Bumbles and the Disc Injury

July 07, 2008

To the Staff at M.A.S.H.,

I want to thank everyone involved who has helped in the recent recovery of my beloved dog Bumbles. Some weeks ago we came home and found himcollapsed on his side in excruciating pain. We rushed him to our vet where he had exams and x-rays and the diagnosis was that had out of the blue developed a disc injury. We were frightened and concerned about the thought of submitting a 12-pound dog to invasive surgery.

 Bumbles went on intense crate rest for weeks, with painkillers every eight hours, anti-inflammatory meds and steroids. The steroids made him crazy and aggressive, a different dog from his easy going, loving nature, and they also gave him diarrhea. The painkillers would wear off on the dot every eight hours causing him to arch his back and literally scream with pain until the next dosage. It was heartbreaking. We went to the vet several times being told that going to Tufts for disc surgery was the best option, and started more muscle relaxants just to control his pain which our vet described as a 10 out of 10 on a pain scale.

After three weeks of more crate rest and the muscle relaxants he seemed to return to normal and we were allowed to let him out of the crate for quiet activities. We breathed a sigh of relief and tried to keep him quiet.   However, the muscle relaxants that he was still on were masking his symptoms so that he wanted to leap around and be crazy after weeks of being in the crate. The moment we stopped or slowed down the muscle relaxants we were back to square one and Bumbles would start crying in pain. Apparently, there was no healing at all.

We could not bear to see him in pain and we were on the point of going to Tufts to discuss the very expensive and invasive option of surgery, when I decided to contact the Japanese Chin Rescue Organization, which is from where we received Bumbles. I asked if anyone had any disc experience with this breed and what was the outcome. I heard from my contact there, who also contacted the president of the organization. They encouraged me to seek out other remedies, and that there ARE other solutions and they gave me the link for M.A.S.H.

At my first appointment everyone was concerned and was warmly interested in my dog’s recovery. They were right on board with my feelings that surgery is not the only answer. Dr. Kabler and Dr.Roman recommended chiropractic visits. My knowledge of chiropractics being null, I wasn’t sure what to think, but was committed to the idea of trying alternative medicine.   Bumbles began treatment with Ann Crashaw that week and within one week I had a different dog on my hands.

To my shock and amazement as I type this, it has been several weeks since he started treatment and he has been pain free. He hasn’t needed any sort of pain control for weeks. He is happy and alert, and engaged in the important doggy business of life: chewing toys, wagging his tail, and snuggling up on warm laps. His difference in his recovery is astounding. I cannot believe that from a few non-invasive painless treatments we have our dog back again.   This after weeks and weeks of no improvement from conventional methods and having to keep him drugged to keep him from crying.

I wish to thank everyone who has been helpful in Bumbles ongoing recovery and to encourage anyone faced with a similar dilemma to seek out other solutions if possible. I would not have believed it possible, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

                                                                     Good health to all,

                                                                       Eileen Walthall