Hercules had a rough time of it right from the start. On his birthday, he suffered a herniated umbilical cord. Logan (his people sister and best friend), applied constant pressure all through the night to keep his umbilical cord from bleeding out. That is when Logan and Hercules created their bond. At only 6 months of age, Hercules was diagnosed with a life threatening disease, IMHA (Immune Mediat
ed Hemolytic Anemia). This is a disease where the body's immune system kills off it's own red blood cells. The mortality rate for IMHA is very high, and many dogs do not survive. Hercules was one of the fortunate ones. You can read his full story at www.fitzlanedanes.com
Hercules has now recently been diagnosed with Wobblers Syndrome, hip and elbow dysplasia, and growth plate abnormalities in his front legs. Wobbler syndrome (cervical (neck) vertebral instability) is caused by compression of the cervical spinal cord as a result of cervical vertebral malformation-malarticulation or instability. Spinal cord compression injures the portion of the spinal cord necessary for an animal to stand and move normally. Wobblers is a progressive condition which eventually leads to paralysis and inability to control the limbs. Surgery is very expensive, very painful, and has a low success rate. On this page, we will continue to update Herc's progress.
