Dog Rehab

Sam and Joy

The Johnson Dog Rehabilitation Center is back open! A little background for those of you who don't know us personally....our little dog Joy was suddenly paralyzed last October 7th as a result of a condition called Fibrocartilaginous Embolism. She spent some time at the Mississippi State Vet School for a battery of tests and ultimately a diagnosis. She was paralyzed from the neck down, but slowly regained complete use of her left side and partial use of her right side. After 6 weeks of intense rehab (performed by the children and me) which included turning her and adminstering physical therapy and medications on a schedule, she progressed to the point of becoming an outside dog again. She moved slower than before, but she partially dragged her right side and could even sort of run.

Saturday, she suffered another injury, this time fractures to her hip bones and pelvis. She couldn't move at all. The vet said that with time (maybe 3-4 weeks) her bones should heal enough that she can become mobile again. She is not a candidate for surgery because of her prior condition. She is taking pain medication and is back inside the house recuperating. Today she is holding herself up in a sitting position for short periods of time, and she barks and tries to get out of bed when she needs to go potty. Progress!!

We love this little dog as well as our other three dogs and one cat. While I am not really an animal person (I tolerate them and of course I am kind to them---I am just as happy without a pet!), I love my husband and children dearly, and they ALL love animals. So we have 5 pets and 5 children, and I am happy to love and care for them all!