Trapper

Trapper is coming up on his 9th birthday.  He is my first child.  He is an extremely active dog.  Even if he lays around most of the day he will get up and run around hard for a while at some point in the day. Yesterday while we were outside he ran along the fence like normal barking at the neigh it's dogs.  Then out of the blue last night Trapper couldn't jump up on the couch.  Then he couldn't walk up the stairs.  This morning he couldn't walk down the stairs.  So I placed a call to the vet and they had us bring him in right away. They have diagnosed Trapper with Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD).  They gave us some meds and told us to keep him confined and not move much for 7 days.  Most of you know my stories on Trapper.  The dog LoVES to run around, jump and be active.  If his condition gets worse then they suggested surgery right away.  I have done a lot of research today and wasn't pleased about the results of surgery.  Most time it only helps a month or two, especially on older dogs like Trapper.  IVDD can be a hereditary disease especially for dogs with short legs.  He has a slipped disk in his back and his neurological system can't feel his back legs.  I've cried quite a bit today thinking of the worse case scenario, which is to put Trapper down.  I'm hoping this wont be the case and that we can keep him still this week and his meds will help him.  I'm not sure what I will do if he gets worse.  I could use some prayers!  I know some people think that crying over a dog is silly, but he is much more than our pet.  He is our family!