Welcome to Dodgerslist! We are so glad you’ve joined us all. We’ve got valuable information we’ve gleaned from the vets Dodgerslist consults with and our own experiences with IVDD since 2002 to share with you!
There is no reason to even consider putting Paco down. It is important to know that disc disease is not a death sentence! Struggling with quality of life questions for your dog? Re-think things:
www.dodgerslist.com/index/SDUNCANquality.htmThe alternative to surgery for a dog with IVDD is conservative treatment. The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the very STRICT crate rest part (no PT, little movement). 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.
Carry Paco 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.jpgSo the most important thing you can do right now for Paco is to start Strict crate rest.
Paco is in pain. There is no need for him to suffer. Vets have many ways to relieve pain. Neck discs are typically very painful and it may take three medicines, each attacking pain differently, to provide relief. What we have seen work best is:
Methocarbamol for painful muscle contractions which are particularly common in neck discs Rx'd 3/day Tramadol Rx'd 3x/day as the general pain reliever
Gabapentin for nerve pain also Rx'd 3x/day.
When the pain meds are right, you should see pain relief within an hour and no pain between doses. Please speak to your vet
right away and advocate for adding Methocarbamol and Gabapentin to Paco's meds and for the full dose of tramadol to be given 3x a day.
For how many days was the pred prescribed?
With pred anti-inflammatory doses range from 0.1 to 0.3 mg per pound (0.2 to 0.6 mg/kg) up to twice daily. Dr. Dawn Ruben, DVM "Prednisone / Prednisolone"
www.petplace.com/DrugLibrary/prednisone-prednisolone/page1.aspx last accessed 8/13/2014
Dr. Reuben's information on prednisone is in line with what we see many, many vets on this Forum using for a disc episode. For Paco, 16lbs x 0.3mgs = 4.8 mgs. Because pred comes in 5mg tablets, often vets will go ahead and prescribe the full 5mg tablet 2x/day. The full anti-inflammatory dose of pred would be 5mg
twice a day. It is the pred which works on the swelling in the spinal cord which causes the pain but only the full anti-inflammatory dose works on this swelling. When you speak to your vet about the pain meds also speak about a twice a day dose of pred.
We are not vets and do not know the specifics of each dog's health. We are making this suggestion based on what we've seen qualified vets prescribe in the past and only as a basis for discussion with your vet.
All anti-inflammatories, including pred, cause excess stomach acid which can cause serious damage to the GI tract. To prevent this damage Pepcid AC can 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.htmlSince Paco is reluctant to eat and his poop is a bit loose it is
very important for him to start taking a stomach protector right away.
What is you name? I am Romy and my boy is Frankie.
Knowledge 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
