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Post by arabelleandkaiser on Mar 18, 2013 21:22:34 GMT -7
I have a male doxie, Kaiser, who had a herniated disc at T11/T12. Conservative treatment did not work, so we opted for surgery, even though his neuro deficiencies were minimal. He was in pain. He is less than a week post-op and I have two questions. First, his incision is starting to heal and he is very itchy. What can I apply topically (he is on Omega supplements) to relieve the itchiness? He is rubbing his back in his crate and I am afraid he is going to rip his sutures. Second, he feels great. He is very active and is not happy about his crate confinement. I am using Trazadone [tetracyclic antidepressant]to calm him down. It works slightly (50 mg per day), but aside for puzzles and bones in his crate, is there anything else that might calm him down? He is a very active dog who needs lots of exercise, which is will not get for at least another month. Help!
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,598
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 19, 2013 10:14:14 GMT -7
Arabelle, welcome to Dodgerslist. We are glad you are here. Was the surgery on Mar 12? What did the surgeon direct for PT and crate rest? Can he walk, wobbly walk? If you have vit E, you can break open a capsule and lightly dab some of the oil over the skin as that may help to relieve the itchiness. The sutures should be scheduled generally 2 weeks post op to be taken out...so that will be happening soon. Often sedatives can have the reverse reaction of agitating. How about trying a calmer: Using any oral calmer in combination with a Pheromone diffuser seems to work best. It takes several days for these to start working - it isn't immediate but they are a much better option if you can avoid heavy duty prescription sedatives. Farnum's Comfort Zone with D.A.P. www.petcomfortzone.com/ [pheromone diffuser] with one oral calmer from below:
Oral calmers:
ANXITANE® S chewable tabs contain 50 mg L-Theanine, an amino acid that acts neurologically to help keep dogs calm, relaxed www.virbacvet.com/products/detail/anxitane-l-theanine-chewable-tablets or tinyurl.com/atxc8l3
Composure Soft Chews are colostrum based like calming mother's milk and contain 21 mg of L-Theanine.
www.vetriscience.com/composure-soft-dogs-MD-LD.php [Composure]
Rescue Remedy is a liquid herb combo to help with relaxation
www.bachrescueremedypet.com
www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/bach.htm
Plain Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) with no additional medications added. Buy at your grocery store or pharmacy. Get the dosage from your vet. The wrong dose can have dangerous side effects, so your vet needs to prescribe the proper amount for your dog. Watch when you reward him (petting, treats, talking to him, giving eye contact, lying on the floor, a sign of submission). Those rewards should only be given when he is quiet or doing something you approve of. Otherwise you can be inadvertently training him to do unwanted behaviors. If he is behaving and quiet reward him with a "good boy" or a treat. Clicker training maybe helpful way to train.
Clicker training:
www.clickerlessons.com/clicker.htm
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