Debora, after the
very strong steroid Dexamethosone injection, the vet has called for a tapering down in steroid with the steroid pred 5mgs 1x/day dose. Tapering to continue until final every other day dose on 1/3/2024.
On the taper is time for you to observe for any hint of pain or new or increased neuro diminishment. With no pain meds on board this allows you to be aware very quickly during the tapering process about any negative change to pain and neuro surfacing. Negative changes means the need get in touch asap with vet for another course of pred but up on the anti-inflammatory level to deal with remaining painful inflammation. Plus pain meds on board to to provide comfort while pred finishes its work.
This is a marvelous update to learn on the taper no signs of any pain have surfaced. The conclusive evidence on all painful swelling being actually gone will be on the final taper dose of 1/3/2024. So far so good.
Congrats on your vet being both aggressive and safe with her switch from a NSAID to a steroid (Dex/prednisone) by double protecting the stomach.
Conservative treatment is all about the primary focus on getting the disc to heal. With STRICT rest. Just like with a sprained ankle it, too, can heal if you stay off of it.
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.
Keys to successful healing with strict rest STRICT rest means:
◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches ◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you
◼︎no chiro therapy WHYs:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/ ◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times.
◼︎no PT for conservative dogs during 8 weeks to heal disc
◼︎At home laser or acupuncture if severe neuro damage is best.
◼︎avoid dangerous detours.
Follow the "Roadmap." Tape it to your fridge. D/L and print out:
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roadmap-for-Fridge.pdf ◼︎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.
POTTY TIME strictness
Carry your dog to and from the recovery suite to the potty place (pee pad or outdoors) and then allow a very, 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.
The time to bring in physical therapy is when the disc has formed good scar tissue by the end of 8 weeks. Graduation day would be Feb 10 since you immediately start crate rest on Dec 16! Kudos go to you for that and quickly getting vet help.
At this time Trinket CAN move up into a stand by herself, take a very, very few allowed footsteps on pee pad. This keeps the muscles firing and connecting to nerves. The wrong movement could damage the disc trying to heal. And causing pain, having to start at square one of crate rest, etc.
Are your ex-pen panels collapsed snug around mattress to only allow an area for her her to easily turn around & when lying down to fully stretch out the legs? She should not be able to hop in that small an area.
** If she is attempting to jump up on her back legs, drape a blanket over top of ex-pen. Blanket should reach down to her eye level when she is standing on all 4 legs or sitting on her butt. Should she jump, it will be into darkness where she can't see anything. Her jump behavior should quickly become extinguished.
Be aware that you could unintentionally be training for undesirable behavior.
Dogs see food, attention, eye contact, talking to them, approaching the crate, and petting as rewards.
Therefore, whenever you notice undesirable behavior, try speaking to your dog in her language to get her to calm down: Until she calms down and settles,
turn your body to the side and
avoid making eye contact. This is how dog talk to each other to calm a situation.
Start teaching what you do want before there is too much practice in doing the unwanted behavior.
Give your dog a reward of a
loving, relaxed "good sit/lie" whenever they are sitting or lying quietly. Your dog will quickly realize that sitting quietly, etc. is rewarded.
