Daisy loves her job – probably because it doesn’t feel like a job to her. She loves people and has a calm demeanour – essential in her line of work. Unfortunately she’s been off for a few weeks while she heals from back surgery.
The eight-and-a-half year old schnauzer-poodle cross, also referred to as a “little angel in a fur coat” and a canine reiki master, has been a St. John Ambulance therapy dog in Mississauga for seven years, ever since an obedience instructor told Daisy’s owners Liz Raybould and Lynn Oreskovic, she’d make a good therapy dog. She gave great advice.
The therapy dog program is a community based service offered by St. John Ambulance volunteers. To qualify as a therapy dog, Liz and Daisy had to be tested as a team, a thorough evaluation that includes four supervised visits before a team is cleared to join the program. Daisy and Liz have been visiting long-term care homes, schools and hospitals ever since.
Daisy is usually on the job four days a week – three days in schools and one day at Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga where they spend time in the palliative oncology ward, pediatrics and the psychiatric in-patient program.
Daisy became a child-tested therapy dog in 2008, after her first year in service. She required a separate test to work with children, as this is a specialized part of the program not appropriate for all dogs. In 2011, Liz and Daisy were awarded one of the first Outstanding Child Visitation Awards. The schools they visit serve children with special needs including those with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy.
The therapy dog program has been found to reduce stress levels and improve quality of life, while providing calm and comfort to those they meet.
When she visits palliative oncology, Liz is usually able to put Daisy on her blanket in the bed with the patient. “You have no idea what this dog is doing for me, one patient told me,” says Liz. “I said, oh yes, I do.”
But the little dog that helps heal was due for some healing of her own.
Daisy had back surgery for a herniated disc, after being diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) in mid-October. Her job as a therapy dog has been on hold while she heals. Successful surgery to remove the herniated disc was performed by Dr. Brigitte Brisson at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Health Sciences Centre.
Herniated discs can progress quickly, says Dr. Brisson, and that was the case with Daisy. She had a lot of difficulty walking and it was very painful. On the day she was admitted, Daisy had a myelogram and CT scan which confirmed spinal cord compression and the suspicion of herniated disc. Surgery to decompress the herniated disc is the treatment of choice in these cases. IVDD is an area of expertise for Dr. Brisson, a surgeon who has authored several articles on this topic and is one of two editors working on a book on neurosurgery techniques.
IVD herniation is a common cause of neurologic dysfunction in dogs. It is most common in middle aged dachshunds, poodles and shih tzus but can occur in any breed. The signs can range from back pain to paralysis and can develop very quickly.
The IVD is composed of an outer fibrous ring, which surrounds a gelatinous centre. In Daisy’s case, the gelatinous centre had dried and squirted out through a damaged outer ring to compress the spinal cord. Surgery involved removing some bone in the vertebrae over the affected area to access and remove the large amount of herniated disc material that compressed Daisy’s spinal cord.
Daisy’s family veterinarian diagnosed her herniated disc just after Thanksgiving. She was prescribed with medication and strict reduction of exercise to try to ease the problem, but surgery was the recommended route. A few days later, it was clear medication alone wasn’t going to be enough. Liz and Lynn had heard about OVC, loved the idea it was a teaching hospital, and headed to Guelph. She had her surgery a day after being admitted.
“We saw four levels of doctors when we came in,” says Lynn. “Every single one came into the exam room with a smile and a handshake saying ‘I’m here to look after Daisy’. They made us feel relaxed, as if we were the only patients in the hospital.”
The staff was amazing and we are impressed and grateful, she added.
“We love that it’s a teaching hospital. We love that we get to help students with hands-on training,” adds Lynn.
Daisy has had a two rechecks at OVC to ensure she is healing well after surgery, and her primary care is again being provided by her family veterinarian. She’s also continuing regular physiotherapy in Mississauga to improve her balance and strengthen her back legs.
Then the plan is for the little angel in a fur coat to do what she does best – help others heal.