is a very important indicator for many things. Can you provide the details, please
Often the extra acids that Prednisone cause will be too much and initial signs of GI tract damage begin (not eating, loose stool, vomit) will occur. Since change in routine cause a dog stress and acids then Pred on top of that, we follow the vets who use Pepcid AC (famotidine) when any anti-inflammatory is in use.
Doesn't need it, wait til there is a problem are not answers to your question. If no health issues, then purchase Pepcid AC (famotidine) at the grocery store. 5mgs Pepcid AC every 12 hours.
Our goal is to help you maneurver things that can be overwhelming with an IVDD diagnosis in caring for your dog. Getting quickly up to speed on intervertebral DISC disease helps you in understanding the why of what your vet advises and the ability to bring the right things to the table in working together to help heal the disc. You will be very amazed how quickly you can learn a lot about just one disease which a vet is not able to know in great detail for every single disease known to cats, dogs, birds, and many other species they treat.
Keep in mind the key word in the name of the disease is DISC. I encourage you to take a 4-prong approach to become an IVDD savvy pet parent. With knowledge you’ll be able to dialog with your vet in a way that allows understanding a prescribed treatment (meds, rest, etc), and when you do not understand, the ability to ask good, pertinent questions on behalf of your furry loved one.
#1 Dr. Thomas, Neurology (ACVIM) addresses veterianrians explaining why crating is the single most important care for a disc episode:
#2 How/why meds are used while the DISC is healing. A good review of the many things your vet mentioned about his diagnosis, the meds, rest, the rest that you may not have fully processed during that short vet visit.
#3 The very best thing you can do for YOU, the caregiver, and for your dog is to read and learn. Calm your mind about how long each of the 4 phases of healing will take. What treatments for which phase? At what point would a surgery be considered? This is the page to bookmark and return to in the next days to have a full understanding of the now and the future of living many happy years ahead with your IVDD dog. Here is the link to bookmark:
www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm#4 Social media is full of misinformation mixed in with quality information. Always qualify the source of information! Don’t fall for harmful-to-your-dog advice from anyone! So vet us, PLEASE!! See who we consult with and what veterinary professionals say about us:
www.dodgerslist.com/index/education.htmAdditional QUESTIONSIt will help us work together with you and avoid offering ideas that could cause harm or lead the discussion in the wrong direction delaying help for your dog — please share a bit more detail with us:
Are you observing any SIGNS OF PAIN ?
◻︎ shivering-trembling ◻︎ yelping when picked up or moved
◻︎ slow to move ◻︎ tight tense tummy
◻︎ arched back, ears pinned back ◻︎ head held high or nose to the ground.
◻︎ restless, can't find a comfortable position
◻︎ slow or reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions
◻︎ not their normal perky interested in life selves
+ pain from neck disc:
◻︎ 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
◻︎ holds front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
If the pain meds are not yet right, as the eyes and ears for your vet, please contact your vet ASAP to report your observations so meds can be adjusted. Advocate for any of the pain meds be given 3x/day (every 8 hours) for round the clock coverage, dose to dose coverage.
— Methocarbamol works on the pain of muscle spasms.
— Tramadol is the general pain reliever.
— Gabapentin works on nerve pain.
There should be no sign of pain from one dose of meds to the next. Have no patience with pain as it does hinder healing. Look for your dog to be acting their normal, perky self when pain is fully under control round the clock.
◼︎ BE AWARE of phantom pain
Neuropathic pain is abnormal, phantom pain sensations with severe spinal cord damage. Signs are obsessive licking of paw, leg, genitals, tail. Escalates to biting, life-threatening chewing off parts. Immediately put on an e-collar (or lengthwise folded towel around neck and duct taped closed) to prevent access to lower body. Contact vet immediately for Gabapentin or stronger Lyrica (pregabalin) for this type of pain. Dodgers Digest article on neuropathic pain:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/neuropathy.pdf❖3 GI Tract damage associated with extra acid Pred causes?
—Eating and drinking OK? No nausea/not eating, no vomit?
—Poops OK? Normal firmness & color -no dark black or bright red blood indicating bleeding ulcers? No diarrhea?
❖5 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 bladder control?
An Overflowing bladder due to reflexes would 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.htm❖6 Currently can your dog move the back legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
❖7 What breed?
❖8 — Is the vet a general DVM or a specialist surgeon: ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho?
THINGS to print out Help all of your family recognize emergency signs and action to take. Print this flyer for your fridge:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/FridgeInfo81907.pdfKeep meds, dose & schedules straight with use of a med chart. D/L and print from here:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/crateRRP/medchart.pdfHandy reference card to carry with. Helps to keep which meds do not go together, washout, and more as you discuss things with your vet.
D/l here:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/MedCard.pdf 
