Francesca was Diagnosed at Animal Specialty Center
If you follow me on Twitter, or if you read The Daily Wag, you may have heard that Francesca, one of my two French Bulldogs, has been confined to a crate while a bulging disc in her neck is allowed to heal. Quite suddenly, Francesca appeared to be having seizures and at first, my veterinarian thought she was suffering from epilepsy or even a brain tumor. My vet sent us to Dr. Richard Joseph, one of the co-founders of Animal Specialty Center, located in Yonkers, New York. Dr. Joseph is medical director, a staff neurologist, and veterinary acupuncturist. After examining Francesca and noticing that she was carrying her head low, he was quite certain that the problem was in her neck, which an MRI confirmed. He explained that between each pair of vertebrae there is an intervertebral disc, which he likened to a jelly donut. The outer ring is the cake part, which is filled with a thick, shock-absorbing material, the jelly. If that jelly dries up, it loses its ability to absorb and the calcified material can start to bulge into the spinal canal, putting pressure on the spinal cord. That pressure on the spinal cord was causing great pain and Francesca would fall over with spasms, which we thought were seizures. Dr. Joseph feels that Francesca can make a full recovery, if she remains confined in a crate for a total of thirty days.
Animal Specialty Center is an amazing place, built in 2007. It is a comprehensive, purpose-built, specialty veterinary center that provides clients, veterinarians, and specialists with the most innovative diagnostic tools and advanced treatments available. It is truly cutting edge!
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