Delta the Miracle Pup

I remember the terror in my soul that night. I didn't know what was wrong or how to help her. It was 11 o'clock on a Saturday night. Where we lived there was no such thing as a 24-hour vet. I could tell that she was in pain and there was nothing I could do but wait. I sat and held her all night, almost certain that if I let her go, she would too.

Delta

Delta is my dachshund, shihtzu mix, who at the time was seven years old. She became my baby at six weeks old and has been my best friend ever since. Her favorites included snacks and catapulting off the back of the couch at the possibility of getting snacks. She was chunky, but with the longer body of a dachshund. For the purposes of this story, it was not a good combination.

I Was Terrified

One night she began acting very strange. She wouldn't jump up on the couch and was obviously uncomfortable. She ate, but not like normal, and would occasionally whine. By midnight, she wouldn't eat or drink, was shaking, and would only lay still in my arms. I knew something was terribly wrong. I could see her pleading with her big brown eyes, but there was nothing I could do.

The next morning, my husband called one of the local vets that he knew personally and Dr. B didn't hesitate.

"This sounds serious, meet me at the office in 30 minutes", he said.

When we arrived at the office, he began feeling around her hindquarters. It was like he immediately gravitated to where the issue was. He got out a plier-type instrument and began pinching between her toes.

I was shocked when he said, "It appears that she has some type of back injury."

He explained that something was causing her nerves not to function properly. She was now unable to move her back legs at all but was responding to pain stimuli somewhat in her rear legs, which was a good sign.

He suggested that we give her a high dose of steroids for the next 24-hours and see if they made any difference.

24-Hours Later

There was no difference. She wasn't in as much pain, but she was still unable to move the rear part of her body. We took her back to Dr. B, who checked her pain response again. He seemed optimistic but explained that at this point, he had really done all that he could do. He recommended a veterinary surgeon who he thought could help.

We called the surgeon, who agreed to meet with us. We loaded up Delta and prepared for the three hour drive.

We were still optimistic at this point. We arrived at the surgeon's office and had our first meeting. They completed xrays and a variety of tests to see what they were dealing with. Then came the bombshell. The injury to her spine was pretty severe. The doctor explained that he could do surgery, but he only gave her a 50% chance of walking again.

He gave us our options. We could pay the massive amount of money for her to have surgery that would only give her a 50% chance of walking again, or we could put her down. We could drive three hours home with her body in a box. There was no discussion. We told him to do it and prayed for God to guide his hands and to take care of our girl.

We got a hotel room that night. We could go back and see her at any time after her surgery as they were open 24-hours.

Once everything calmed down and I sat on the hotel bed, I absolutely lost it. Coupled with the fact that I was six months pregnant at the time, my emotions couldn't be contained any longer. I sobbed uncontrollably for over an hour. I had never cried that hard. Nor since.

Post-Surgery Prayers

After Delta's surgery, she had to stay there for over a week. We had to go back home due to work and other responsibilities. I would get off work at 10:30 p.m., drive the three hours to see her, and get a hotel room. I'd bring her a treat and we would Facetime with her daddy. I'd sit with her most of the night, get a couple of hours of sleep, and drive home in time to make it to my 2:30 p.m. shift.

The doctor warned us that if she did not get feeling back in her legs within the week, then she would never regain mobility. We could possibly also have to assist her with moving her bowel and bladder to be able to excrete wastes.

I began to realize that my worst fears were probably coming true. While at work, I looked up doggy wheelchairs. I racked my brain trying to figure out how I was going to care for her and work. I had made up my mind to quit my job to take care of my girl. I was met with outrage from my co-workers. While they understood my love for Delta, they thought I had full-blown lost my damn mind.

They also brought up "Well, what will you do after the baby is born?" I just reminded them that a lot of women have multiple children and children with disabilities. I got a lot of eye rolls at that one.

The fact remained that she was like my child and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that she had the best quality of life.

Delta the Miracle Pup

The following week, I got a phone call from the vet's office while I was at the grocery store. It wasn't unusual as they updated me on her progress multiple times a day. This time, it was one of the techs that I had gotten to know pretty well. I happened to be getting some of Delta's favorite treats off the shelf when I heard "Guess what?!? Guess who WALKED outside this morning and pooped by herself?!?"

I am surprised someone didn't call the police and have me involuntarily committed. I yelped, screamed, cried, and overall looked like a total crazy person in the middle of the grocery store. But I didn't give not one damn. Against all the odds, my girl was going to be okay!

I drove to my husband's work and told him to meet me outside. I could tell he thought it was bad news as he came out of the door. When he saw my face though, he knew. It was another moment of people looking at us like we should be in straight jackets.

We immediately went to pick her up and bring her home. She slept the entire three hour ride. We got her home and spent the rest of the day in snuggle mode.

After a few months and some at-home physical therapy, she was good as new. Well, almost. She could no longer jump onto the couch or bed by herself, which was a good thing. Her jumping off of furniture and the pressure that it put on her long body is what caused her injury. Apparently, it is very common in dachshunds and dachshund mixes.

Now, she's getting to be a pretty old girl. Her snout has whitened and she is a little slower when it rains. She's set in her ways and sometimes ornery. But against all odds, she is here and she is beautiful. She is my miracle pup and I am blessed every day that I get to come home to her.