Holly was born in October 1997. She is a delightful, fun loving, intelligent bitch. As a pup she was very athletic, a graceful runner. Around her first birthday we noticed a strange behavioural pattern. She would scratch at her side and neck with her hind leg while standing up, an involuntary scratching rather than a scratch in response to an itch
On occasions she would appear very slightly uncoordinated in her movements. This developed gradually until she started to squeal with pain from her haunches. Whenever she was on a lead or became excited this would aggravate the problem. We took Holly to her usual Vet who prescribed minimal exercise and pain killers. Holly's condition gradually deteriorated. She was X-rayed, but these proved inconclusive, showing possible disk damage. She gradually reached the point where if she ran or played she would suffer the following day - this would start with her screaming with back pain, unwilling or unable to move. She had more X-rays by another Vet (we were away from home at the time), and he arrived at the same diagnosis as the first Vet, and prescribed painkillers and a long spell of cage rest.
The problem got worse. Holly's vet recommended that we consult Mr. S. Butterworth, based in Swansea, a veterinary specialist in spinal problems, who first performed a spinal tap, and a few weeks later, a myelogram. Nonplused by the results, he had never seen a scan picture like hers before.
Fortunately for Holly, he referred the problem to the Mr G. Skerritt of the Cranmore Veterinary Centre in Cheshire where, having seen the myelogram, it was decided that Holly was suffering from a condition known in humans as the Arnold-Chiari syndrome. A week later Mr Skerritt performed an MRI scan which confirmed that diagnosis and on 22nd June 1999, Holly underwent surgery to insert a shunt into the fluid filled space (called a syringomyelia or syrinx) in her spinal column to drain the damaging fluid away. The cost (against which we were not insured) of diagnosis and all treatment by four vets to this point was approximately £1,700.
Thankfully, the operation freed Holly from the pain. However, she will never again have full coordination, nor will she be able to sit, lie down or get up without a struggle. She can, we are pleased to say, now wag her tail and does so every time we speak to her, a happy dog again, relieved that she no longer has to suffer the burning sensation which apparently was the cause of her screeching. She will always have an awkward, twisted gait, a dragging left leg and a weird lack of co-ordination which makes her think she cannot any longer climb on to her favourite chair without assistance. Now when on a chase, her brain sometimes works faster than her legs and she will do a complete somersault. Staggering to her feet, she will shake her head, and somewhat mystified, take off again in hot pursuit. Life is fun again. However we accept that her co-ordination and "crabby" walk is becoming increasingly noticeable year by year. Holly is as yet undeterred.