John's Max 10/11 conservative; GRAD 12/6

Max's weight is 20 1/4 lbs. Nuero symptoms are knuckling under of paws, crossing of back legs and wobbly walk. Please let me know if there is any other info that would be helpful.

Prednisone dose & freq. before taper was 1 1/2  [how many mgs is that?]  twice a day for 3 days, then 1 1/2 a day for 3 days and the taper is 1 1/2 tab every other day. The vet restarted this regimen after the first 5 days due to a relapse to nearly rear leg paralysis with little deep feeling in his rear paws.
Thank You.

Would using a scarf or bandage as a helper sling cause any problems with cutting off the urine stream? I would think it would.

Unfortunately, there is not enough room in our small bedroom to put another Recovery Suite in.

 [✚Pepcid AC] Thank You, Paula.

[Moderator's note: please do not modify
prednisone 5mg tabs as of 10/11: 7.5mgs 2x/day, for 3 days
                                                              7.5mgs 1x/day for 3 days, then 10/16 test for pain/√neuro taper
                                        as of 10/16: 7.5mgs 2x/day, for 3 days
                                                              7.5mgs 1x/day for 3 days, then 10/21 test for pain/neuro taper
gabapentin 200 mg 2x/day  still on board during the test for pain taper!
trazodone 50 mgs
✚Pepcid AC 10 mgs 2x/day]

I went with option 2 and it works great. Thank You Marjorie.

If it is necessary to restart him on Prednisone, should I suggest to the Vet that he stay on twice a day for a longer period?

I had said that Max had been on an anti-inflammatory dosage for 6 days but since he had a second round of Prednisone, he actually had 12 days on the anti-inflammatory dosage. I just wanted to correct that.

Yes, you should still give him that. The Trazodone may be needed throughout the whole 8 week crate rest period unless Max can adjust to being in the crate. I would let the vet know that he's still having problems resting throughout the night so either the vet can adjust the Trazodone or change to another sedative that may work better.

There are other things you can try to help calm Max in the crate. Here's a list of some things that may be helpful. Of course, if he needs the Trazodone, then do continue to give it.

To calm your dog in the crate, it would be a good idea to cover the top with a towel. That should mellow him. It also creates a den like feeling that dogs love.

Using any oral calmer in combination with a Pheromone diffuser seems to work best. It takes several days for these to start working - it isn't immediate but they are a much better option if you can avoid heavy duty prescription sedatives such as Acepromazine, Trazodone, etc. Of course always keep your vet in the loop on all things you give your dog. Other product brands may be available in your area or on-line… just shop by the active ingredient(s) on the label and the quantity for best price.

Place a DAP pheromone diffuser at floor level where the recovery suite is.
Dogs: Adaptil (DAP) wall plug in diffuser 48ml www.adaptil.com/us/Products/ADAPTIL-Calm-Home-Diffuser with dog pheromones

Use a diffuser with one oral calmer from below:
1) ANXITANE® S chewable tabs contain 50 mg L-Theanine, an amino acid that acts neurologically to help keep dogs calm, relaxed
2) Composure Soft Chews are colostrum based like calming mother's milk and contain 21 mg of L-Theanine.
3) Bach's Rescue Remedy is a liquid 5-herb combo to help with relaxation (Star of Bethlehem – Orithogalum umbellatum, Rock Rose – Helianthemum, Cherry Plum – Prunus cerasifera, Impatiens – Impatiens gladulifera, Clematis – Clematis vitalba)

Be aware you might be inadvertently training for unwanted behavior. To dogs rewards are: food, looking at them, talking to them, eye contact, approaching the crate, petting. So anytime you see unwanted behavior ignore it, turn your back, leave the room if you have to. Preferable is to start teaching what you do want before there is too much practice in doing the unwanted behavior. Anytime your dog is sitting or lying down quietly, give a reward. Soon your dog will see they get rewards for four feet on the floor, quietly sitting, etc.

Consider some of these ideas:
-- Many members have found a pet stroller to solve the whining problem because the stroller can be wheeled from room to room as you go about your activities. Pet strollers, however, should only be used when you are directly supervising. More details on strollers: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/strollers.htm

-- Put a garment you have been wearing and have not washed in the crate.

-- Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT, KPACTP writes:
"According to the book, Stress in Dogs, by Martina Scholz & Clarissa von Reinhardt, the most well-behaved dogs get 17 or more hours of rest and sleep per day.
Teaching self-calming exercises can also help your dog to relax more. You can make something as simple as eye contact a very rewarding behavior that also acts as a way for your dog to “ask permission” when he wants something. When dogs have a focus and an understanding about how to behave to get what they want, they are much calmer overall. To do this, each time your dog looks at you, say, something like, “Yes!” or use a clicker to mark the second he looks at you, and then give your dog a high-value food reward. Wait for your dog to look up at you again, say, “Yes,” and reward again. Do this exercise 10 or so times and then say, “All done,” and put the treats away. Come back later and do it again until you can see that your dog is really starting to make automatic eye contact in hopes you will say, “Yes,” again and give him his reward. " [NOTE: treats should be subtracted from the normal daily kibble ration so as not to gain weight during crate rest.]
wholedogtraining.com/images/stories/Are_all_dogs_trainable.pdf

-- If your dog won’t get too excited seeing what’s happening outside, during the day try putting the crate on the coffee table or the dining room table so there will be a view out a window and a better perspective on what is going on in the house from on high.

-- Play classical music or one of the wildlife TV shows.

-- Fill a Kong with soft dog food and freeze. Put part of the dog's total daily dinner kibble in the Kong to lengthen time to consume dinner. Good low cal snacks are carrots, apples, or frozen green beans, licking a frozen low sodium broth ice cube. Good thick low salt/no fat chicken broth is full of cartilage-building proteins and amino acids. Freeze it up into cubes for easy access as you need it. Fun and keeps the body hydrated: place cubes in a bowl for licking.

If a dog is jumping up at the sides of the crate, you can lower the ceiling of the crate. Cut a piece of cardboard the size of the top of the crate, punch holes in the corners and tie the cardboard down into the crate to the level of the top of the dog's head when standing. Or cover the top of the crate with a blanket or towel, bringing the blanket/towel down to the level of the dog's eyes so when he/she jumps up, he won't be able to see anything. That may discourage him/her from jumping up.

www.dodgerslist.com/literature/EmergencyCrate%20Training.htm

Some quickie ideas if you don't have any discarded bones from your own meals:
---Simply bring to boil and simmer with lid on til well cooked one hamburger patty in about a 1-2 cups of water. Cool & trash the fat disc at the top. 
--- Boil some chicken parts. cool, de-skin/de-bone and also trash the fat disc at the top.

Best broth is from any kind of bones preferably with a bit of meat on them (rotisserie chicken cacass, beef bones, fresh chicken wings, etc).  If when brought to a boil, simmered with a lid on for a minimum of several hours..... cooled it has a thick jelly-­like consistency when it’s cold you’ve done a good job of making nutritious broth. The broth stuff in a box at the grocery store is watery and flavored with onions and some too much salt.  
Here is more detail on the making of thick broth:  www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/how-to-make-bone-broth-for-your-dog/

John, jiggly, gelatinous richness comes from the cooking of connective tissue in meats, tendons, joints, bones, cartilage. Your roasted turkey drippings. might be too seasoned in salt, fat, etc for a a dog, but wonderful for a gravy for your own dinner.

Best broth for Max would be to take the turkey carcass and simmer in water, adding no spices, onions and even no garlic is how I do it. Just make a simple meaty tasting thick broth for Max. Cook in a pot on the stove, in a crock pot OR in a stove top pressure cooker or an electric one to shorten the time down to 1-2 hours.

For a dog always defat by removing fat disc that forms at the top when chilled and discard skin and bones. Uses: a frozen broth cube to lick on as a lo-cal treat. Mix with kibble, freeze in a Kong and give Max a job of having to work for his dinner.

Fat can cause diarrhea in dogs making it confusing when on meds whether to take serious action if anti-inflammatory caused or simply a temporary food issue. Signs of GI tract damage from anti-inflammatory drugs: not eating well, vomit, loose stool, bleeding ulcer, red or back blood in diarrhea, dangerous perforated stomach lining.

Hi John, 

Yes the green tea idea is a tip from Marjorie - one of the moderators on Dodgerslist. 
It is mostly used on incontinent dogs, to prevent urine scald. 
Just a regular strength cup is fine. Use one tea bag. 

Marjorie's tip: boil and cool decaf green tea to dampen a washcloth. It is mild with acidifying, antibacterial properties to neutralize urine on skin and fur to avoid rashes from urine scald + leaves a clean earthy fragrance.

John, here is just one example of the many wondrously intricate ways of the body and why a balanced diet.

Eating excess protein (meats, etc), means the body would need calcium from other sources in order to process the unnecessary protein. The heart relies on calcium in the blood to beat. If not enough calcium in the blood stream, then the body will need to take calcium from bones.

Over feeding meats, can unbalance the kibble food's balanced formula. 10% extra meat isn’t very much.  For example, if you feed a dog 1/3 of a cup kibble (which equals 5 tablespoons = 15 teaspoons) then you should only supplement with a max 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of homemade on top.
the math: 15 tsp x .10 = 1.5 tsp

While on crate rest, best to stick with the kibble you are currently using. You can research things now to see if there is a need for a better food and be ready at graduation day to transition to the new stuff.

This link below contains valuable information on how to understand the dog food label so you are aware of what those mysterious ingredients are and the difference in protein quality of cornmeal, chicken meal and meat meal. Also where to find a list of rated dog foods. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/nutritionhealing.htm

The only thing that will help repair the damaged disc is strict limitation of movement of the spine.

It is best while a dog is on any prescription medication recovering in crate rest to not add any supplements. That would cause confusion as to which is the culprit of any GI distress that may develop and which action to take.

Supplements can cause the same side effects of gastrointestinal problems develop such as vomiting, loose stools, diarrhea or even gas, but not life threatening that a medication might cause. It would be important to be able to definitively identify the cause quickly in order to take the right action to treat the problem.

After all IVDD medications have been stopped, supplements can then be given.

There isn’t much scientific evidence what supplements are effective and what aren’t concerning intervertebral discs and Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). Supplements are something you’ll need to research in depth before making decisions.

Has the Gabapentin now been stopped so a true test for pain can be made during the taper of the Pred? If so, has any sign of pain returned?

I know it is a little early, but am asking for next spring/summer.
Max is an accomplished Hunter/Killer of snakes. His total this last season was 8 garden snakes.
This is a violent process on his spine as he shakes them to death. What can I do next year?