Donna, welcome to Dodgerslist! Please introduce your dog so we can get to any issues that may need to be addressed right away. Then we can deal with getting a picture for the avatar.
Just a few questions so our comments can be specific to your dog:
★1 How much does your dog weigh?
A.. Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mg’s and times per day given.
B.. If on a steroid....what was the start date & dose? Date of steroid taper?
C. Please include the all important stomach protector such as Pepcid AC (famotidine) when taking any anti-inflammatory med (steroid or NSAID). We follow vets who are proactive against not eating, vomit, diarrhea, bleeding ulcers by giving doxie weight dogs 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the anti-inflammatory.
★2 What breed? What is your dog’s name? Your name, too?
★3 Did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD, aka: a disc problem, a disc herniation, a bulging disc, slipped disc?
-- Is the vet a general DVM or a specialist surgeon (ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho)?
★4 What was the date you saw the vet for conservative treatment or date of surgery?
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 rest 24/7 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!
If there is no bladder control, you would be expressing every 2-3 hours depending on which meds he is on. Do not hesitate to express in the vet’s clinic and have the vet tech check your work, give you additional pointers. It may take a weeks worth of expressing to reach “pro level.” Doesn’t hurt to re-review the tips and video on expressing to keep your dog dry session to expressing session:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm Express for poop, not the health issue urine is but to prevent anxiety of your dog finding poop where he sleeps.
★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 and stays that way dose to dose. If not in control your vet needs to know asap to adjust meds.
★6 Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK - normal firmness & color -no dark or bright red blood?
★7 Tell us about his current current neuro functions:
A. can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
B. 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?
