Welcome back to Dodgerslist, Michelle.. Sorry to hear Barney is having a neck disc episode.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a disease a dog is born with and can involve all intervertebral discs whether in the neck or in the back. Although premature aging of the discs begins while the dog is still technically a puppy (by age one), most dogs will not show symptoms of a disc problem until they are between 3 and 7 years old.
The treatments for a disc episode are the same no matter whether it is a cervical disc or another disc lower down in the spine which is causing the problem: conservative treatment or surgery. A disc problem in the neck can be more painful and may take longer to resolve because a dog moves its head with almost all actions and when any other part of the body moves. That constant movement means that healing can take longer because the neck doesn't get the rest to allow the disc uninterrupted healing.
These are additional things you can do to help with a cervical disc problem during the 8 weeks of 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 with conservative treatment:
Make sure the medications are fully controlling pain from dose to dose with no break through in pain. Continued feedback to your vet is vitally important until the pain medications have been properly adjusted for your dog. There is no "one-size-fits-all" pain control.
Signs of pain are holding the head in an unusual position...head held high or nose to the ground, shivering/trembling, not wanting to move much or moving gingerly, yelping, tight/tense stomach muscles, holding leg up flamingo style...not wanting to bear weight on the leg.
These are the typical pain medications used to treat IVDD:
Tramadol as the general pain reliever. It has a short half life of 1.7 hours and may need to be prescribed at a minimum of every 8 hours.
Methocarbamol treats muscle spasms stemming from aggravated muscles due to nerve trauma related to the spinal cord inflammation.
Gabapentin may be added to the mix for hard to control pain. Veterinarians are finding this medication works very well in combination with Tramadol.
Ask your Vet if Barney since he has Cushings can take a NSAID such as Rimadyl, Metacam, Deramaxx, etc.) which should be accompanied by a stomach protector such as Pepcid AC (Famotidine) to avoid serious gastrointestinal damage. For some dogs Pepcid AC needs to be accompanied with yet another protector, Sucralfate, when there are signs of GI problems of diarrhea, vomit, bloody stools.
An anti-inflammatory can take 1-2 weeks or longer to resolve all swelling. During the stop of the NSAID is the time to watch for any signs that pain is returning which would indicate that more time on the NSAID is needed. After repeated attempts to go off any anti-inflammatory, if pain cannot be totally resolved, surgery should be a consideration.
Raise food and water bowls to head height to avoid bending down to eat and drink.
dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies/bowlHLDR.jpgIf you feed kibble, moisten each meal with equal parts water and kibble and allow to hydrate in the fridge overnight. Then warm slightly in microwave, just to take the chill off, before serving. This will eliminate pain from crunching kibble.
No chew treats or kongs during recovery. Chewing on those makes the head and neck move a lot and can deter healing and cause more pain.
Snuggle Safe is a commercial product that will keep warm the whole night. Wrap in a towel, piece of fleece fabric as a soft place for your dog to choose to rest the head or snuggle with. WARNING: only used with adog that still has feeling. As a dog can feel if it's too hot for them and move away from it. Snuggle Safe is available at pet shops or on-line.
Raise the crate up on a table so there is no need for your dog to to raise the head to look at you or watch the world from the crate.
Healing thoughts and prayers.. We are here for you.
