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Pet of the Month – November
by admin on December 7th, 2009
Category: Pet of the Month, Tags:
Elvis was born in March 06 – one of a litter of 8. At birth he was unable to suckle properly and so had to be bottle fed. It was later discovered that he had facial paralysis which explained this problem.
By 9 months he was unable to stand without swaying side to side and so was sent to Queen Mother Hospital for tests which included a spinal tap, body scan and blood tests. Nothing of significance was found.
Two of Elvis’ brothers were found to be showing the same symptoms and in fact had to be put sleep because the effects were so severe. They were only a year old. When a post mortem was performed on Elvis’ brother it was found that he had a genetic degenerative peripheral neuropathy which is similar to Multiple Sclerosis in humans.
Elvis is now nearly 4 four and has surprised everyone with his ability to cope despite his condition and disabilities. Looking after him is very time consuming and hard work as he needs assistance for most simple activities. Getting up in the night to turn him over, carrying him up stairs, helping him in and out of the house, lifting him in and out of the car, and picking him up when he falls over are just a few of the things his owners do for him.
We cannot know how much longer Elvis will be with us. He has surprised the experts, and although his mobility is very poor and he has trouble getting his legs to do what his brain tells him, his tail is always wagging and he seems very happy. All the time he still enjoys a walk, eats his food and has a quality of life his future remains as positive as he is.
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