Hello. My name is Rocky. I am four years old and I live with the Verhage family.

I got an hernia in June, from a badly timed jump onto a chair. The hernia left me paralysed. I couldn’t even urinate anymore. The Dachshund helpline directed my owner to Dr Aharon in Noorden, in the hope that she could save the situation.

My hernia was serious, but not hopeless. On a scale from 1 to 5, I was a grade 4 (almost 5). Dr Aharon adjusted my vertebral notches, positioning them back in the right place. After that, I had to have a period of complete rest, which I did without much protest. My owners had to catheterize me three times a day, and after eight days I was able to pee on my own. I still had to rest, so I could put all my energy into my recovery.

After two weeks of rest, I managed to stand and walk a bit. My owners bought me a rear-support sling so I could exercise while they gave me a little extra support. Standing up with the sling I was more stable, and that was good practice for me.

After seven months, I could walk reasonably well. Dr Aharon gave us hope, saw the progress I was making and advised that we start swimming therapy, which I happily did. I am not afraid of water, and it went very smoothly.

In the meantime, as my situation improved, the severity of my hernia decreased to grade 1. Together with my friend, Donja, my owner’s Beagle, I have a great life. Long walks can be hard, but that is improving, and I hope it will be even better someday. My owner had an ambulation cart made especially for me, so I can go a bit further when exploring with Donja. It took some getting used to, but now I love it, and I can play with other dogs.

I can walk quicker on my own now, but I have to pay attention and make sure I put my legs down correctly. When I get tired, my back gets a bit round, but resting by Donja’s side makes everything better again.

I’m not there yet, but with my owner’s help, things are improving. I’m happy about that and thank everyone who lent me a helping hand.

Rocky