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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 10, 2019 5:14:01 GMT -7
Thank you both for the response and information. I have done so much research on this my brain is foggy!! I myself have MS and some days are just so hard but seeing her happy and full of spunk makes my days better!! I assume I am expecting too much. I can’t get her into therapy until the 26 everyone around me is booked until then I am hoping that isn’t too late for her to start and recover. I will watch the licking of the hind legs she doesn’t do it often I was just thinking it was a positive thing she was doing. I know this is a long process and I will continue to work with her and do what I can to make sure she recovers to the best of her ability. My fur babies are my world
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 10, 2019 7:57:55 GMT -7
Donna, are you doing any of the post-op exercises demoed in the video. Those are pretty typical ones a surgeon directs for at home PT. Here is the video again: Appropriate physical therapy can help maintain the muscles with lost nerve connection. Therapy keeps muscles in optimal condition while in wait to receive regenerating axon terminals. The range of motion movements maintains joint flexibility.
Post-op PT for the paralyzed IVDD dog:
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 10, 2019 10:57:06 GMT -7
Yes I do all those 5 times a day. I spoke to therapist this morning and she told me I was doing what I should be doing. She also gave me a few more things to try at home before we see them on the 21st. I was the 26 but moved it up. I love this site it has helped me with a lot of questions with videos and articles!! Also all the advise and support I get from everyone
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 10, 2019 13:44:49 GMT -7
Donna, did not realize you were doing the at home PT. Wow, 5x/day...Daisy is getting some good exercise then. Glad to hear your therapist agrees! We are glad to hear you have taken advantage of the IVDD information collected on our Main web page and find it helpful. It really is a priceless treasure trove of good IVDD information! We invite all readers of this post to check out the Dodgerslist.COM web page: Look for the search box on our pages a very helpful tool in locating the many IVDD topics: We'll be looking forward to your June 21st PT appt and how that goes. Is underwater treadmill part of the PT program?
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 10, 2019 17:24:42 GMT -7
Yes I have been doing the PT in the video!!! I don’t know what kind of therapy she will be doing. They will evaluate her and go from there but I will let you know for sure!! You and this site have been a Godsend with us going through this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everyone is so wonderful. I also follow a few other fur babies threads which helps also knowing I am not the only one having the feelings I have Daisy has started just today with some very soft stools which is concerning to me. She isn’t on any medication so not sure what that is. Do you have any idea
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 10, 2019 19:15:01 GMT -7
Is she eating normally? Changed foods? Might just give a call into your vet to advise if pumpkin can help with the symptoms. What the cause would be only a vet can help you with that.
Plain pureed canned 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 are really ripe mashed fresh pear, just take off the peel off; microwaved and mashed peeled sweet potatoe. --To loosen the stool, add equal parts water to each kibble meal and soak overnight. At mealtime add one teaspoon of plain canned pureed pumpkin 1x a day. -- To firm up the stool add 1 teaspoon plain canned pureed pumpkin 1x a day to kibble.
Give a teaspoon of pumpkin for every 10 pounds of body weight,
Bananas with bright yellow skins, a very few brown speckles contain electrolytes and other nutrients. Diarrhea tends to deplete these nutrients. By eating bananas, some of those nutrients are restored. Green bananas are hard to digest.
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 11, 2019 11:09:43 GMT -7
I did give her different food when I took her to work one day . I think that did it!! I brought her food today she went to the bathroom and it was fine. Oh the little things we worry about doing this time
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 11, 2019 13:08:55 GMT -7
Glad to hear that Daisy's stool is now back to normal. A change in food during this stressful time can throw our dogs digestion off.
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 12, 2019 6:23:30 GMT -7
So Daisy has not been herself for the last few days. We take her outside and all she wants to do is come back in. For the past few weeks we have taken her outside and she wants to run with the other dogs and walk the yard which we have limited her to. Of course she can not walk so she has a sling. I take her to work with me and she has been I hate to say more work than my patients but yesterday all she wanted to do is sleep!! Can dogs go through depression? I called her neurologist and explain to him she is just not herself and he wants to see her today at 2:30. He suggested blood work to make sure she doesn’t have anything else going on. Being 3 weeks out of surgery she should not be going backwards. He mentioned they can get upper infections not just lower ones. She has been really scratching at her face also. I am going to do a urine test on her today to make sure she doesn’t have an UTI even though she shows no signs of it just in case. Has anyone else gone through this with their babies
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 12, 2019 7:52:04 GMT -7
Let us know what the neuro thinks after he exams her.
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 12, 2019 12:54:40 GMT -7
Good news on Daisy... it is not neurological she has a bunch of gook impacted in her ear!! That is what was making her hold her head to one side!! I took videos of her which helped a lot.
He also said that she is showing signs of moving both of her back legs and trying to walk. I don’t see it but he is the expert not me. He also advised us not to express her bladder every 3 to 4 hours to let her go 8 hours to see if she urinates on her own Reasoning is that maybe the reason she isn’t urinating on her own is because we are expressing her and she isn’t getting full enough to know she has to go pee. Which I think makes sense. She will be going in next Wednesday to be sedated a little for him to clean out her ear to make sure nothing else is going on. So all in all good news
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 12, 2019 13:53:18 GMT -7
That is very good news!
Sometimes when we see our dogs every day we do not notice the small improvements but someone who has not see the dog in a while see a difference.
You could try letting her go 8 hours without expressing and then try to take her out. When dogs start to move the legs and stand often bladder control is returning. The "Sniff and Pee" test verifies if bladder function has returned: Let Daisy sniff a previous pee spot in the grass. If she urinates right after, that shows a message has been able to travel from the brain to the bladder! It will be necessary to manually check after urination until you are satisfied she can empty the bladder fully
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 14, 2019 9:52:15 GMT -7
Daisy has broke out. Does anyone else have this issue.
Daisy peed on her own and she peed twice!!!!!!
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 14, 2019 13:37:40 GMT -7
Great news that Daisy has peed on her own (twice).
You can try using some Aquaphor cream for the rash. This does not contain zinc Bayer's A+D® Original Ointment also does not contain zinc. Make sure it is the original ointment as other A+D products do contain zinc.
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jun 18, 2019 8:28:58 GMT -7
It's lovely to hear Daisy is doing so well! It's great you can take her to work with you. Peanut had a rash like that and I used the diaper rash cream from Bayer reccomended by Paula and it did the trick. Poor guy early on peed on himself and I forgot pee burns.
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Mary & Mila
Helpful Member
FEMALE— DACHSHUND
Posts: 218
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Post by Mary & Mila on Jun 19, 2019 3:29:40 GMT -7
hi Donna, One of the moderators Marjorie has the following tip if Daisy gets a rash from urine: Use boiled and cooled decaffeinated green tea to clean Daisy, it is soothing and it neutralizes the urine. It also smells pleasant. Mary
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jun 20, 2019 13:36:13 GMT -7
How is Daisy doing? 💕🌼🌻
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 20, 2019 16:07:50 GMT -7
Thank you her rash went away about an hour later. I will keep this information in case she has another outbreak. Also Daisy is still urinating on her own. She goes to Physical Therapy tomorrow. Not sure what they are going to suggest for PT but anxious to get started. I still perform range of motion 5 times a day and have noticed she is getting stronger. We bought Daisy a kiddie pool and put her in it today and she can walk in the pool so hoping that is a sign that the mechanics are there she just has to get stronger.
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 20, 2019 17:29:27 GMT -7
Hello Donna,
Happy to hear of Daisy's improvements such as getting bladder control back and she can walk in the kiddie pool! Hope her ear is feeling better..
We'll be looking forward to hearing about her rehab appt..
Best wishes!
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 21, 2019 19:56:58 GMT -7
Daisy’s PT appt went well. She started cold laser therapy and water tread mill today along with hands on therapy.. we were given some other exercises to perform at home such as having her sit on our leg and then try and stand up. Also putting a ball under her and bringing the back back to put weight on her hind legs. Also increasing the time for standing. So all in all it went well she is getting stronger but still have a long way to go
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jun 25, 2019 14:03:22 GMT -7
This is great news!!! So happy to hear therapy went well. We are rooting for Daisy to be walking again soon xoxox
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 26, 2019 6:18:06 GMT -7
Thank you we are hoping she will walk again she has so much personality and a happy fur baby. We are really having an issue with her right ear. The neurologist wanted to sedate her and go in and look at what is going on but it didn’t seem to bother her so I canceled that. but now it is again. I took her to her regular vet and they see nothing at all wrong with her ear. They gave me steroids for her to take for 7 days because it looked a little swollen and an antibacterial ear wash. So 200 more dollars later for them to tell me they have no clue!! They know it is hurting her but don’t know why. She goes back to her neurologist on July 1 and I am going to have him look at it again and I guess go ahead and have her sedated to find out what is going on. He told us that sometimes neurological issues affect the ear!!! So now I am worried about that because it is her right ear and that is the side the surgery was on and that side is weaker than the left. My poor baby girl can’t catch a break How is Peanut doing? Is he better and did he start therapy.
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jun 27, 2019 11:34:33 GMT -7
Oh I'm so sorry to hear Daisy is having trouble with her ear. Im sure she will do really well. Its the not knowing. $200! Such a lot of money to be told I don't know. I think we are okay sort of. I feel a bit down today. We took peanut to the surgeon and we were in and out in a flash. I'm going to make an appointment to see the neurologist since I thought he surgeon was the neurologist. Thy are taking forever to get back to me about therapy. I'm doing the exceecis at home. It looks to me as if he doesn't have deep pain. He was his tail every now and then and yesterday he actually raised his back legs up for 3 seconds I had a treat in my pocket. I think he will walk but it will take time I'm sure. I just want to get on with the hydro treadmill therapy. I guess this is the path of the IVDD dog. Even after they are walking I'm sure we will always be worrying about them!
Thanks for letting us know your journey. It's so nice to have support and empathy while going through this. 🤗💕
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jun 27, 2019 18:55:07 GMT -7
I would agree with you about seeing the neurologist. Our neurologist is the one who did daisy surgery. He seen things that we didn’t. I didn’t think she had deep pain sensation and she did according to the neurologist. He told us she was moving her legs and I didn’t see it. He literally held her up by her tail I thought of my gosh he is going to hurt her but pulling her tag is actually an exercise the therapist gave us to do at home!!! I can tell you some of the things the therapist told us to do at home!! One was to grab her tail by the base pull and hold for 30 seconds let go and do again 5 times. Two was lay her chest on a nerf football or rolled up towel and pull her back so the pressure is on her back legs 30 seconds and do that 5 times. Three play with her feet as much as possible in between her pads!! The more you do it the more it sends waves to the brain. Four sit her on your leg have someone hold a treat in front of her and she should stand up by herself sit her back down and repeat 5 times All this is twice a day with that I do the range of motion. Another thing is I bought Daisy a pool from Walmart for ten dollars filled it up with water enough to go up to her waist and she can walk in the pool. In water you don’t weigh anything but she still gets exercise moving her legs and it works!! Eventually they say empty the water every week or so as she progresses to add weight. She also is standing up and taking a few steps. It isn’t pretty but she is doing it. I believe she will walk again but like you say it will take time. These are only what the therapist said for us to do with Daisy by no means am I suggesting you do it with Peanut only letting you know because when you see the neurologist he may say it is ok for you to do them since you can not get into PT right now I am thinking of Peanut and I know he can do this.
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jul 8, 2019 13:33:29 GMT -7
Thank you so much for the information!! Made me feel so good to know daisy is doing well. I can't wait for us to see the neurologist. I am anxious to try therapy with him. I'm always feeling his toes and he pulls them.away from.me.all.the time. Sorry for not writing sooner it's been a tough few weeks as you know, my back went out and my cat died yesterday. It's rough.
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jul 21, 2019 15:38:51 GMT -7
So Daisy has been In therapy for 7 weeks now. She is walking but very wobbly. She gets tired and drags herself still. I seen sacks that they can drag in but are there sacks that they can also walk In. She has a terrible rash from dragging
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Jul 22, 2019 5:27:35 GMT -7
It's good to hear that Daisy is walking even though wobbly, Donna. Wonderful! Use a sling when walking her to help stabilize her spine so her hips don't fall to the side. As for garments that protect when dragging for use when she tires and starts dragging herself in the house, here's the link to our page with several links about such garments. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IncontinentDown.htmHas the vet prescribed something for the rash? Be sure any ointment that you sue contains no zinc as zinc is poisonous to dogs. Bayer's A+D® Original Ointment and Aquaphor Baby or Aquaphor regular Healing Ointment does not contain zinc.
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Post by Sam & PeanutB on Jul 22, 2019 8:15:56 GMT -7
Hi Donna how is Daisy doing? Hope you are both okay!
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Post by Donna & Daisy Duke on Jul 23, 2019 8:13:05 GMT -7
Thank you!! We do use a sling when she goes outside to potty but we also let her walk around on her own also which both the neurologist and physical therapist says is ok to an extent. She is loving the freedom she has in being able to get around easier. They have not subscribed any ointment for her rash. Some days she looks good others it looks bad. I am now spraying what they call silver water on her which is brewed and is a holistic way of treatment. I used it in her ear and it cleared her ear up!! A lot of uses for it even in humans!! Thank you for the link I am looking for something g she can walk in and if she gets tired and wants to drag she can.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 23, 2019 8:19:40 GMT -7
Donna where exactly is the rash located. Is there skin abraision and raw (open wound)?
What does "looks bad" mean exactly?
Is she dragging her legs behind her or dragging her paws under when tired (knuckling under her paws)?
Paint a picture of what you observe, that helps us to best make comments.
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