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Post by Linda Stowe on Feb 24, 2013 13:53:36 GMT -7
Learn the details of conservative treatment which will be instrumental in your ability ensure good disc healing.
What you don't know could cause more pain for your dog and hinder your dog's potential to recover. Print out the ROADMAP for your fridge to avoid dangerous detours! Get speedier help! Provide answers to these questions: ☆ 1 How much does your dog weigh? Please list the exact names of meds currently given, ☻the start date, ☻their doses in mgs, ☻how often you give. Give additional info for the anti-inflammatory (steroid or NSAID): ▪️STEROID: for how many days Rxd til first taper? OR.... ▪️NSAID date to stop? ☆ 2 Which breed? What is your dog's name? Your name?
What country if not United States?
☆ 3 Did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD (pinched nerve, slipped disc, herniated disc, bulging disc)?
-- Is the vet a general practice DVM or a specialist surgeon (ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho)?
☆ 4 What was the date you saw the vet and started 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for 8 weeks? The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the crate rest part. With little blood supply discs are much slower to form good scar tissue than it takes a blood rich broken bone to heal. That 6 weeks of a cast for a broken arm to heal is similar to the recovery suite being a kind of cast for the disc. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for 8 weeks provides limited movement to allow good strong scar tissue to form. Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no chiro therapy - no dragging or meandering at potty times.
Carry to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a very few limited footsteps. Using a sling (long winter scarf, ace bandage, belt) will save your back and help to keep a wobbly dog's back aligned and butt from tipping over. A harness and 6 foot leash is to control speed and keep footsteps to minimum as you stand in one spot. An ex-pen in the grass is an excellent alternative to minimizing footsteps with the physical and visual to indicate there will be no sniff festing going on!
There are no meds to heal a disc... just time of 8 weeks and limited movement. If there is muscle atrophy it will come back soon after graduation from STRICT rest when it is safe to do active PT.
☆ 5 Is there still currently pain - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move, tight tense tummy, can't find a comfortable position. Arched back. Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight, head held high or nose to the ground. Not their normal perky selves?? Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour of pain meds and stays that way dose to dose. Your vet needs to know asap to adjust meds if there are pain signs.
★ Why Chiropractic is not recommended for pain for an IVDD dog: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htm☆ 6 Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you do some happy talk? ☆ 7 Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control? - OR- do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted which are indication of an overflowing bladder and loss of control? ☆ 8 Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK - normal color no dark or bright red blood? Giving Pepcid AC (famotidine) to suppress production of damaging stomach acids?
Press the <back arrow> on your browser to go back to the "Conservative Treatment" page where you can then create a thread for your dog.
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