Max Learns a New Trick

Sorry I haven't posted in a while,  I've been trying to catch up with everything that I've fallen behind in...

Max has been working hard though.. He's been working on mastering sitting and tonight he sat between beanbag chairs for a full hour holding himself up and eating his dinner!  He hasn't been able to hold himself up in over a year so this was HUGE!!!

Then he also was able to stand on his own and move around a bit - he's still working on balance and can't get himself up on his own but he's starting to get the motions down and figuring out what muscles to use.  We still have a ways to go.. but here are a few videos of the progress tonight

Sorry my angles are off on some of these!

Max practicing his sitting and balancing

More sitting

Max doing some standing and me sitting in his water bowl.. (the things I do.. )

Max standing (sorry I can't figure out how to get these in the right direction)

Progress Report & Pics

Max developed a pneumonia and hasn't been able to get HBOT treatments the last few weeks, and because he lost those toes he hasn't been able to work out and do his PT as much as he'd like.  Every time he put pressure on his bad foot, the scab would come off, it would bleed and the bone would be exposed again. So he spent 2 weeks with me either holding his leg up or laying on the couch - or trying to work out on his exercise ball. He got really depressed and lost all energy. I actually though things were going south.. then... his foot started to heal! he still has a scab but he can now stand on it. It hasn't been bleeding at all either - we're on the mend and back to building strength and learning to stand and walk again (mind you- he was fully limp a few days ago and had lost most of his muscle strength in his neck - we had to start over quite a bit)

Here are some pictures to share.

The 2 back feet... just a wee bit of a scab

Standing on all 4s!

sitting on his own - working on pushing up

Shoulders giving out! But He can push back up

Pushed back up. Just leaning against mom for support

Hope she's not making me jump through hoops next

Max feeling much better!

Max is trying to figure out how to eat on his own - he's watching the syringe and moved his head toward it- making some progress!

Max wiggling his body trying to figure out how to get up off the bean bag chair (He can't sit in his cart right now - he got a huge quarter sized blood blister on his rump and it likes to bleed out when he sits on it... or I pick him up when I'm wearing anything nice.. or white)

Max practicing sitting and balancing while on the ceiling (Just kidding) - I can't figure out how to rotate the video so that it's in the right direction.. so you'll just have to stand on your head or turn your computer upside down to really see what's going on here... Clearly I'm not a professional videographer!!  Sorry!

Lots to Catch up on

Sorry we've been way behind in posting.. lots to catch up on but it'll have to be in another post.

Just wanted to share some quick videos of Max..

We've had some set backs, a lot of frustrations, but he's still the Mighty Max!!!

Max drinking water on his own. 

Max frustrated about his leg being much shorter than the other leg now... 

By Golly I think He's growing a new toe!

So... In all honestly I've had a few panic attacks where I'm really worried Max has permanently lost his toes.. (and there's a lot of anger for him being in this situation in the first place.. )  But today I took a look at his foot and realized that I think he may actually be growing a new toe!  The HBOT is supposed to push oxygen into the core of the cells (RNA, DNA, mitochondria etc.. ) and that is supposed to help growth of new stem cells.. Stem cells are the cells that the body can use to grow anything. When we were zygotes and fetuses - they are the cells that formed the fingers, hair, eyes, organs, and toes... and it appears that they are growing new toes...

This one is almost the same size as the others - no loner a nub... pretty darn wild!

Pink toe on left is brand new.. the other 3 are cased in necrotic tissue which will eventually slough off, probably with the nail like the one on the left did. There is still some bone exposed from the other side on the middle two - but the new tissue is growing every day... remember this foot used to be entirely black, hard and crusty all the way though! Pretty cool!

HBOT AND OTHER USES

As I've been researching HBOT, I've been amazed at all of the things it can be used to cure or improve on.  It's pretty amazing stuff.

How HBOT WORKS

Here are some of the conditions that are treated by HBOT or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

• Acoustic trauma
• Abscesses
• ADD/ADHD
• AIDS / HIV
• Air Gas Embolism
  ALS
• Alzheimer's
• Anemia  (blood loss)
• Aneurysms
• Atherosclerosis
• Anti-Aging
• Arthritis (acute)
• Asthma
• Autism
• Autoimmune
• Bells Palsy
• Bed Sores / Pressure Wounds
• Bone Infection
• Bone Breaks / Fractures
• Bone grafting
• Bone Necrosis
• Brain Injury (Concussion, Oxygen Deprivation)
• Brain infections 
• Brain Dysfunction
• Brain Stem Syndromes (ischemia, infarct)
• Brown Recluse Spider Bite
• Burn Injuries
• Buerer's disease
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Concussion
• Cerebral Palsy
• Cerebral edema 
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Cirrhosis
• Colitis
• Coma (acute & prolonged)
• Compartment Syndrome
• Cranial nerve syndromes
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• vestibular disorders (vertigo, tinnitus, meniere's syndrome)
• sudden deafness
• brain stem syndromes
• Crohn's Disease
• Crush Injuries
• Cyanide Poisoning
• Decompression Sickness
• Diabetic Wounds
• Diverticulitis GI
• Early Organic Brain Syndrome
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
• Fibromyalgia
• Flesh eating bacteria (acute necrotizing fasciitis)
• Frostbite
• Fungus
• Gangrene
• Glaucoma with vidual field loss
• Heart Attack (with stem cell therapy)
• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Hypoxia (with organ transplant, infections, or cancer)
• Ileus
• Immune System Enhancement
• Infections
• Inflammatory Bowl Disease (IBS)
• Ischema (restricted blood flow)
• Lepromatous Leprosy
• Ligament injuries (post surgical repair)
• Lou Gherig's Disease (ALS)
• Lung Disorders
• Lung Lavage
• Lyme Disease
• Meniere's Syndrome
• Meningitis
• Migraine Headaches
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscle Atrophy
• Myocardial infarction
• Near Drowning
• Neurologic Disorders
• Necrotic Tissue / Bone
• Optical 
• Retinal Artery Occlusion
• Macular Edema
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Macular Degeneration
• Macular Hole Surgery
• Pancreatitis
• Parkinson's
• Peptic ulcer
• Peyote Poisoning ( Look it up! It really is used for that!)
• Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis
• Pulmonary Toxcity
• Periventricular Leucomalacia (PVL)
• Pressure Wounds
• Radiation Injury (soft tissue & bone including radiation for cancer treatment)
• Scar Reduction post surgery or injury
• Scleroderma
• Severed Limbs
• Sickle Cell Anemia crisis & Hematuria
• Slow healing wounds
• Smoke inhalation
• Soft Tissue Necrosis (including radiation necrosis)
• Soft Tissue Swelling
• Skin Grafts  and Flaps
• Spinal cord contusion (partial motor or sensory loss)
• Stroke (will benefit even long after the event)
• Sympathetic Reflex Dystrophy
• Tendon and Ligament injuries
• Tinnitus
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Vascular Dementia
• Vascular Ulcers
• Vestibular disorders
• Vertigo
• Wounds - that are severe or having trouble healing

Pressure Wound...

So.. I think I may have mentioned earlier, when I came back from vacation I found a sore on Max's right hip - the same one that the gangrene was in.  I assumed it was a hot spot from him urinating on himself and not being cleaned up well.  Both hospitals informed me that it was a pressure wound from being on the same side so long and not being rotated, and pointed out that it was actually a hole in his side and you could see the bone.  I had just cut the fur down around it, but they shaved it down at Southpaws. Looks NICE HUH?!

actually 2 holes  - a big one and then a tiny smaller one - they later joined and formed one BIG hole.

Well.. it's been over a month and a half and it still hadn't closed up, it had actually gotten bigger! In fact, the edges had healed leaving a hole in his hip, and new skin had formed in the hole, creating a pocket. NOT a good thing - so we had to have the edges of the hole cut off and then the whole thing stitched up so that it could all heal together and close. Max ended up with a 4 inch cut on his side. 

Max hanging out on his beanbag chair... So much for rotating him for the first few days.. I managed to get him in his cart for a while, standing and practicing balance for a while and then he had to lay on the left side for the first few days.. He's now laying on his stitches for a few hours.. He can sit up on his rump but I think it irritates him to do that between his foot and his hip... a few more weeks and all will be better..

Just the Toes

The following is Max doing a foot soak to try and remove some of the dead (necrotic) tissue from his gangrene.  This is after 18 HBOT treatments.. Today is 5 days after his 18th treatment and we are not just left with dead skin on his toes... there is new tissue under the dead black skin.. so we're soaking it in salt water to try and soften it up so that it comes off... I am beginning to thing we need to get Max a bath with those little fish that eat dead skin.... (not sure how sanitary that is... but they'd have a field day on his foot)

Work outs!

Tomorrow Max is going back up for some additional HBOT treatments and hopefully we'll get him to be able to see Carol for some additional Physical Therapy while he's up there.   We got the O.K. for additional weekly treatments!

Max's strength has come back big time, and his awareness and alertness is also SO much better than it's been since June!  He constantly wants to be practicing his exercises!!! This is the old Max back in action! He wants to practice standing, wobbling and catching himself and taking steps. He wants to practice holding his head up and he wants to turn left and right!  He also loves to practice sitting from a standing position!!

His balance has gotten much better since the beginning of the week! It's amazing!

Here are some pictures and a video of Mr. Max in action!

Hanging out before his workout

Poor lighting but practicing sitting outside

Working out on his "too big" peanut ball

Practicing standing on his own

I'm still standing... yeah yeah yeah...

(The video below is of Max as we were leaving the hospital. He may look rough but he had flopped over to try and get up in his cart. He leads with his head. This is the most I've seen his arm move on it's own!  I can now see how the techs might think he was having a seizure!!!  He was actually trying to get up!  (Video taken Easter Morning, Sun 3/31/2013)

The following Video was taken on Tuesday 3/2/2013 - Granted I've been stuck in a bean bag chair after a night of partying.. in college.. (of course) so I can clearly understand how difficult it might be to get up when one is stuck in a bean bag chair!

And the following video was taken today  Wed 3/3/2013.  Max has more movement in his legs. He has more balance and he's able to stabilize himself and if that darn ball wasn't so huge he'd probably be able to turn himself around!


*** The shaved hip and the hole in his hip are from a pressure wound from being left in the same place too long. I thought it was a hot spot when I got back from vacation but was told it was a pressure wound by the doc's at the hospital..

***The wrapping on his foot is just a pee pad held up over his hock with a loose rubberband so that he doesn't get any dirt or gunk from outside in his foot. He has no problem standing on that foot as you will see! It's still healing and a little oozy in places and scabbed in others. It's just protection..

Max Diving in the HBOT

So.. when a patient goes into a HyperBaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber (HBOT)  They refer to it as a dive.  Probably because it looks like they are going down in a submarine!

Here are some photos of Max and the HBOT at Southpaws!

HyperBaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Chamber

HBOT

Portal!

Getting ready for Mr. Max

Max getting ready to Dive

Getting comfy

Super Max the submarine dog!

Getting all snuggled in to his HBOT!

Ready for a nap during his treatments!

BELOW IS A VIDEO SHOWING HOW IT ALL WORKS

And another video



Click here to learn more about HBOT Treatment at SouthPaws

Where can you find HBOT for animals?

There are a number of places.. this is by NO stretch a complete list.  There are many HBOT facilities available for horses that may also work with other animals, and there are some human facilities that have HBOT and will work with local veterinarians for animal treatments.

In the United States
Southpaws in Fairfax / Falls Church VA
Holistic Veterinary Care in Oakland CA
Animal Emergency & Referral Center in Ft. Pierce FL
Ravenwood Veterinary Clinic in Port Orange FL
University of Florida, School of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville FL
Saint Francis Animal Hospital in Jacksonville, FL
Peace Love Pets in Commack NY
Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod in Yarmouth MA
Mars Hill Animal Hospital in Bogart GA
 SPCA Florida in Lakeland FL

Around the World
Town & Country Vet in Richmond New Zealand

PHYSICAL THERAPY! & LASER THERAPY FOR MAX

In addition to the added benefits from HBOT treatments helping Max neurologically get stronger and sharper, and of course curing the case of gangrene!  We also got a chance to spend time with the amazing Carol Wasmucky who is an amazing Animal Physical Therapist!  Carol spent 17 years in human sports medicine physical therapy before starting her own company Pet Rehab Inc in 2000, applying the same principals in human physical therapy to animals.  She has an exceptional track record of helping pets recover from neurologic, and physical challenges!

Carol gave us a month's worth of homework to do that will help strengthen Max and work on his balance... (He's holding his head up when he stands and getting stronger every day! He's also trying to hop on his feet sometimes now!)

Max needless to say LOVED working with Carol!!!

Carol taught Max to sit and bend his elbows!

The Incredible Super Max and the Amazing Carol Wasmucky!

Max learning to sit and hold himself!

We also went to see the Amazing Dr. Khoury who works in the Holistic department at Southpaws.  We saw her initially for Acupuncture but she did a little research and came up with some new ideas to help Max out that we were all excited about!  This one involved laser treatments!

Max getting Laser treatments from Dr. Khoury

Pictures of Max's Gangrene Foot Before and after HBOT treatments

Below are pics of what Max's foot looked like when he first came down with gangrene all the way through his last HyperBaric Oxygen Therapy or HBOT treatment on Easter 2013.  He received a total of 12 treatments on his foot, each about 45 minutes in the chamber, no sedation, and as an outpatient.

THE FOLLOWING ARE BEFORE TREATMENT 
If you wonder what Gangrene looks like as it develops.... here you go! 

Right foot is clearly very swollen and darker

Bleeding in between toes (assuming from skin splitting?)

Some blistering forming

After foot was shaved

After they shaved up Max's bad foot - still hasn't had a treatment yet

after 1st treatment - see blisters?

After first treatment - blood is starting to flow  3/24/2013

Pressure wound on Max's hip from laying in the same position for so long while I was on vacation. (gross!)

After 2nd treatment

After 2nd treatment

After 2nd treatment more pink!

After 3rd treatment

After 3rd treatment

After 3rd treatment

after 4th treatment

After 4th treatment - much more pink!

After 5th - blisters are all gone!

after 5th treatment

After 5th treatment

After 6th

After 6th - black dead skin is starting to molt off- lots more normal looking pink!

After #7 - lots more pink! Black crusting and granulation starting to fill in with new tissue

#8 The dead necrotic pads are starting to slough off to make way for new tissue!!!

#9 (Swelling is from standing for too long) - see pink tissue between toes?!

#9 - black is superficial scabbing for the most part

The morning after #9 before #10

After Treatment #11

After Treatment #11

Day after #11 (doing exercises outside!)

Day after #11 (pads still falling off)

Day After #11

After #13 (old pad falling off)

After #13

After #13

After #14

After #14

4 days after #14

4 days after #14

4 days after #14

After #15

After #15 close up - they picked a hole on the top of the crust to help promote healing

After #15 from behind... All Clear!!!  Back to normal - just need some fur!!! (please excuse the kankles!)

2 days after #16

2 days after #16

2 days after #16

2 days after #16

4 days after #16

4 days after #16 (dead tissue pealing down)

4 days after #16

After #17 Max's Doc cut off some of the dead black skin that was crusted over to expose the new tissue and help it heal... (a little bone exposed there on the left pinky toe)

After #18 - pink on all toes!!!  His foot should go back to normal!!!

1 day after #18 - starting to granulate even more

1 day after #18 - you can see new skin there!!! Pretty amazing huh?! and no more bone exposed...

After 18 treatments!!!  Nice color!!! Amazing huh?!

After #20 - bone exposed (no salt baths for now)

After #20 - they cut the toes to let more oxygen in and promote regeneration of the tissue in the ties

Another view of his toes after #20 - as gross as this is.. remember this all used to be dead / necrotic BLACK hard as a rock tissue, with NO LIFE what so ever... now it's nice and pink and red and healthy underneath.

Bottom of Max's foot after #20 - A little bone showing but lots of new pink tissue! (he does stand and take steps on this foot and he wiggled his pinky toe as well.

A new toe is forming - Stem cells are amazing things!

After treatments #21, #22, and #23 - Max's dead skin covering one of his toes came off - along with the nail - we'll have to go through this process with the other toes too - kind of gross.. so the plan is the stem cells that are stimulated from the HBOT treatments should grow a new toe... that's the plan anyway.

By golly - I think it might be working - this is taken on 5/7/2013 4 days after HBOT treatment # 23 and it appears to be growing into a full fledged toe vs. a nub.. it's getting to normal size.. REALLY WILD!