Brandy welcome to Dodgerslist Forum. I'm sorry to hear Kodiak is having a disc episode. Sounds like the disc is in the neck. Did the vet tell you were he believed the problem disc to be: Neck or back? No matter where the disc is, please have Kodiak inside a recovery suite all by himself. He should not have his sister around nor anyone else that might bump him. He is your patient protect him from too much movement of his spine. The disc can only heal with the limited movement the recovery suite provides.
There is more information needed about your dog’s past history, meds and present neuro and pain status that we’ll need a bit more information to give an accurate comment. Thanks for understanding and very much looking forward to your answers! 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.
QUESTIONS
what other SIGNS OF PAIN if any, do you observe currently?
◻︎ shivering-trembling √
yelping when bumped, 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 well due to painful chewing or in too much overall pain
◻︎ holds front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
Sounds very much as though the pain meds are not yet right! You are the eyes and ears for your vet to know if his Rx is working. Please contact the ER vet tonight to report your observations so meds can be adjusted via the phone. 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.
❖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 on PEPCID AC? If not, 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).
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❖4
Let us know you are on board with VERY strict 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 only out of the recovery suite for potty time:
◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches
◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you
◼︎no other dog near him at potty time or other times.
◼︎no chiro therapy "whys": __
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htm ◼︎no meandering at potty times. Just a very few minimal footsteps to take care of buiness
◼︎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.
❖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?
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What is the further testing appt for exactly? Mostly a disc episode is diagnosed by the breeds prone to IVDD, the way the dog acts at the hands on neuro exam, the signs of pain typical to a disc episode.
I highly recommend taking time to bone up on IVDD so you are well prepared to work with your vet, understand your roll at home in monitoring things and living with an IVDD dog for many happy years ahead. Take the buttons that pertain to the now first, then come back in the next days to become the IVDD savvy pet parent Leo needs. Here's the link to follow over on our Main Dodgerlist website:
www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm
