accomplish most things that he wants to do without using his left leg, so being a typical lazy wolfhound, he's tending to carry it with him as baggage rather than making it work.
24 October 2003
Our thanks to Margaret Gorman of Tanzania for suggesting that Branigan might get on better in the pool with a life jacket. In spite of living on a small island with an active boating community, the existence of canine life-jackets hadn't occurred to us, but it's made a huge difference. Not only is he now comfortably swimming 14 lengths of the pool each session - he's doing it on his own! Previously, for safety reasons, two of us had to be there with him, one to support him in his floundering efforts, and the other in case a panicking Branigan took his co-swimmer to the 8' depths!
Now, just one of us can launch Bran into the pool at the shallow end, then run to the deep end to entice him with a scrummy treat, repeating the exercise until the requisite number of lengths is completed. With the onset of winter, and the fact that, although heated, the pool is outside, not getting wet is a vast improvement (for us, anyway) . . .
"Hey, you guys, wait for me!"
5 December 2003
It's now just over three months since Branigan injured his back, and to our great disappointment he remains very lame. The severity of the limp varies with different paces - whilst mooching around the house it's barely noticeable, but at a fast walk it becomes a very obvious lurch, only to almost vanish again as he speeds up to a quite pacy bunny-hopping run. It impedes him not at all, except that he's not able to keep up with Chewie and Darcy for long periods, and looks utterly pathetic trailing along at the rear of the pack bleating, 'Hey, wait for me, you guys!'
Hydrotherapy has come to an enforced halt with the colder weather, but today Branigan visited a chiropractor, who thinks that the residual lameness is caused by his pelvis being out of alignment. He's hopeful that he may be able to correct the problem - keep your fingers crossed and watch this space!
Out and about for the first time, nine days after his injury.
Home again, sedated and exhausted, after three hours of blood tests and x-rays.
1 September 2003
Two days ago Branigan hurt his back while playing with Darcy. Although there didn't appear to be any injury at the time, our vet thinks that part of a damaged disc is cutting of the blood supply to the nerves that supply his back legs (fibrocartilaginous embolus) as a result of which he is unable to stand.
The prognosis is good, and we hope he will be fully mobile in 2-4 weeks, but meanwhile he is receiving intensive nursing care and more fuss and attention than can possibly be good for his ego!
Darcy is most concerned about him, and can't understand why we're staggering about the place like a weird set of conjoined triplets, with me at Bran's front end, Paul supporting the rear with a towel, and poor Branigan doing his best to make some progress in the middle!
Convalescing in the garden.
Opening a 'get-well' present from Auntie Diane in Malvern - needless to say, the wrapping was as much fun as the toy!
"Can we go home, now please?"
"I'm not at all sure about
this, Dad!"
"They put me in that pool again!"
"I fell over!"
Modelling his new Buster boot.
His second hydrotherapy session/swimming lesson went well, and he's almost swimming unaided. We can't honestly say that he enjoys it, but at least it doesn't seem to throw him into total panic, and we're hopeful that he will benefit once he learns to accept being in the water.
"Warm and dry now - that's better!"
"Don't let go of me, Mum -
I can't swim!"
"I can't swim! I can't swim!
Oh, well . . . maybe I can. . ."
"Couldn't I work out in the gym instead of the pool?"
"HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!"
"Dad, I'm sure that nice physio lady said pizza was good for weak legs!"
"She definitely did, Dad, honest!"
. . . and moving at speed without it.
Showing off his purple ankle weight . . .
"Fancy saying I'm lazy!"
"This is just so undignified! What do they think I am, a Newfie??"
25 February 2004
There's been very little improvement in Branigan's lameness, though his increased size and strength mean that he's better able to keep up with the pack, and in fact, is often in the lead. He saw the chiropractor again a couple of weeks ago, and even he was disappointed at how little progress he's made. He's beginning to look like a wheel-chair athlete - he has very well developed, muscular neck, shoulders and chest, but his back legs are weak and look out of proportion to his body. He can gallop quite fast when he wants to, as he pulls himself along by his front legs with great power, but he has no drive from his hindquarters, and quite often he seems to carry his weak leg as Jack Russells sometimes do when they run quickly.
Apprentice Pack Leader
The good news is that he seems completely unaware that he has a problem and it rarely stops him from doing what he wants to do - he can walk, trot (though that's his worst gait), run and gallop. Very occasionally on walks he will try to follow Darcy up rocks or down a steep bank and get himself into difficulties, but he's got great determination and always manages in the end. And people respond to him so positively. Many people are alarmed when a wolfhound is heading towards them, but they see Branigan come lolloping along like a car with a flat tyre, with a big grin on his face and they can't help but smile, so he spreads a little happiness every day.
June 2004
While we were in the UK on holiday we took the opportunity of having Branigan examined by a neurologist at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. She fully agreed with our vet's diagnosis and could find no other factors contributing to his lameness. She felt that although there might be some slight progress in the next few months it is unlikely that there will be any substantial improvement, and other than continue with his swimming, there is nothing more to be done.
We later met a wolfhound breeder who has a young wolfhound with the same problem, and she was very impressed with Branigan's movement as her dog is in much worse condition and has great difficulty in getting around, even though like Branigan, it's now nearly a year since his injury.
We can now appreciate the extent to which Branigan has recovered, and can accept him and enjoy him for the wonderful wolfhound character and handsome boy that he is, rather than regretting what cannot be.
If you know of a suspected case of FCE please contact Ellen Kroll of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America.
She tries to keep track of the number of cases around the world and share helpful information.
Email or telephone: USA 425-377-1390