Hello everyone.
I'd like to introduce you to Doglog, our 5 year old F miniature
doxie. We're close to finishing crate rest, and a bit late in joining the board, as I was not aware of this community earlier. Thank you for allowing us membership. I'll go over a summary first, but
I do have a question as we end crate rest, which I include after our introduction.Our troubles started in June. Doglog was reluctant to jump over the doorstep, then showed progressively more stiffness and pain in the coming couple of days. Then it took a few more days to get a correct diagnosis, visit more than one vet, get her crated, and on proper meds. (Neither of the vets we saw even recommended crate rest... the first one told us just reduced activity, no jumping, but small walks were still ok!)
We made the decision to do start crate rest it after our own research.... We are now 58 days in, just 2 shy of 8 weeks. She was in massive amounts of pain at first, barely controlled. I was getting up twice at night to make sure she was getting her meds around the clock. We finally found a schedule and combination of meds that worked. With time, we beat the pain... Here are more details:
★
1 How much does your dog weigh? 12.5 lbs
★ None anymore. She was taking the following for the first 30 days:
- Onsior 10mg (1x day)
- Gabapentin 50mg (At first 3 times per day, tapering to 2x, then 1x)
- Tramadol 10mg (At first 3 times per day, tapering to 2x, then 1x)
- Diazepam 5mg (At first 3 times per day, tapering to 2x, then 1x)
- Pepcid 5mg, 1x day 1 hr after Onsior
- Sulcrate 2cc, 2 hrs before Onsior
Meds stopped on July 11th, carefully observed for any signs of pain - still pain... back on for 2 weeks.
Meds stopped again on July 26th, carefully observed for any signs of
pain - and none present.She took to the meds well, no upset tummy.
★2 Doglog, miniature doxie, my name is Aleks.
★3 Suspected IVDD. Xrays showed 3 calcified disks, but not much other obvious detail. As there were
no signs of neurological involvement, just
pain and
stiffness, no MRI was recommended, just crate rest.
Just general
[DVM vet]. We were not referred to a specialist.
★4
June 26th all proper meds set up, crate set up, STRICT crate rest started.
★5 Is there still currently pain - NO
★6 Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK - Everything fine
★7 Currently can your dog wobbly walk? Everything appears fine. I did see a slight drag of one leg once or twice, but I'm not sure if I'm hypervigilant.
★8 Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control - YES
I'm extremely relieved to have typed out all of the above, as I hope to God the worst is over and behind us. We love her so much, and this has been very hard for us. We also did 12 cold laser therapy treatments so far, which she appeared to respond to very well. We're now on a monthly "maintenance" schedule.
So finally, I hope that you can clarify one question for me. I understand that 100% strict crate rest starts the day the problem begins, then we count 8 weeks. Is this the correct schedule? But Doglog was still showing pain a couple of weeks after the start of create rest, when we withdrew the meds as a test. Should the first 2 weeks be included in the 8? I would like nothing more than end the rest sooner, rather than later, but from my own experience with pain and recovery, I know that inflammation must come down for the healing to start. I would really welcome your insights.
Thank you.
