Our pup Luna had been having trouble walking and dragging her back legs. We brought her to our regular vet, who took plain films that were perfect, and told us this was a "spinal issue" and "not good"... Read More
Our pup Luna had been having trouble walking and dragging her back legs. We brought her to our regular vet, who took plain films that were perfect, and told us this was a "spinal issue" and "not good" ("not good" bedside manner, to say the least). We were referred to VSH to see neurology for further evaluation.We saw Dr. Tammy Stevenson, and I cannot say enough good things about her care. We were impressed on initial consult at her level of thoroughness, and how much time she spent with Luna. She made Luna feel comfortable with all of the examination equipment prior to conducting her exam, rather than just diving right in, and it made all the difference. Her symptoms and history did not seem to lead to an easy conclusion, so we started down the diagnostic route. We were presented with our options (and estimates) and we felt that we understood the different options well. The vet tech was wonderful too, although I am sorry I cannot remember her name! Luna went under anesthesia and had an MRI and CSF collection. The MRI showed a little something in her spine, but there were a few different differential diagnoses (some of which had no great follow up route). So we tried a course of prednisone to see if it would help with her symptoms. Luna had a super tough time tolerating the prednisone, and it ended up that the side effects were worse than the original issue (through no fault of Dr. Stevenson's, of course, as she could not have predicted this). I was very impressed by the level of phone responsiveness of the staff. Dr. Stevenson herself called us multiple times personally to check on her and see how she was doing. Try getting a human doctor to do that...Ultimately, we are not sure what is wrong with Luna, but she seems to be walking fine and has a great quality of life. Even though we don't have a definitive diagnosis, I can sleep better at night knowing there is not a huge tumor in her spine, she is not in pain, and that we have a reliable vet neurologist to return to should she have any more problems down the road. If you have a pup with neurological issues, please see Dr. Stevenson. She will make you and your pet feel comfortable through what can be a very difficult time! Thank you Dr. Stevenson and staff. Read Less