Hello All.

I created this blog in July 2011 after my 3 year old French Bulldog, Oslo, was diagnosed with Disc Disease, requiring emergency spinal surgery. This blog was/is a means to keep my friends, family & Oslo’s many fans worldwide up to date on his progress as he recovered, and to educate other dog owners about the threats of this terrible disease.

If you are stumbling across this blog quite by accident, or if you have been linked here via someone you know, please read on for an introduction on who we are and (more importantly?) who Oslo is .

To start with, I live in beautiful Vancouver, BC with my two French Bulldogs Jersey & Oslo. Oslo is my 3½ year old Frenchie. He is my first bulldog & the love of my life. He is lover of all people, treats, cuddles, a good game of fetch & watching ‘The Dog Whisperer’. He goes by many names, “Oslo” is his official name… However, “Gooza”, “Gooze”, “Pig” & “Piggy” are also common monickers!

Up until July 2011, he had been a wonderfully healthy boy. Besides some bouts with tummy-troubles (which can be blamed on his appreciation for food of ANY origin– including garbage bins) I had never had any health problems with this little guy. He’s a 27lb sack of pure love!

However, this all changed on July 5th, 2011. Following a play at the park, I noticed that he was acting very different. Anyone who has had a sick child, or a sick dog, can relate to this…. You just KNOW something is not right. I brought him into the vet  and he was simply diagnosed with Heat Exhaustion. “Too much fun in the sun,” said the vet. “Let him rest a bit.” A mere 3 hours after that appointment we were BACK at the vet. His general lethargy had turned into downright physical pain– he was quivering uncontrollably, his abdomen & sides were tender to the touch, he could NOT get comfortable no matter what position he was laying in, and (most heart breaking of all) he was grunting and sniffling in pain almost constantly.

The vet  met me back at the clinic and decided to take Oslo for the night. At this point she was suspecting a tummy-bug and the hope was that a good nights sleep, some fluids via IV, some pain-meds and getting him started on antibiotics would do the trick… Only, that wasn’t the case At 4:30 am I received a call from the vet letting me know that Oslo was now exhibiting some lameness in his back legs. We were immediately referred to a neurological specialist at another clinic for further diagnoses.

A CatScan confirmed our worst fears–a condition called ‘IVDD’ & what appears to be a herniated disc(s). The condition requires immediate surgery to prevent permanent and complete paralysis to the lower legs. On July 6th Oslo went in for this emergency procedure, under the skillful hands of Dr. Nick Sharp of Canada West Veterinary Specialists. The surgery was a success, however we were still looking at a very long road to recovery. It took Oslo about 3 months and many Physiotherapy appointments to regain the ability to walk independently & control his bladder & bowels. Taking care of him in the first months following surgery was a full time job & a very emotionally & physically exhausting labour of love.

He is now almost 1 year post-surgery and is doing very well… Every day he gets stronger & stronger. Most people who meet him now would never suspect that he was once essentially paralyzed in his rear legs and had 27 staples up his back!  He lives a fairly quiet life with myself and his ‘brother’ (my 2nd French Bulldog) Jersey. We live in constant fear of a second herniated disc, as such he will never be allowed to wrestle, play fetch, tug-of-war or even run at high speeds ever again… But despite that, I try to fill he days with as much fun & love as I can.

Whether you have been following this blog from Day 1 or whether you are just tuning in now, I hope that you find these pages informative. Some posts are sad and stressful, some are joyous and celebratory.  Please share this blog with anyone you know with a French Bulldog so that they too can familiarize themselves with IVDD. Their is no cure for IVDD, however knowledge of it can lead to adequate prevention.. which can, quite literally, save lives. Thank you.