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Post by Julie & Sparkee on Sept 19, 2019 10:43:04 GMT -7
Hi, I'm Julie Renberg. Sparkee is our sweet long-hair English cream dachshund. He's 3 years, weighs 12 lbs. Back in June, he started having some back issues. My vet had put him omcarprofen, 25 mg, 1/2 pill 2X day and methocarbamol, 500 mg, 1/2 2x day. And put him on crate rest. On the medications for about 2 weeks. He had a few sessions of laser light therapy from a chiropractor. After 6-8 weeks he was doing great. Back to 100%, in my opinion. Then, last Thursday night (9/12) late in the evening he was coming in the doggie door and let out a loud yelp. It was obvious he was in pain. I got a small ice compress and gently rubbed the sore area. He didn't like it, like he usually does on hot days. An hour later he could not move his back legs. We live in a rural area, so finding a vet that could help in this situation was hard. After several attempts, I finally got him to VCA in Sacramento (there were only two places within two hours of our home that had MRI capabilities.) They told me that even with surgery, there was only a 50/50 chance he would walk again. His right leg had deep bone sensations, but his left leg had nothing. They said on options were surgery or euthanizing him. The surgery was estimated at $9500, but their neurologist was gone for the weekend and wouldn't be back until Tuesday. Urgghh... Through my tears I asked if I could take him to UC Davis where they have state-of-the art everything. They told me I would need a referral to go there.. uh..could you give me a referral?? Finally, after a couple hours, we were on our way to UC Davis. They got Sparkee in right away. Same scenario, 50/50 or euthanizing. They had a neurology team looking at him right away. They explained in great detail what they thought was going on. They would not agree to do an MRI unless I was prepared to continue on with the surgery. It was now 8 PM, and they had to call in an emergency team. After much thought, prayer, tears and consulting with my husband and kids. We opted for the surgery. Estimate $6800-$9500. They called me a couple times during the (9/14) night with updates on his MRI and on his surgery. The next day the neurosurgeon called me and said that he had deep bone sensation in both legs and skin pinch pain as well. She was very hopeful, now saying 90/10 that he would be able to walk. He is still at UC Davis (9/19). Over the past four days, they have removed IV and stopped all medications. They just took out he catheter yesterday, and are hoping for him to pee on his own. (Nothing as of this morning.)The neurology team there have seen "slight" motor skills, but would have expected more after this amount of time. He was eating well, but last night and this morning, not so much {eating}They have allowed me to come and visit for a couple hours the last two nights. I'm so frustrated and want my sweet boy to be able to walk. I see the discouragement in his eyes. Yesterday they said we could maybe bring him home today. Today they said maybe tomorrow.  |
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Sept 19, 2019 13:24:46 GMT -7
Welcome to Dodgerslist, Julie. 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! 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:
The fact that Sparkee has deep pain sensation (DPS), is a promising sign for his recovery chances. DPS is an indicator that the brain can communicate through the spinal cord to the rest of the body. That is why the vet upped the odds for his walking again. When a dog does not have DPS brain signals cannot reach the body through the spinal cord because the spinal cord is too damaged.
Do you know why Sparkee was not released today? Usually when a dog can transition from IV meds to oral meds the dog is ready to go home. If the dog cannot pee on his own yet he can still go home, the pet parents can learn to express the bladder to release the urine. If Sparkee does not have bladder control when he is released ask for a hands-on lesson in expressing his bladder. Learning to express can be tricky at first but it is a skill and can be learned.
My dog Frankie went down overnight and had surgery. After the surgery he lost DPS. This may have been because the swelling caused by the surgery itself can sometimes cause temporary neuro setbacks. He was in the hospital for 5 days and came home still paralyzed and incontinent. I struggled to learn to express him and I did learn. It took months but Frankie eventually regained his ability to walk and bladder and bowel control. Please do not be discouraged if there has not been much improvement in these few days. Nerve healing takes time. With the excitement of discharge day, make sure no question goes without answer. Here's a starter list of questions to ask the surgeon before Sparkee is released. You can add some of your own concerns to the list: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htm When Sparkee comes home he will be on crate rest for some weeks. The surgeon will tell you how long. Post-op crate rest is to allow the surgical sites to heal. We have super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more to make his crate rest comfortable:
STRICT for a post-op dog means: ◼︎no laps
◼︎no couches
◼︎no baths
◼︎no sleeping with you
◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times. Post-op dogs will follow surgeon's directives for PT during post-op rest Good reading that can answer some post op questions or give you an idea of what you want to know more about is here:
The very best thing you can do for YOU, the caregiver, and for your dog is to get up to speed on IVDD as soon as 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:
Please keep us updated on Sparkee. We will be wanting to hear.
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Post by Julie & Sparkee on Sept 20, 2019 16:42:44 GMT -7
Hi Romy, Sparkee came home with us last night (9/19). The vet said they did not feel that he needed any meds. He peed in his crate in the hospital, so they said we could bring him home. I had an appointment to go to my regular vet today (9/20) to show me how to express his bladder. But, I took him out to his yard, and he peed on his own. Even tried to lift his leg a little. We were so excited! He's much happier being home. I have even seen him wag his tail a couple times. (Is that any indicator of motor skills?) Whether tail wagging means anything or not, it sure made me happy!
Thank you for explaining about DPS, I did not understand that before. I sure appreciate Dodgerslist and all the information you provide.
I'll keep you updated.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,539
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Post by PaulaM on Sept 20, 2019 17:23:58 GMT -7
Julie, most dogs do a lot better at home in familiar surroundings. Good news he can pee on his own. Having regain bladder control bodes well for more nerve repair to take place with time. For how many weeks does the surgeon want for crate rest which includes the PT he has directed? What PT did the surgeon direct... any in the video below? Any underwater treadmill at a clinic? 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. Post-op PT for the paralyzed IVDD dog: Nerves heal typically in the reverse order of the damage to the spinal cord:
1. YES! Deep Pain Sensation (Only correctly identified by a specialist.)
2. YES! Tail wagging with joy at seeing you or getting a treat or meal.
3. YES! Bladder and bowel control verified with the "sniff and pee" test.
4. ? Leg Movement, and then ability to ? move up into a standing position, and then ? wobbly walking.
5. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly place the feet.
6. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run.
More info: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htm
Do you have a figure 8 sling for potty time?  A harness/leash to control speed and not darting off? Using a sling (figure 9, long winter scarf, ace bandage, belt) will save your back and help to keep your dog's back aligned and butt from tipping over. A harness and 6 foot leash will 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!  |
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