Jona’s Story

Jona came to me from a breeder in Washington State. He was just a scared 8-week-old pile of fur when I took him from the transporting cage.  He was so cute, he waddled, he peed all over and spent his time diving into his water bowl. It wasn't until a month later that I noticed he hopped like a bunny when he played with my other dogs. He couldn't run very well.  In fact, he would try but gave up and would just sit and watch the other dogs play. I thought maybe he was just too little to keep up.

But as he grew the hopping continued and it began to really concern me. When I talked to my regular vet about Jona’s hopping, she told me that I shouldn't let him grow too fast. I pestered the vet until she agreed to take x-rays. By then, Jona was 6 months old. She informed me that she couldn't tell if he had hip dysplasia. I would just have to wait until he was a year old for her to make that determination. And if he did have hip dysplasia, there wasn’t much that could be done but maybe it could be remedied with a hip replacement. The answer was not satisfying. I didn’t want to wait any longer because I knew something was wrong. Canines are not supposed to hop like bunnies.  Jona couldn’t run, jump or roll. If he did play with other dogs he would play lying down. I wanted to start some type of treatment, now, to fix the problem – if it could be fixed.

 I just had to find the right vet. I prayed about who to go to and Dr. Newkirk's name came back to me. I had tucked his name away in my mind since I had heard he would take the worst cases and problem animals, treating them, bringing them back to health. I had also heard he was a chiropractic veterinarian.  I switched all my dogs to Newkirk Family Veterinarians.

Jona was seven months old when I took him and the x-rays to see Dr. Newkirk. Dr. Newkirk confirmed my suspicions that Jona did have hip dysplasia and was on his way to becoming lame. During that first office visit, Dr. Newkirk treated Jona. He had a chiropractic adjustment with aqua-puncture. Aqua-puncture is acupuncture with a homeopathic remedy that absorbs slowly into the muscles around the spinal vertebrae relieving swelling and inflammation. Some of Jona’s spasms where relieved by this type of treatment. Dr. Newkirk advised me to put moist heat on Jona’s hips and lower back in an effort to bring about more relief from the spasms. These spasms where pulling Jona’s back legs out of the joints causing the top of the leg bones to bang into the pelvis when he attempted to walk, run or play. Glucosamine tablets were administered daily to aid his bone and joint development.

Aquapuncture and chiropractic treatments where making a huge difference in the way Jona walked. He still couldn’t run very fast but there would be bursts where he would run like a normal dog. Then, Jona would be walking along and his front leg(s) would collapse and his face would be on the floor. Or he would limp for no apparent reason. I brought this to Dr. NewKirk's attention and he informed me that Jona had developed bilateral shoulder lesions (OCD - Osteochondrosis). The treatment for this was laser over the shoulders, mid back and sometimes over his hips as well. He explained to me that this is a very serious condition as cartilage could break off inside the joint. The cartilage would then need to be surgically removed, as the free flowing piece would act like sand to the rest of the joint damaging it permanently.

Dr. Newkirk treated Jona for five months using the alternative therapies before the water treadmill was introduced into his treatment regime at Newkirk Family Veterinarians. By now Jona was 11 months old and it was very apparent that Jona used the front part of his body to move himself around. As he moved in this fashion, Jona developed more muscle mass in the front of his body, leaving the back looking atrophied. He looked like 2 different dogs. It was hoped that the water treadmill rehabilitation would take the pressure off his joints allowing muscle mass to be built. The water treatment would also help Jona to walk in proper gait. Because of the pain from the dysplasia and OCD Jona very rarely walked in gait. Jona had learned to compensate by swaying and walking improperly by dragging or shuffling his rear feet. At every rehab appointment Jona was taught how to re-walk by first walking over different widths of PVC pipe and then the water took the pressure off his joints.

The latest treatments are N.A.E.T. (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) and a homeopathic remedy called Spasm Repair. By utilizing the technique of N.A.E.T., Dr. Newkirk was able to identify energy blocked areas in Jona’s body that are causing soreness. The homeopathic remedy has helped to eliminate Jona’s general overall muscle discomfort.  Along with all of the bone problems Jona has bowel problems as well, possible colitis. The homeopathic remedy has aided in not only relieving muscle soreness but also relieving the colon spasms making Jona’s stool well formed.

The first milestone in Jona's hip dysplasia and OCD management occurred the day he shook and the shake went all the way to the end of his tail. Another milestone was the day a bounding 95 pounds of flapping ears and galloping feet turned the corner of the house to greet me. What a scare- it was like a freight train coming that couldn’t be stopped. But it was so exciting we had a celebration! Water rehabilitation has built muscle mass and now Jona looks like a strong healthy 117 pound Newfie. I did a double take the other day when I saw him standing on his hind legs attempting to slide over the fence to get to the birds. But the best one year milestone is the non-existent back muscle spasms, as well as, no limping or collapsing front legs.

The long-term prognosis for Jona, I think, looks bright. He still drags and shuffles his feet when he is tried or in pain. In fact, that’s my cue that he needs a chiropractic adjustment. But I feel confident that as we continue the types of alternative therapies and rehabilitation, Jona will have a longer time of good health. Jona’s condition will have to be appropriately managed for him to be pain free and live a quality life as he matures. I am glad there is a Doctor like Dr. Newkirk who practices alternative veterinary medicine and is willing to take the most desperate canine cases. It has made all the difference in the world because a strong foundation is being created for Jona’s continued good health. I put my arms around my Newfie and confidently know that he is receiving the best quality care available, opening the healing channel for a fuller healthier life.