Joypod

Thanks Little Gifts. Yes, it's a necropsy not an autopsy but I couldn't remember the right word. Thanks. I understand what you're saying and I think it's because absolutely everyone is stumped by Gus dying during a procedure which is normally very safe, that I want answers. When I found out about his bloodline not being what I thought it was (because his 'supposed' great grandfather lived a long and healthy life), I felt like this could be the reason everyone is looking for. I will wait until the necropsy results come through before doing anything further.

The dye used in the myelogram was obviously the issue. That's my point. He reacted to it where the overwhelming majority of dogs don't which is why I'm hoping an autopsy will find a cause. If he was predisposed to reacting to the dye in myelograms because of his bloodlines, then that's something I would have wanted to know about. I don't apologise for wanting to hold the breeder accountable for providing incorrect information and quite frankly find your suggestion that I 'settle down' insulting.

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hehe, one step ahead of you persephone. :) I called Gus's surgeon earlier today who said if Gus has never had any prior issues chewing marrow bones then he should be fine. He said it shouldn't cause any damage to his cervical discs.

Thanks Mim.

Ok, so let's assume I'm not feeding marrow bones anymore and he's getting turkey necks. For those of you who have experience with DDD, would he be at risk of a disc rupture from chewing a bone?... turkey, marrow, or other. thanks

Sorry...I don't know anything about DDD, but wouldn't he get better benefit for his teeth if you were to give him turkey necks to chew on I would imagine that a big marrow bone would only wear his teeth down...not clean them. Hi Sheena, Thanks for the reply. Gus has always had meaty marrow bones to chew on and his teeth and clean, strong and in great condition. Not worn down at all. :)

Hi All, Gus has recently recovered from a ventral slot decompression of a ruptured cervical disc but now has to be managed for degenerative disc disease (eg, no jumping up or down off things, no rough play, etc). Prior to his disc rupture, he'd get a big marrow bone once a week or so to help keep his teeth clean. This might sound like a slightly silly question but given his disc rupture was in his neck, will giving him a bone to chew (and chew hard like he does), put him at risk of rupturing other discs? What are your thoughts? I'm especially keen to hear from those of you who have a dog with degenerative disc disease. Many thanks :)

Gus went through desensitization with injections monthly for about 2 years. He showed a marked improvement in his itch within the first 12 months and then stabilized. I would have rated his itch at about a 7-8 out of 10 when he started and he's been consistently at 2 for the 6 months since he stopped his injections. So for me (and him of course), it was successful.

Thanks all for your replies. Based on what you've said, if we do decide to get another dog, it will need to be smaller (so it doesn't out-weigh Gus) and old enough to be over the desire to play roughly. Still lots to think about. ;)

Great advice! Any thoughts on breeds that don't play roughly though? I can't think of any and would imagine it would come down to the temperament of the dog?

Thanks for this.

Hi All, I'm hoping to get some advice please. My 6.5 year old French Bulldog, Gus, recently had surgery to remove a ruptured disc in his neck. As a result, we learnt he has degenerative disc disease and that rough play will now put him at risk of rupturing other discs. Unfortunately, this meant rehoming our other dog, Daisy. Daisy is a large whipped cross who is 10kgs heavier than Gus and who plays very roughly with him. We actually think she might have been the cause of his injury in the first place. Anyway, my lovely cousin who has a Dalmatian has adopted Daisy and she's fitted in well with her new family. She's happy and well. My concern now is with Gus. He's been with Daisy since they were 6 months old so I'm concerned about him now being an only dog. BUT, "rough play will put him at risk" according to his surgeon. My dilemma is, do I try to adopt another dog (I'm thinking even another Frenchie) who will be the same size or smaller than Gus and therefore might not play as hard as Daisy did, or do I just keep Gus by himself for the rest of his life. I work from home every Monday and have every second Tuesday off but otherwise (apart from weekends) Gus is alone at home with only a grumpy cat to keep him company. I'm keen to hear your thoughts because I'm at a loss about what to do. With thanks :)

Well, yes, and hind-sight really is 20:20 vision. My mistake was trusting what I was being told. For example, I asked Chelie who was taking Gus and Daisy home and she told me they went home with her because they got along so well with her other two dogs. She talked of them snuggling on the couch together, playing and sleeping together. I trusted what she told me and had no reason not to. My two never came home looking or behaving like anything untoward had happened and they were always really excited when I dropped them off. That's why I was so horrified to learn the truth... and the pieces started to fall into place. Like, there were maybe 50 or more dogs there at any one time but I never saw more than maybe 3 or 4 people working there. Soooo, how could all the dogs go home with a carer??? Seems obvious now but when you want to believe something, you generally do. I wanted to believe I was leaving my two very precious dogs with someone who genuinely cared about them and their welfare and I had no reason to believe otherwise. And that's why I feel terrible that I WAS so trusting. And I thank people like Moo Moo Monster for coming forward and letting us all know what really goes on there. I read that article and a few others just the other day. I'd been taking the dogs there for more than 3 years and had no reason to 'investigate' them until now. I wish I had.

What I forgot to mention was that she still has an office operating in North Melbourne and possibly another in Brunswick. I've also learnt (during my research tonight) she might be considering changing the business name. So, my advice is, don't board your beloved pooch with ANY day care or boarding facility run by this lady. Regardless of what she's calling the company.