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Post by Starla & Moe on Sept 28, 2018 12:15:01 GMT -7
Moe is 9 years old and battling his 3rd IVDD episode. He had surgery in 2015 and again in 2017. We had hoped these days were behind us. Sunday 9/23 Moe was sitting on the couch with us, and he just looked like he didn't want to move. He just looked like something was wrong. I sat him down on the floor, and he was limping on his left front paw. We went straight to the emergency vet that did his last two surgeries. Same old song and dance. Sent us home on crate rest and gabapentin. Tuesday 9/25 Moe was on a supervised potty break, and he turned around like he wanted to bite his bottom and fell over. He was swaying, so we went straight back to the emergency vet that is 2 hours away.
She [ER vet] felt Moe was stable and wanted to continue conservative treatment, but we wanted him to see a neurologist, considering Moe had declined so quickly the other two times, so he stayed. Moe ended up not being a candidate for surgery.
The neurologist did an MRI, which showed that his spine his not healthy, which is expected. He has several chronic bulging discs, but they have not herniated or caused spinal cord compression yet-therefore, no herniation=no surgical option. There was a spot noted in his cervical spine that showed possible herniation that she suggested might have dissipated. He was still showing left front lameness, so she wanted to rule out orthopedic causes, so she ordered a consult. They did chest x-rays, elbow x-rays-EVERYTHING. Nothing noted, except a “click” in his medial left elbow. No obvious cause of the lameness-ortho suggested possible cervical disc herniation. CBC and chem came back normal. So she did a spinal fluid analysis to check for widespread inflammation. Nothing abnormal noted in spinal fluid. She arrived at the diagnosis of nerve root inflammation due to small trauma. So Moe has been sent home on crate rest, gabapentin, and prednisone.
[Moderator's note: please do not modify
29 lbs
9/26 crate rest
prednisone as of 9/26!: 5mgs 2x/day for 7 days, then 10/1 test-for-pain tapering
gabapentin 100mgs 3x/day
no stomach protection Rx'd!!]
We are going to see if he makes progress in one week, and then we will adjust meds. He is still trying to bite his bottom and falling over. He can walk, but he will sway and wobble occasionally. I haven’t noted much front foot lameness, but that symptom has seemed to be coming and going. Overall, she said it would be rare to have another disc herniation and paralysis, but is a possibility. We have spent just as much money on all these diagnostics as the surgery would have cost. So now, I am worried he might get worse, and we are stretched thin financially. I just feel so defeated, and wish that my sweet dachshund were fixed. I am just grateful that he does not seem to be hurting and his symptoms have not gotten worse. I just pray that steroids and strict crate rest will heal him, but it is a day-to-day thing. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I am living out my worst nightmare for the third time, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to get a “quick fix” with surgery. We will do everything in our power to make our little boy get better. It’s going to be a long road ahead.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Sept 28, 2018 13:24:16 GMT -7
Welcome back to Dodgerslist, Starla. I am so sorry that Moe is having another disk episode. You mention that Moe does not seem to be hurting. These are the signs of pain we look for; 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, restless, can't find a comfortable position. Ears pinned back, 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 and stays that way between doses of correctly Rx/d pain meds. If Moe is showing any signs of pain please let the vet know right away. Disk episodes are usually painful and it may take more than just gabapentin as a pain med to keep Moe comfortable. Moe is showing only limited neuro deficits (swaying and wobbling occasionally) so he is a good candidate to recover with conservative treatment. The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the very STRICT crate rest part (no PT, little movement). Crate rest during conservative treatment is much stricter than post surgery crate rest. With little blood supply discs are much slower to form good scar tissue than it takes a blood rich broken bone to heal. Those 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, the mattress and more! —> www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmSTRICT means: ◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches ◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you ◼︎no chiro therapy whys: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htm ◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times. ◼︎no PT for conservative dogs during 8 weeks to heal disc ◼︎At home laser or acupuncture for severe neuro damage is best. Transports are always a risk to the disc of too much movement. Vet visits must be weighed risk vs. benefit for dogs with little to mild neuro diminishment. Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given. What was the start date & dose of the pred? What date will the pred taper start? All anti-inflammatories cause excess stomach acid which can cause serious stomach damage. To prevent this damage a stomach protector should be used. Ask if your dog has any health issues to prevent use of Pepcid AC (famotidine)? (doesn’t need it, we wait til there is problem…are NOT answers to your question!) If you get a “no health” issues answer, then go to the grocery store to purchase over the counter Pepcid AC containing one single active ingredient (famotidine). canigivemydog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/can-i-give-my-dog-pepcid-ac-300x300.jpg Doxie weight dogs: 5mg Pepcid AC (famotidine) every 12 hours. NOTE: Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound, 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours for as long as your dog is on the anti-inflammatory. www.1800petmeds.com/Famotidine-prod11171.htmlCan Moe 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 bladder control? Overflowing bladders need to be expressed to avoid UTIs. Review video then get a hands-on-top-of-your-hands expressing lesson. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htmDOGs with BLADDER CONTROL: 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! www.dodgerslist.com/literature/slingwalk.jpgKnowledge is the power to fight the IVDD enemy and win!! The very best thing you can do for YOU, the caregiver, and for your dog is to get up to speed on IVDD soonest possible. Begin absorbing the must-have overall sense of meds, care and how the treatment works. Your dog will be depending on your ability to learn - excellent video series here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/theater.htm PRINT OUT this link and tape to your fridge: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htm--use the printout as your roadmap to avoid dangerous detours in your dog’s care --make notes/highlight to keep yourself on track --follow all the links in the next days to become the IVDD savvy pet parent your dog needs. Use the “search box” to easily locate topics over at our Main www.Dodgerslist.com website: www.dodgerslist.com/index/searchBOX.jpg |
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Post by Starla & Moe on Sept 28, 2018 14:08:21 GMT -7
Moe is walking pretty good. He only wobbles when he turns around to nip at his bottom. That seems to be when he gets unsteady. When I went to give afternoon dose of gabapentin, I noticed that he had spit out the AM dose, and my husband didn't see it. I wonder if that was causing him to nip like that, because he didn't do it on his bedtime walk last night. He is still able to use the bathroom on his own. No accidents. I think he is a little constipated from the sedation used for the MRI. No signs of pain that you mentioned in your reply. I am hyper-aware of his pain, because I watched him go through this twice, and I can tell him when he's starting to hurt. I think the gabapentin makes his sleepy, but otherwise he is alert and acting normal. He's able to stand up and readjust in the crate. We are being very strict about crate rest, no matter how hard that is for us.
I have to take my cat in the morning to get some xrays and blood work for hyperthyroidism iodine treatment-having two very sick animals at once has been super emotional and costly) so I am going to ask for the pepcid then and explain Moe's update. I am certain she will give us the pepcid. Our usual vet has two IVDD dogs of her own so she has been a huge source of support and guidance. I feel like Moe has a really good team that knows about IVDD. We have had him treated at Blue Pearl for each episode, and they have done well. Meds: Gabapentin 100mg TID Prednisone 5mg q12hr The neurologist wants us to call her if we see any signs of pain or he is declining. Otherwise, she wants us to check in in one week to adjust meds. She has been very attentive and listened to us throughout all of this. I am just feeling very defeated because we have spent over $5,000 and we don't have a clear answer. She did not seem concerned that Moe had other abnormal discs. She said his spine was not healthy, but it is what she expected from a 9 year old dachshund with IVDD. She said that she feels very optimistic that Moe will make a full recovery, and that the chances are in his favor to not have another major herniation or paralysis. However, it's always a possibility, and we do know that. I know crate rest is the best thing right now, but I felt so reassured when we had surgery. It was like "Here's the problem. This is what we are going to do. This is how recovery is going to go." And we have been EXTREMELY lucky that Moe has almost NO deficits from either surgery. I just feel like this is such a waiting game. She said the best thing we can do is let Moe be Moe and love him. She seemed optimistic, but it's hard for me because he is literally my child. He means the absolute world to me and my husband, and I would move the earth to make him better. I feel so helpless and like I have no control over the situation. It's like he's a ticking time bomb made of glass  |
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Sept 28, 2018 14:38:29 GMT -7
You have a lot on your plate now with two sick pets. It is very hard on us pet parents when our babies are sick but I agree with your vet that you have every reason to be optimistic about Moe. Eight weeks of crate rest can be difficult but it is very effective in treating IVDD. Gabapentin works on nerve pain and the fact that he did not take his morning dose could definitely be why he is biting his bottom. Gabapentin is also know to be somewhat sedating so he might seem more sleepy than usual. You can try Pumpkin for his constipation. Pumpkin is a magical fruit - its high fiber can firm up stools and help with diarrhea or loosen the stool to help with constipation. Note alternatives: really ripe mashed fresh pear, just take off the peel off; microwaved and mashed peeled sweet potato. The amount of water in the diet makes all the difference. --To loosen the stool, add equal parts water to each kibble meal along with a teaspoon of plain canned pureed pumpkin 1x a day. <== Try this for Moe.-- To firm up the stool add 1 teaspoon pumpkin 1x a day to kibble and no extra water. We cannot predict or control our dog's IVDD but we can become educated about the disease. This is what helped me feel better when my Frankie had his disk episode. The more I learned about the disease and how it can be treated the more in control I felt. Since Moe was treated with surgery in the past, you might want to take a look at some of the info we have on the conservative treatment here: www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm |
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Sept 28, 2018 16:39:02 GMT -7
Starla, the reason that paralysis does not come so much with neck discs is that the spinal cord canal is much wider than it is in the back. This mean the cord at the neck level is not as likely to get squished and die from too much pressure causing paralysis, loss of bladder control. Also you got a diagnosis of root signature pain, meaning where the disc is pressing on the the nerves IS NOT inside of the boney tunnel holding the spinal cord. Likely then to NOT move to paralysis of front nor the back legs. See the image below where the disc bulges NOT into the yellow spinal cord trapped in a tunnel but into a nerve root exiting out of the spinal cord canal. Nerve root signature pain can really hurt so that the dog does not want to bear weight. Take a look at the illustration below. © Copyright 2015 The Spinal Research Foundation. All rights reserved. EXTRAs for a NECK DISK These are the extra things you can do to help Moe at home with his neck disc: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmThat is wonderful IF you are not seeing any signs of pain on just one pain med. Typical is that is will take 3 different types of pain meds with a neck disc to cover each of the three sources of pain as you will read in the "Extras for a Neck Disc" article above. Holding his leg up and not wanting to bear weight is a sign of pain as well as these specific to cervical discs and the general pain signs Romy listed for you. ◻︎ looks up with just eyes and does not move head and neck easily. ◻︎ not eating due to painful chewing or in too much overall pain QUESTIONs - How much does Moe weigh?- What date did prednisone start? 9/26 or ????
- The test for pain/neuro issues is schedule 7 days from the start of pred. Which does your vet want on the test prednisone taper date on 10/1: Abrupt stop of one single pain med? OR the backing off (a kind of taper) of gabapentin?
- Sounds like there is a real need to find out why Moe is focused on biting his butt. Do you express his anal glands, might they be full or infected? What did the neuro examine, think? |
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 1, 2018 11:03:46 GMT -7
Thank you so much for the information on the nerve root pain. I have not received an explanation that made sense from the neurologist. So am I correct in saying that paralysis from this issue is not likely? That would make me feel a little better. I was confused how it was possible that he may have had a slight herniation, but she stated that we had no surgical option. To answer your questions Moe weighs 19lbs. I know we have to get some weight off of him. We have been feeding him the minimum recommended amount, and he just seems to put it right back on. He started the prednisone while he was in the hospital. So I am thinking it was started on 9/26. We have been adhering to the strict crate rest ever since. His wobble has seemed to improve, but we are only letting him take a few steps to potty. He did wobble a little bit over the weekend, but the last time I observed that was on Saturday 9/29. He has shown no signs of pain taking the 100mg of gabapentin q8hr and the 5mg of prednisone q12hr. No shivering or whining. He is standing and adjusting in his crate with ease. He has always been a barker, and it's been a challenge to stop that. I am worried with all of the neck movement that can cause, but I do not know what to do to stop that. He licks his paws, which I've heard can be a sign of pain, but he has licked his paws since he was a puppy. It's just occasionally-not constant. I think it is like a comfort thing for him. He licks everything-even us when we used to let him sit on the couch. So I don't feel that for Moe that is an indicator of pain. I feel like he is depressed sitting in his cage all day. I have been trying to sit in the floor next to him so he knows we are close. We keep him near us at all times. He seems so happy and wags his tail when he gets to come out for potty breaks, but when I have to put him back up, he just looks so sad. I know the crate is the correct thing. We will call the neurologist on Thursday, which is a week from when he came home. She said she would "adjust meds". She didn't say what that meant, but I had assumed it was to taper the prednisone. Also, he has had a lot of anal gland trouble in the past, and I originally suspected that. We boarded him from 9/8-9/14. He got his yearly exam and was supposed to get his anal glands done then. A few days after we got him home is when he tried to bite his bottom the first time. I immediately assumed the anal glands, but I was assured they had been expressed. I thought he may be a little sore. When we took him to the ER for the first time, I mentioned this, and they said his anal glands were extremely full, and they expressed them then. So that's where we stand on that. I am feeling really guilty for boarding him. I have always trusted where I take him, but what if something happened there that I don't know about? It's tearing me up to think that. I am just wanting my baby to get better. I am trying so hard to not let fear run my life, but every time I take him out of the crate for a potty break, I am so scared I will find out he can't walk. It doesn't get any easier no matter how many times we have been through this. |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 1, 2018 13:37:01 GMT -7
Starla, your focus should be the 100% STRICT rest. That keeps the neck disc from worsening with a tear and more disc material escaping in the spinal cord canal. A neck dog can have paralysis but is not so common as it is when it is a back disc involved. Excellent that all pain is being fully managed round the clock with only one pain med. The concern always with prednisone is protection of the stomach lining. Can you take action to get Pepcid AC on board today after reading below? STOMACH PROTECTION Dogs don't speak up at first signs of trouble like a person would. By the time we notice black or red blood in the stools, things can quickly go from bleeding ulcers to a life threatening perforated stomach. Ask if your own vet or the neuro vet if you dog has any health issues to prevent use of Pepcid AC (famotidine)? (doesn’t need it, we wait til there is problem…are NOT answers to your question!) If you get a “no health issues” answer, then go to the grocery store to purchase over the counter Pepcid AC containing one single active ingredient (famotidine). The usual dose during a disc episode is Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours. Give the anti-inflammatory with a meal as added protection. www.1800petmeds.com/Famotidine-prod11171.html thumb.ibb.co/mEGRuy/91x_Aj_s00z_L_SY355.jpg |
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 3, 2018 12:09:23 GMT -7
Things have been so hectic at our place. This is the first chance I've had to get on here. Moe is on 5mg ✚pepcid BID.
[Moderator's note: please do not modify
29 lbs
9/26 crate rest
prednisone as of 9/26!: 5mgs 2x/day for 7 days, then 10/1 test-for-pain tapering
gabapentin 100mgs 3x/day
✚pepcid 5mgs 2x/day]
It seems like some of his personality and spunk is coming back. He is walking great. I have not seen any wobbles or symptoms with the left front foot. He's doing really well. However, I am still very concerned about his bottom. He does not like to be touched on one side of his tail. (I forgot which side, but I will check later on). This was the initial symptom, and it still persists. It's not even near his spine, it's in the muscle portion of his back leg, near his tail. I am starting to wonder if it is possible his anal gland may be infected? He had started having bowel movements, but the last time he went was 10/1/18 around 10pm before bed. I am just wondering if this could be an added issue we are dealing with? Tomorrow is the day we check in with the neurologist, so I will definitely mention it, but it's so strange to see all this progress, but no improvement on this issue.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 3, 2018 13:11:23 GMT -7
Starla, is Moe now in the tes- for-pain taper of Prednisone?...it was to begin on 10/1.
Did the pain masking pain med (gabapentin) also stop or back off for you to be able to accurately monitor if any pain surfaces?
I would be a good idea to have a vet take a feel/ look at his glands. Let us know.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 3, 2018 14:25:32 GMT -7
He is still on the same regimen he started on. 100mg gabapentin TID and 5mg prednisone q12hr. The neurologist told us to contact her one week from the pick up date, which will be tomorrow. She said that is when she will adjust meds. I am just worried that a car ride might do more damage than good, but at the same time, we won't know for sure unless we get him examined. It's very odd, and it's nothing like I have seen with his previous disc episodes.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 3, 2018 19:21:08 GMT -7
have you ever expressed anal glands yourself? Yes, best to keep traveling limited. The only thing is IF anal glands would get infected/impacted, then that is not a good thing... Is your local DVM vet closer for an anal gland look?
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 4, 2018 4:18:24 GMT -7
He had his anal glands expressed the second week of September when he was boarded and got his annual exam. Then the ER vet said they were extremely full and expressed them on 9/23. He has had this issue not infrequently in the past, but it was usually resolved with expression. My local vet is about 25 minutes away. I have to take my cat today so I wonder if she’d take a look then, per clearance from the neurologist. If not, I’ll have to take him Saturday AM when my husband can help. Also, Moe had two bowel movements last night 10/3 and also one bowel movement this morning 10/4. I noticed he sat down and tried to scoot last night, so I am HOPING the pain is from the anal glands and not nerve pain from a disc.
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Oct 4, 2018 5:32:27 GMT -7
The scooting does sound like it could be an anal gland issue, Starla. I do hope that's the case and it's easily resolved. If you do need to take him to the vet, Just be sure to secure his crate in the car and pad it well with rolled up blankets/towels to prevent him from being jostled around too much during transport with as little movement as possible at the vet's office.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 4, 2018 11:13:59 GMT -7
I am hoping it just anal glands. He did so good on his afternoon walk!!! He was ready to run, but I knew better. I am glad to see that he is feeling like himself, but I know this is where the real work begins. It's harder to control a dachshund who feels fine. I did notice he seemed to have some secretions coming from his bottom when I walked him. I am thinking this is at least a contributing factor. I pray that is all that is causing his discomfort and that we are well on our way to recovery from the actual disc episode. I spoke with the neurologist, and she said we are good to cut back on meds. She wants us doing 5mg ▼prednisone once a day and 100mg ▼gabapentin BID AM and PM.
[Moderator's note: please do not modify
29 lbs
9/26 crate rest
prednisone as of 9/26!: 5mgs 2x/day for 7 days, then 10/1 test-for-pain tapering
gabapentin 100mgs ▼2x/day
pepcid 5mgs 2x/day]
She said to continue strict crate rest and check back in one week. Of course, if any of his symptoms return or there is pain to call immediately. She also advised us to make an appt with our local vet to check out the anal glands. She felt that was a real possibility too. We are going at 9AM Saturday 10/6/18 to check on that. I am feeling confident that he is going get recover for the first time since this started. I am so nervous to taper the meds. I just don't want to see my precious boy in any pain.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 4, 2018 13:04:42 GMT -7
Starla, can you confirm you do not take him on walks but instead allow only the very, very fewest of footsteps to take care of business?
Fingers crossed the taper of pred and pain-masking pain med (gabapentin) will show all the painful swelling is gone. Keep us posted and also on the anal gland visit this Saturday.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 4, 2018 15:42:56 GMT -7
NO! We have not been going on actual walks. That’s just how I was referring to his potty time.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 6, 2018 6:34:19 GMT -7
Just got done at the vet. She did a full exam. Anal glands are the culprit of the bottom pain. No back or neck pain noted. His anal glands were extremely full again. We’ve had them expressed 3 times in 3 weeks. I guess we will have to take him every other week or so to get them expressed. I don’t know what to do to prevent it, but I am so relieved it’s not disc related. In other news, Moe is responding really well to tapering his meds. No signs of pain. He is back to his normal self. I would say his walking is back to baseline. He’s doing really, really well. I am hoping he continues to do well. Still doing the strict crate rest, and we will check in with the neurologist in one week! I’m feeling pretty positive right now!! 😊😊😊
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 6, 2018 8:35:29 GMT -7
Starla, sorry to hear of this new development of glands filling up so soon on top of the current neck disc episode causing root signature pain. Well at least he can be in comfort now with his anal glands just emptied.
You can ask for a lesson on how to express his glands. It is not a difficult things...just stiinky. That way during the remainder of his 8 weeks crate rest, you can eliminate vehical transports.
Wonderful to hear on the taper of pred and the backing off of gabapentin that no pain is surfacing. Fingers crossed at the final stop of gabapentin...same report of no pain.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 7, 2018 12:49:12 GMT -7
Just wanted to post a quick update. Moe is doing really well today. Here he is enjoying his afternoon snooze. He seems so much more comfortable after we had his anal glands expressed. He was pretty sore yesterday, and had some loose stool (which happens after every single car ride-Moe is not a good traveler, even in his healthiest state. It makes him so nervous.) Today, he is all back to normal. I think he has accepted the crate rest. His little personality is just back to normal, and we are spending lots of time with him. Thank you all so much for your support during our issues. We are not done yet, but this forum has been such a huge source of comfort and reassurance for me. People tend to be really judgmental about the lengths we have gone through for Moe, but we would never do any less. It's great to have support somewhere.  <3 |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 7, 2018 14:43:48 GMT -7
Starla, don't worry about the "judgementals," they come from a place of uneducated about the matter of a disc episode.
Fingers crossed for smooth sailing for the rest of the crate rest period.
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Mary & Mila
Helpful Member 
FEMALE— DACHSHUND
Posts: 218
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Post by Mary & Mila on Oct 8, 2018 2:48:29 GMT -7
hi Starla,
Just reading up on Moe's progress, so glad the issue was only the anal glands and not a disc related issue.
It can be disheartening when people don't understand why we give such care to our dogs, but why not as our pets are only here for a short while, those negative voices are in the minority, most pet owners would do the same, as we all do on this forum.
sending best wishes
Mary
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Post by Starla & Moe on Oct 11, 2018 9:42:08 GMT -7
Update on Moe. I spoke to his neurologist today. She wants to taper meds a littler more. So we are going to 100mg ▼gabapentin once a day and prednisone 2.5mg once a day. If he is still doing good in one week, we can stop the gabapentin and do the prednisone every other day. We will check in with neurologist in two weeks, as long as everything goes according to plan. She said Moe could have 2 five minute walks per day. I will probably not let him out that long yet. It makes me concerned. I think he still needs to continue crate rest. I feel that since we did not have a surgical option, he may be easier to re-injure, and that is the last thing in the world we need. I would rather be safe than sorry. Otherwise, Moe is doing amazingly well. We have not seen any signs of pain including biting at his bottom. He's starting to get a little restless, and wants out of the crate, but we have been firm with crate rest. One of his brother's is in the hospital for hyperthyroidism treatment, and he comes home tomorrow. He will have to be quarantined for 2 weeks, but I know it will cause increased excitement in the household. So for that reason, I am not going to change our current routine until things have settled down. Overall, I feel positive. One other thing I wanted to mention. I was looking over his MRI report a little earlier, and I noticed they mentioned he might have a very mild syringomyelia. Are you all familiar with this and what it means for Moe? Neurologist did not mention it, but I will ask her next time we speak.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 11, 2018 11:08:16 GMT -7
Starla, by graduation day of Nov 18 the disc scar tissue would be well formed, safe to begin physical activity where you will be able to slowly work her up to long walks.
The way a vet makes a diagnosis is called"differential diagnosis." This means the vet formulates what diseases might cause the signs he is observing. Then he ranks those diseases in order of most likely. This makes way to make an educated guess as to cause and the appropriate treatment. Often when the treatment begins and the disease begins to turn around, that helps to confirm it was the right diagnosis. It is always best to discuss any concerns, to be up to date on your vet's current thinking as treatment goes along.
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Post by Starla & Moe on Nov 3, 2018 17:01:41 GMT -7
We have been so busy, I forgot to post an update. Moe is still doing the crate rest, and we checked in with the neurologist. He is down to the prednisone twice a week. We will check in next week, and if we are continuing to do well, we will be done with meds. Moe is not taking any pain meds.
[Moderator's note: please do not modify
29 lbs
9/26 crate rest
prednisone as of 9/26!: 5mgs 2x/day for 7 days, then 10/1 test-for-pain tapering
gabapentin 100mgs 2x/day STOPPED
pepcid 5mgs 2x/day]
He is using the bathroom on his own, and his gait is actually improving. We have not noted any issues with his lifting his front legs since he came home. And the best part is that I have not seen him nip at his bottom in quite a while! Moe seems to be back to normal. He is getting so restless in his crate, but it's what we have to do. I am so, so pleased that crate rest worked this time. This is our first success with conservative treatment, and it gives me hope that if Moe has another issue in the future, surgery is not the only option. I cannot wait to see him back to living his normal life again.
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Post by Pauliana on Nov 3, 2018 20:22:07 GMT -7
Hi Starla,
Conservative treatment works for many, many dogs.. My Tyler had surgery back in 2013 but has had multiple. milder episodes since, treated conservatively and recovers well each and every time..
Thanks for the update, glad Moe is doing so well!
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<3 
