Dr Christine worked miracles for our dog Einstein!
In November of 2024, our dog (1/2 White Shepherd, 1/2 Husky) woke up one morning suddenly struggling with walking and use of his front and back legs, especially on stairs. We knew something was different, but assumed it was digestive (ate something he shouldn’t) and it would pass. He progressively deteriorated throughout the day at an alarming rate. We called our regular vet but it was going to be several days before we could get him in. After calling other vets, we could not get Einstein in for an emergency visit. By 4 pm it was to the point that he could not stand on his own and was in obvious pain. We took Einstein to the Emergency Vet and recieved very discoursing news: he has IVDD, and their suggestion was a trip to Des Moines immediately for an MRI and likely surgery. Einstein is 12 years old, so the likelihood of a positive recovery was low. We were preparing ourselves to accept the inevitable sad choice to end the suffering.
We wondered how this could happen so quickly, and recalled that he could have recently had a spinal injury. He hit the end of his chain with very hard force while chasing after another animal – likely a cat or racoon. Not just once, but several times over the weekend, hard enough to shake the house. We have a long history with chiropractic care for ourselves, so it occurred to us that perhaps all he really needs is a good adjustment. At the very least, we knew it could not do any harm and did not require ‘recovery’. We were very lucky to get an appointment with Dr. Christine within a few days.
At our first appointment, we had to carry Einstein in using a towel for a makeshift torniquet, as he could not walk on his own at all. Dr. Christine was clear that there was no guarantees but we may be able to improve his condition and give him something of a pain free and ‘managed’ end of life. At this point we were hoping for an “assisted care” type of scenario in which he may need help for the remainder of his life, but still be happy. To our amazement, Einstein reacted very positively to the first set of treatments. Each day after that he got progressively better, with more control over his legs. By the second appointment (3 weeks) he had full control of his front legs, and only needed minimal help to go outside. By the 3rd appointment he was jumping out of the car and walking in on his own accord…..and was excited to be there. Typically the smell of a veterinarians office strikes fear in a dog or cat, but Einstein would get excited when we pulled in. I think to him it is a bit of a ‘spa’ experience, where he gets a lot of attention and comes out feeling better than he did when he went in.
We are extremely happy that we found Dr. Christine. Einstein will not be back to 100% of what he was before this all started, but 90+% is so much more than we could have hoped for. He still enjoys every aspect of his life that he had before, and can enjoy what days he has left to the fullest.
