We’ve been quietly dealing with some health issues with Sjiriki for a while. From a pretty young age Sjiriki’s been dealing with pain in his body, specifically his hind end. He was first diagnosed with growing pain, but didn’t react enough to pain medication, and I just had a gut feeling that there was something else going on. After several more vet visits, scans, and referrals we finally have an answer! This week Sjiriki was diagnosed with Tethered Cord Syndrome, which basically means that his spinal cord is improperly attached, causing him a lot of (nerve) pain. This is generally pretty treatable with surgery, though not all dogs recover fully, some still needing pain management even afterward. But there is almost always a big improvement after getting the surgery! The specialist had an opening quickly, so he’s going in next Wednesday. I am incredibly stressed about the whole situation, not knowing if he’ll make a full recovery after surgery and uncertain about what that means for his future quality of life, and his career as a service dog. But I’m also grateful to have some answers and not have to keep searching for a diagnosis any longer. So overall some conflicting feelings and a lot of uncertainty still! For now I’m pretty busy getting everything in order for the surgery, preparing to keep him comfortable downstairs as he’s not allowed to walk up and down them, prepping enrichment to keep him busy, and dreading six to ten weeks of exercise restriction with an adolescent husky 😬 We’re just gonna take things one day at a time!
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James & Sjiriki
