Good morning, welcome to the forum
IVDD can be scary, so my best advice to you would be to gain as much knowledge as possible about the disease and on how to survive crate rest.
If you won't mind, please answer the following 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:
❖1 Is there still currently pain? ☐shivering, trembling
Not shaking anymore? ☐yelping when picked up or moved
☐reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move
☐tight tense tummy
Tummy has relaxed?☐can’t find a comfortable position
☐Arched back
Back is not arching anymore?☐ Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
☐head held high or nose to the ground
☐Not their normal perky selves?
Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way dose to dose. If not in control your vet needs to know asap to adjust meds.
❖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.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.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 of meds and started crate rest?
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 why?:
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.
❖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.htm DOGs 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/slingwalk.jpg❖6 Is the vet a general DVM or a specialist surgeon: ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho?The very best thing you can do for YOU, the caregiver, and for your dog is to go over to our
Main Dodgerslist website 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.
You will be amazed with yourself on how well IVDD educated you can become in a such a short time!
A quick summary all about conservative treatment and a good road map to follow is at the link below.
www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm Remember to be kind to yourself as well. IVDD can be daunting in the beginning, but the more knowledge you gain, the more comfortable you will be and the easier it will be to help Lacey Mae.
I hope this helps, but please let me know if there is anything else you want to know or need help with
