I have been asked quite a few questions today, and I thought that I should address those here:

1. What CAUSED Oslo’s injury?

Well… In short– NOTHING. There was no big fall, accident, fight or trauma. French Bulldogs are notorious for having unusually delicate spines. 3 years of playing, jumping into the sofa, running, playing fetch and generally being a happy dog is likely the culprit. His discs simply wore down. I took him out on Monday to play a game of fetch- we played for 10 minutes then went home. It’s likely that this innocent, non-eventful game of fetch was the ‘straw that broke the frenchies back’. Is was just what pushed him over the edge.

2. Why is your vet so EXPENSIVE?!

For 1- We live in an expensive City. Vet costs are usually pretty relative to the cost of living of the city that they are in.

For 2- The surgery Oslo is having is very risky, complicated and time consuming. It is NOT done by an average veterinarian at the average clinic & is only done by Specialist at Specialty Clinics.

For 3- Our Specialist clinic is one of the best, most high-tech & acclaimed in this part of North America. It recently underwent a 3 million dollar upgrade.

For 4- Our doctor/surgeon specifically is the ONLY board certified neurologist & surgeon in Canada. Oh, and he has a PHD in Molecular Biology, as well as his Masters in Veterinary Medicine, for gods sake!

For 5- This is also the ONLY veterinary clinic that performs this procedure in the Vancouver Metro Area, so we really didn’t have any options.

For 6- Shopping around for better prices is great when you’re buying a washing machine, but not when your dog is almost entirely paralyzed from the waist down.

3. What are Oslo’s chances of a full recovery?

Dr. Sharp gives Oslo a 80% chance of making a full recovery. He also has a chance of a ‘partial’ recovery, and or course a small chance of no recovery at all. We are choosing to focus on the 80% likelihood of a full recovery bit.


4. How long will it take Oslo to recover?

6-8 weeks. He’ll spend the first initial days in the hospital. After that he will be discharged to us where he will require pretty intensive care. He will also be restricted only to his crate. He will need almost complete rest so that his spin can heal properly. As the weeks pass he will slowly gain his mobility back. However, he will likely always need to lead a ‘calmer than normal’ life when compared to other dogs.

5. Could this happen again?

Yes. Definitely. Like any injury– If he doesn’t take it easy, once injured he has a higher chance of RE-injuring it. It will be up to us to limit his activity and antics as to keep his spine as safe as possible.