Anastasia, conservative treatment is the way to go, Fritz does have the potential to self heal his nerves. As soon as a moderator can get on board they can give you specific directions to links to help you. For right now go to
www.Dodgerslist.com and press the ”IVDD” 101 button.
The single most important care you can give is the 100% strict craigslist. This allows the disk to heal when you can introduce your dog giving the names of all meds the does in MG, how often given.
OK, back at my keyboard and able to tell you more about the intro questions:
QUESTIONS
It 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:
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 ❖2 How much does your dog weigh?
…A Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given.
…B If on a steroid….what was the start date & dose? Date of steroid taper? If on a NSAID, for how many days has it been prescribed for?
…C PEPCID AC: 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.jpgDoxie 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.html❖3 GI Tract problems?
—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?
❖4 What was the date you saw the vet for 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
◼︎laser or acupuncture for severe neuro damage is best at home via a mobile vet. 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.
❖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?
Overflowing bladders 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.htmDOGs with BLADDER CONTROL: 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!
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/massage/Limited_potty_PT_during_conservative_treatment.jpgLARGE DOGS: If your dog is too big too carry it is still important that the amount of movement to the potty place be minimized. Try a pee pad right outside the crate. Add caster wheels to a wire crate and wheel down ramp over steps to outside.
❖6 Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
❖7 What breed? What is your dog’s name? Your name, too?
❖8 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?
Keep 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 www.dodgerslist.com/literature/medcardSM.pngNerve healing can take time. It is only the dog and mother nature who will reveal how long that might be. First order of business is to get the disc healed. With conservative treatment some strong scar tissue needs to form. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out at potty times for 8 weeks is how the disc heals. Nerve healing may or may not come back in the short time it takes the disc to heal.
HOPE is in the cards for each dog to get back to enjoying life after crate rest