Willa is an adorable little 7-year-old from Newcastle NSW Australia.  In May, after greeting her family when they returned home, she lay down in pain and sadly within a few short hours paralysis had set in, she was unable to stand.

Eventually, after seeking a 2nd opinion from a veterinary clinic that understood IVDD, she was diagnosed with high-grade IVDD.  Willa’s family (2 adults, 2 young kids 4 and 5) were heartbroken at her diagnosis and future prognosis.  Her fur-brother Bane just sits next to her cage and is literally her carer when the family aren’t around.

Willa’s family weren’t prepared to say goodbye to their little chocolate dapple girl and set about researching treatment options.   A conservative pathway was adopted working alongside a Qualified Rehab Specialist to give her the best chance at living a happy new normal.  Conservative treatment is essentially a course of action where the affected discs are given time to heal and regenerate, and often coupled with allied therapies, supplements, and lots and lots of patience.

To give Willa a “little leg up” IVDD Assist has gifted 2 x rehabilitation sessions to aid her healing journey, you got this Willa, with love from your friends at DISA.

From living on a yacht for 2 years, going off-grid for an adventure in the country, to currently overseeing the building of a custom built by his owners Nick & Adele in the historic town of York WA, Skipper the 5-year-old short-haired mini-Dachshund has lived a life of adventure, love, and companionship.

None more so when in 2019 Skipper became the constant companion to 7-year-old Mia Lorraine (Nick & Adele’s granddaughter) who sadly lost her battle with an aggressive and rare cancer 9 months later.  Mia Lorraine wanted to be a vet when she grew up and the love between them both knew no bounds, he understood her more than words. He would visit and sit with her when she was so sick and unable to speak, he knew how she felt and would just lay by her and give her comfort. 

So, when Skipper recently went down with high-grade IVDD (4-5) his family were devastated and financially not in a great place.  But knowing how much he had helped during their darkest days they knew that letting their boy go wasn’t an option. With the guidance of a knowledgeable vet and after reading through our website (www.ivdd.org.au), they decided to adopt a conservative management pathway which has proven time and again to provide positive results, particularly when owners, professionals and dogs collaborate and dedicate themselves to the cause. As we often say, “never say never to a Dachshund”.

To help Skipper on his recovery journey, IVDD Assist has gifted him a Buddy & Belle Pet Stroller, DISA Stroller Badge & LickiMat and because it gets very chilly in York over the winter months, a Cuddle Therapy Pack (Cuddle Sack & Heat Pack). We hope you enjoy your outings with your family Skipper, heal gently, sending love and warm hugs from your friends at DISA.

Footnote:
Mia’s family have been raising funds for a therapy dog for the Perth Children’s Hospital. If you would like to help this worthy cause, we welcome you to visit https://www.mycause.com.au/p/240105/furever-perfect

Larry is a 6-year-old Dachshund from South Australia who was recently bitten by the IVDD bug when he started to show some typical signs of an impending IVDD episode, tight stomach, knuckling and wobbly walking.

His fur-mum set about researching the possible options available in the management and treatment of an IVDD episode and it was decided, with the guidance of a great “holistic” vet, to approach his IVDD management conservatively (non-surgically).

Conservative treatment requires patience and time. It’s all about healing and pain management where nature is allowed to take its course and the affected area is encouraged to heal through extended rest and accompanied by gentle modalities such as acupuncture, laser, and even diet and supplements.  Larry’s vet has been performing numerous modalities, including acupuncture on “bad backs” within the veterinary field for many years so IVDD Assist has gifted 3 x Acupuncture & Therapy Sessions to aid Larry in his treatment plan.

Patience is the key to conservative treatment and of course lots of cuddles and love, gentle healing Larry.