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Wobblers......is there an alternative to surgery?
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This site was created to tell the story of Sylvia and the alternative treatment used in the healing of Wobblers, (as prescribed by several veterinarians, both conventional and holistic). It is meant to provide information for those who prefer to avoid invasive treatment (spinal surgery), and I have included the names of Sylvia's veterinarians for those who wish to pursue the information further. Along with this, is information on Sylvia's diet, supplements,and vaccination protocol that I have followed. A more detailed story appears in the Summer and Fall '99 issues of Doberman Quarterly. A further update can be found in the Fall 2001 issue.
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Dark Cloud's Sylver Lining CD NA NAJ NJC TT CGC TDI
SYLVIA
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SYLVIA is a rescue we adopted in March 1995 when she was 14 months old. She's a wild clown whose antics have provided fodder for the "Sylly Syl" stories in the Doberman Quarterly and The Doberman Annual. She participates in obedience and agility and her story can be enjoyed at: Sylvia and Mo......on the web.
In late December 1998, I noticed that she was slipping on our hardwood floors, but other than that, she was as active as ever. Having had one bitch with wobblers, Syl's symptoms were so different that I assumed she just needed an adjustment. So off we went to Dr. Bill Connolly who practices sports medicine.
In watching her move, he saw something far more serious. An x-ray sent to the University of Georgia resulted in his recommendation for a myleogram and surgery at the University. I explained that while he knew medicine, I knew my dog and her personality would not handle the required months of inactivity following surgery, nor did I want to proceed with such invasive treatment. I told him that I wanted to treat her with acupuncture and any other holistic means he could come up with. He agreed.
After the first set of 3 treatments we began a weekly routine. On the first of these visits, Dr Connolly mentioned an upcoming seminar for holistic vets on gold bead implants. Dr. Terry Durkes of Marion, Indiana was coming to Atlanta in eight weeks to teach the seminar. The implants would produce a constant stimulation of the acupuncture points, eliminating the need for weekly treatments. He asked if I might be interested in implants for Sylvia, to be done by Dr Durkes at the seminar. Of course I was.
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As soon as we suspected wobblers, I immediately switched from a collar and lead, to a harness and lead, in order to take any pressure off her neck. We also put rubber backed runners throughout the house so that she had a safe path and was in no danger of slipping on the floors. This increased her confidence, and more importantly, kept her safe from falling. These two things are extremely if you suspect that your dog may have wobblers. (Rubber backed runners can be purchased by the yard at home improvement stores.)
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Sylvia's neck was wrapped from just below her ears to the top of her shoulders. This wrap was on 24 hours a day and was changed at each acupuncture appointment. It was very thick and pretty tight to give her stability and allow the healing to take place.
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THE NECK WRAP
At our next appointment he had some rather interesting news. He had talked to Dr. Durkes about the effect of the implants on Wobblers. While Dr Durkes had seen improvement through acupuncture, he had had real success with the use of a neck wrap. He explained the treatment to Dr C and we decided to give it a try. The dog is wrapped in sheets of cotton from under the ears to the shoulders and then a layer of vet wrap holds it tight. The wrap is made quite snug and should be thick. The immediate effect is to stabalize the area, but long term (this is done for at least 3 to 6 weeks and possibly longer), the theory is similar to that of surgery, just a more gradual and non-invasive route. The vertebrae is supported over a period of time, allowing the tendons and muscle to build up and support the vertebrae. (Bear with me on this, as my explanation is less than scientific or complete). In surgery, a little tool pulls the vertebrae apart and bone glue is used to fill in the area to create the stabalization needed. It requires some kind of stiff cast and extremely restricted activity, in most cases NO activity, which is one reason this was not an option for Sylvia.
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The wrap did not inhibit her desire or ability to suck on her 'suckies' nor did it limit her movement or agility in getting in chairs, or under the bed covers.
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SO, we began to wrap Syl’s neck. When she was first wrapped, it was clear that she felt very off balance as the wrap was thick and was cumbersome. (Dr Durkes told us that you should be able to "thump it like a watermelon). But by the time we walked out to the van, she was already used to it and hopped up into her crate without a problem. As soon as we got home, she was flying around her yard as if she had been wearing this "muffler" all along. It never slowed her down. On the contrary, I believe she felt more secure and steady. At least, it certainly appeared that she did.
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Oddly enough, when the treatment for wobblers began, Sylvia's ear began to stand. To this day, the ear that once flopped, stands perfectly about 95% of the time.
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