Paws crossed for Princess Nala

It was only a few months ago that we told you the story of our lovely Princess Nala. The sweet little Balkan princess who only has the use of her two front legs, arrived with us just before Christmas 2015. It seemed fitting somehow, that seven years to the day that we took on dear Hollie, our first paraplegic dog (Hollie’s story is coming soon!), that we found ourselves looking at dear Nala’s fate.

Nala and Mummy Twilight

We learn so much from each and every pudding that passes through our doors. We must be over 340 I think now. The less able ones stretch our minds and our vets each time. For the physically less able wheels don’t suit everyone, surgery can be right for some and not others, prosthetics are not as easy as or indeed as appropriate as many might think. So many side effects run alongside the physical problem –  nerve damage, infections, rehabilitation and, of course, just the plain will of the dog.

Darling Nala has been amazing. Arriving with a broken back and two back legs that didn’t move at all. Back surgery was done with the smallest chance of increased mobility. It took a year of rehab but it helped her enormously to feel just that tiny little bit to make a difference. Even the way her tail wagged. We amputated one back leg due to abrasions, and the other back leg later due to infection. What did this give us? The best moving Nala ever! She has her own kangaroo technique and just loves the dry grass. Very fussy about wet grass, just as she is her bed. We change her bed umpteen times a day, she tells us! Yes, she has wheels, but her back break position doesn’t suit regular wheels.

So, now we find ourselves into the next stage though. Always a brief moment to question whether our live and let live approach is correct, but yes, we believe the dog should lead the life it wants to. Not be cooped up in a cage or small area but have the freedom to be themselves. Nala isn’t keen on ‘help’ to toilet. But we do help to express her urine, as not being able to position herself ‘normally’ there is the likelihood of sitting urine, which creates obvious infection. After time this becomes chronic.

This is where we find ourselves now. Due to the amount of blood in her urine, and that she has started to vomit a very rich product she had an échographie. You know when you have three vets with you, and they all take an intake of breath and groan at the same time, something is up. Dear Nala has a severe thickening of the bladder wall, and a mass inside, too. This accounts for the blood, some pain, and the toxins being expelled through vomit. Damm! So more antibiotics, but much stronger and for one month. Also steroids. After this time we will look again and decide what is best for her.

Nala thanks you for loving her as you do. She is currently surveying her garden from her princess bed spot, with clean bedding, of course, and a soft sponged mattress as you would expect!

Please keep your paws crossed for Princess Nala and her recovery. If you would like to help with her vet costs then Nala would love to receive a donation, you can send any amount via our PayPal account, every little helps: twilightchiens@gmail.com or use the donate button in the header.

Thank you for caring