Welcome to the Forum. Hi, my name is Paula, what's yours?
The single most important care for a disc episode is the 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out of the recovery suite for a very, very few footsteps at potty time. The strict rest is to prevent further deterioration of the disc and the damge to the nerves that can cause. I'm sorry that the vet did not recognize it may have been a disc and call for the strict rest.
Answering the questions below will help us to understand Frieda's full treatment and be specific in comment to help. Until we know all the details, my word of advice is
you simply can NOT wait til Monday (she's in pain!, nerve function is declining!)
Call your vet asap on Sat and alert him to the worsening you are observing:
--Neuro diminishment- of front leg function such that she falls
--Neuro diminishent of front? back? legs being wobbly
-- increased pain that gabapentin is no longer enough--crying out in pain.
How to monitor for nerve damage
As damage to the spinal cord increases, there is a predictable stepwise deterioration of functions. When nerve healing begins, often it follows the reverse order.
1.
Pain caused by the tearing disc & inflammation in the spinal cord
2.
Wobbly walking, legs cross
3. Nails/toes scuffing floor
4. Paws knuckle under
5. Weak/little leg movement, can't move up into a stand
6. Legs do not work at all (paralysis, dog is down)
7. Bladder control is lost. Leaks on you when lifted. Can no longer sniff and then pee on that old urine spot outdoors.
8. Tail wagging with joy is lost
9. Deep pain sensation, the last neuro function,
a critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment. If surgery is not an option (for whatever reason) then the best option is conservative therapy.
Surgery can still be successful in the window of 12-24 hours after loss of deep pain sensation. Even after that window of time, there can still be a good outcome. Each hour that passes decreases that chance. Precious hours can be lost with a vet that gets DPS wrong. Trust only the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) surgeon about DPS.
A quick overview of conservative treatment vs. a surgery:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsurgery.htm#surgeryVSconservativeBecause anytime out of the crate is a real danger ot the disc trying to heal, transports into a vet can be too much movment. Whenever things can be handled over the phone the better for Frieda's disc. Expect your vet over the phone to give you prescriptions for:
-- anti-inflammatory drug to work on swellling and it's painful inflammation. Do your homework so you are up to speed on how anti-inflammatories are used with a disc episode, how a vet chooses which class to use:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsweling.htm-- pain meds work on each different source of pain and Rx for ever6 8 hrs.
1. gabapentin for nerve pain
2. tramadol as the general analgesic
3. methocarbamol for muscle contraction pain very typical to neck discs.
Learn about the extras you can do at home to help with a neck disc:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmClick to enlarge:
QUESTIONS to Help us best understand Frieda's situation.
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 Frieda — please share a bit more detail with us:
any other SIGNS OF PAIN?
◻︎ shivering-trembling ◻︎ yelping when picked up or moved
◻︎ slow to move ◻︎ tight tense tummy
◻︎ arched back, ears pinned back
◻︎ 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.
◻︎ head held high or nose to the ground.
◻︎ not eating due to painful chewing or in too much overall pain
◻︎ holds front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
There should be no sign of pain from one dose of meds to the next IF, if the pain med are right for Frieda. 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.
❖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) when an anti-inflammatory is prescribed. (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).
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❖4 What was the date you saw the vet for CONSERVATIVE treatment in November?
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.
DOGs with BLADDER CONTROL: Carry to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a very few limited footsteps.
Use a front end sling
www.lyonpuffpetsit.com/htmlslp/sling.htm and back end sling if needed (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!
❖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?
THINGS to print out
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 
