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Post by charlette on Nov 22, 2013 9:28:56 GMT -7
Hello,
My name is Charlette and my 5 year old dachshund is Charlie. Charlie was diagnosed on Friday with IVDD and shows no signs of paralysis and has all pain and motor functions so he is on conservative treatment, crate rest and meds (Prednisone, Tramadol, Methacarbonal). In hindsight now that I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding IVDD we think he has actually had an IVDD episode in August. In August while on vacation Charlie started crying, wouldn't get out of his bed, shivered and tried to hide. After not being able to get him out of his bed or stop him from shivering (plus he didn't pee for a whole day) we made an emergency call to our vet back home. He asked some questions and said since he had no paralysis and didn't seem to be tender to touch to rest him and give him a half of coated baby aspirin a couple times a day and bring him in when got home. So that's what we did but no mention of IVDD. In a few days he seemed ok but to be safe we kept him from jumping and went out and bought stairs for our RV bed. Since August there have been a couple more times when he seemed like he had mild pain and would tuck his tail and creep around like an old man. But nothing that didn't clear up in a couple days. Then last Friday (1 week ago) he started with the shivering, whining not wanting to go out of his bed or out to potty and wasn't eating as much. His vet was in surgery so we took him to doggie hospital Blue Pearl that has an ER. The ER vet has 3 dachshunds of her own and after examing Charlie diagnosed a mild case of IVDD (he had complete pain functions and no neurological missing functions). She told us that he was not a candidate for surgery but that he needed to go on strict crate rest for 5 weeks and that we would have to totally modify his behavior...no steps at all even little one going out front door, absolutely no jumping, no climbing stairs (suggested ramps for when he is out of crate), no tug of war games, etc. She also said he should always be crated when we aren't home or aren't able to watch him (again after 5 weeks crate rest). On Friday she gave pain meds but no prednisone.
He didn't get better in couple days and after going 30 hours without peeing we rushed him back to doggie ER, at that point he still coudn't take prednisone because we had given him a aspirin before first ER visit so it wasn't out of his system yet. ER vet said baby aspirin a no no for future. He gave him a shot for pain and said to continue pain meds and if not better come back in few days for prednisone. While there Charlie urinated when being examined.
On Wednesday still no improvement and ran out of pain meds (our regular vet doesn't have Tramadol) and Charlie was only urinating about every 24 hours. My husband and I were not sleeping for worrying about the little guy so on Wednesday our vet said to take him back to Blue Pearl. We did and this time to be safe a neurological specialist also examined him and again all functions working well with exception of slight knuckling of one front paw. So he confirmed IVDD and srated him on [11//20] prednisone and continue for few days with other meds. Said 5 weeks strict crate rest and then if completey better can start very slowly with being out a little bit at a time but needs to take it easy 3 more weeks.
Happy to say that after 2nd dose prednisone charlie still nervous but feeling much better. We can even get him out of crate (very carefully) and put him down outside without him screaming (thank god because that screaming was going to cause my husband, daughther and son to break down soon..he was that pitiful).
Now after that lengthy background I will get to my questions. I know we have to keep him in crate for 8 weeks but he is a very playful dog and I imagine if he keeps getting better there is going to come a time soon when he is very bored. Any suggestions for keeping him sane in that crate once he is feeling better? We went out a bought a wire Kong crate after reading your site so that he can see us. My husband also lashed down the crate to a 4 legged small dolly so that we can pull him along to every room we are in so he doesn't cry in loneliness.
What suggestions do you have for us once he is out of crate besides what I have read and hear above? Will he be able to go on long walks again? Can he ride in car again (worried he might jump from seat to floor)? Can he chase squirrels in our yard? Again looking for advice on what type of life we can expect for him after he heals. I want him to be able to do as many things as he loves without risking re-injuring him. We love this little guy with all our hearts and watching him go through this has almost broken our hearts....but we are very determined to everything possible to give him best quality of life we can while keeping him safe.
I am very grateful to have found all this site and wonderful information it contains!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 22, 2013 12:55:33 GMT -7
Charlette, welcome to Dodgerslist. We are glad you are here and asking questions. Your self education will play a critical role in living with Charlie and right now during this disc episode. If you not yet found our treasure trove on all things IVDD…here it is info ranges on setting up the recovery suite, emergency crate training to what to do after crate rest is over: www.dodgerslist.com/literature.htmI'm sorry your vet prescribed aspirin for many reasons. As the ER vet indicated mark your bottle with "not for pets" There are now NSAiDs formulated for that are a bit more safer for dogs. No meds are really safe… it is a vet who practices safe use of meds and the owner who reads up on each to be a monitor. I keep this vet site bookmarked for looking up meds for my own dog: www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htmlAfter crate rest you do need to keep Charlie from jumping around during car rides. Keep him in a crate or think about a seatbelt harness to contain him www.ruffrider.com/Can you give us a bit more information: -- Is there still currently an evidence of pain after moving or nearing the next dose of meds - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move head or body, tight hard tummy? -- What are the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mg's and frequencies? Prednisone started 11/20 ? mg, ? x/day? Tramadol ? mg, ? x/day? Methacarbonal ? mg, ? x/day? Pepcid AC? Cortisteroids (Prednisone, Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, etc.) are involved with stimulating gastric acid secretion causing GI upset to the more threatening bleeding ulcers or holes in the stomach or intestine. Phrase the question to your vet in this particular way: "is there any medical reason my dog may not take Pepcid AC?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in protecting the stomach by giving doxies 5MG Pepcid AC (generic name is Famotidine) 30 mins prior to steroid. -- Currently can Charlie wobbly walk? still knuckles paw? -- Eating and drinking OK? -- Poops OK - normal firmness & color --no dark or bright red blood? Living with the Fear of IVDD: dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/410/living-fear-ivdd
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Post by charlette on Nov 22, 2013 19:40:20 GMT -7
Hi Paula,
Thanks for the quick reply! Charlie is on 25mg of Tramadol twice a day (3 if really needed) Prednisone as of 11/20 2.5 mg twice a day for 5 days and then half tablet twice a day for a week then every other day for a week.
He doesn't have a wobbly walk. He started Prednisone on 11/20 Tramadol a few days before that. His one front paw that was knuckling slightly is fine now. He is eating good but not drinking as much water as vet said he would on prednisone. Poop is little loose and only about every other day since all this happened. He is only urinating about once every 20-26 hours since all this started. He is not trembling from pain anymore,he is even fine when we pick him up (we pick him up like a very fragile object supporting under his chest and his rear, his head is fine and tummy not quite as tight. He is still a little nervous but nothing like before the meds. He is showing some interest again in his squeak toy in his crate but scares me to death when he tries to bury it for fear he will aggravate his injury. Is there any risk to this? I hate to leave him crated 24x7 except for potty breaks and leave him in crate with nothing but his blanket.
After reading here we asked vet about pepcid ac and she said she'd prefer not to unless he starts exhibiting any warning signs as he has had enough introduced to his system. I read everything I could find on this site and others. We will do anything to get him better...he is a well loved member of this family:)
Even with all the reading it seems that mixed information about what they can do during the recovery period in the crate (some say they can have toys, some say not, some say okay for them to bury toy or self in blanket others say no)...so any advice would be great. He is normally very active/playful guy and I know once he is feeling better he is going to get very bored in the crate. We literally wheel his crate everywhere we go in the house as he cries when we are out of his site. He is a typical dachshund...very pitiful.
Second piece of conflicting information is what happens after 8 weeks. There seems to be no clear cut answers other then no jumping or stairs. So what is ok after he recovers, can he work his way up to long walks, can he sleep with us again (with ramp to our bed), can he run and play, etc? Again we want to protect him but hoping he doesn't have to live in a bubble as he is only 5.
All 3 vets agreed that he has a mild case of IVDD but that he has a very low pain tolerance and that if we follow all instructions and meds that he should have a good recovery but warned that IVDD tends to have recurring episodes and he will need the above mentioned life modifications but again even they didn't say what he would be able to do.
Thanks again! Charlette
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Post by Pauliana on Nov 22, 2013 21:25:14 GMT -7
Welcome to Dodgerlist, Charlette! Let your Vet know that Charlie is peeing only once a day.. It would be a good idea to have them teach you how to express him.. Have you seen Charlie actually sniff and then release urine while outside? Or is he just overflowing on his bedding? Here is a link to our info and video on expressing: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htmGlad you have joined us. To answer your question about what Charlie can do in the future, I will tell you a bit about our Tyler who had surgery at the end of January after his disc herniated. He had surgery, recovered very quickly on post op crate rest of 6 weeks.. After crate rest was over, we gradually increased his walks.. adding a couple of minutes every few days.. I went at his pace, as his stamina returned, if he felt up to it, we would go a bit further. He is doing very well now, we take long walks and he can run and play..We have hard wood floors and put out carpet runners so he won't slip and slide.. We carry him up and down stairs, no tug of war with toys.. no jumping.. He is a floor dweller for his own protection, he has lots of comfy dog beds scattered around the house, he still uses his recovery suite when we wants quiet time. He knows what he can and can't do and he waits for us to help him.. He is a character and we still have fun in our new normal. Life won't be the same but we do the best we can to make it as happy as possible. Info for after crate rest is over: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmYes Charlie can be on your bed AFTER crate rest ONLY with your supervision and after being trained to use a ramp, making sure he can't bypass the ramp and jump off the bed.. Your Charlie's case is mild and that is wonderful. With 8 weeks of crate rest, only out to potty his disc can continue to heal without further risk of damage if you are dedicated to keeping him on crate rest. The reason for conflicting opinion on toys in the crate is because each dog is different. While one dog may just cuddle with their toys, like my Tyler does, others want to get over active and kill their toys when they should be resting. Here is a link that shows how to set up his recovery suite.. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmYou are doing right by putting the crate on wheels and taking him with you around the house.. That will help him feel included in family life and will ease his boredom and prevent loneliness. Keep in mind dogs need twice as much sleep as we do.. So even though we think they are bored, they are sleeping and rest is the best thing for him right now. How to make your home back friendly: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htm-- What are the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mg's and frequencies? Prednisone started 11/20 ? mg, ? x/day? Tramadol ? mg, ? x/day? Methacarbomal ? mg, ? x/day?Introducing stomach protection to Charlie is safer for him than risking a bleeding Ulcer, he is already showing signs of GI distress with his loose stools. Our Neurology Vet at Purdue University said that dogs with IVDD are predisposed to stomach acid problems even without the use of steriods or NSAIDSs and she sent our Tyler home with Pepcid AC along with his medications. If there is no medical reason, we follow vets who are proactive in protecting the stomach by giving doxies 5MG Pepcid AC (generic name is Famotidine) 30 mins prior to steroid. Pepcid AC is a generally safe over-the-counter suppressor of stomach acid production for healthy dogs. Dogs don't speak up at first signs of trouble like a person would. By the time we notice black or red blood in the stools, things can quickly go from bleeding ulcers to a life threatening perforated stomach. We ask that all members read about each med their dog is on or may take as a safety measure. This directory is in alpha order: www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htmwww.dodgerslist.com/neurocorner2/stomachProtection.htmwww.petplace.com/drug-library/famotidine-pepcid/page1.aspx Please keep us posted as Charlie recovers.. You aren't alone!
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Post by charlette on Nov 23, 2013 6:36:34 GMT -7
Hi Pauliana,
Yes, he sniffs and then goes to the bathroom but he will only do this when he has to go really badly. He doesn't have any accidents in his crate. I have asked vet about this on every visit and they all say that since he isn't paralyzed that he will almost always go when needed but they taught my husband how to check to see if his bladder is full and showed him how to express if necessary. They said that holding urine is pretty common in dogs when they are injured, said they hold it sometimes until can't hold it anymore. We take Charlie out every few hours but again he only goes when he absolutely has to. Generally he whines when he really needs to go. Dr did say if this goes on to long could get a UTI. He also still isn't drinking much so will call the vet about that today as they said the steriods should make him drink more which would lead to urinating more frequently.
Somehow I missed the what to do after crate aricle..so thank you so much for sending the link...that gives me alot of hope that he can still do some of the things he and we like to do, especially walks.
As for toys...Charlie's favorite toys are the squeak toys...we only give him the really sturdy expensive ones, otherwise he destroys them within hours. We don't give him stuffed animal toys or tennis ball types because he destoys those right away and on anything with fuzz he rips it off. So basically, with the toys we give him he chews and squeaks them and sometimes tries to bury them in his blankets. Do you think that is ok?
As miserable as Charlie was (at times he yelped and screamed, shivered violently and was all around scared and miserable) and his case only being mild....I can only imagine the horror of a dog with a severe case of IVDD and will do everything in our power to prevent that. My husband and I spent several practically sleepless nights checking on him (even though he was beside our bed I felt compelled to get up and check on him), comforting him, and taking him to ER couple times. Plus of course worried ourselves sick. It is amazing how much you can love an animal!
Thank you again for guiding me through this!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,571
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 23, 2013 9:07:59 GMT -7
Charlette, we hear that some vets are just not proactive about stomach protection when prescribing the potentially ulcerogenic Prednisone. Early mild warning signs may fail to be recognized as the important indicators of GI tract distress (not drinking water, loose poop, tight tummy could be from stomach irritation) With the many 1000's of dogs since 2002 that have passed through Dodgerlist we have learned to follow the vets who ARE proactive. You are ultimately responsible for Charlie, for all his vet bills and for any feelings of guilt that you knew his tummy could be protected but chose a wait and see approach for the more advanced signs of bleeding ulcers or to the life threatening perforated stomach lining. Adverse signs needing prompt vet help: • Not eating or drinking • Vomiting or w/blood • Diarrhea or w/blood From "The" Merek Veterinary Manual "Potential causes of GI ulceration include the following: 1) drugs—NSAID (including aspirin, phenylbutazone, ibuprofen, indomethacin, carprofen, flunixin meglumine, naproxen, and piroxicam) and corticosteroids" "It is important to realize that subclinical gastroduodenal ulceration is likely to be present in dogs with type 1 disk extrusions, even without the administration of potential ulcerogenic drugs" Curtis W. Dewey, DVM, ACVIM Neurology Cornell University. A Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology 2nd ed Blackwell Publshing 2008 pp331-33.
Has the methocarbamol now been dropped from his med list? Tramadol 25mg twice a day (3 if really needed) Prednisone as of 11/20 2.5 mg twice a day for 5 days and then half tablet twice a day for a week then every other day for a week. A couple of things you wrote indicate Charlie is still in pain, his pain meds are not YET right --doesn't want to have to move to go out to pee (reluctance to move) -- tummy not quite as tight (GI tract pain or referred pain from back pain) -- "Nervous but nothing like before the meds." Does this mean the meds are wearing off before the next dose of meds. Tell us more about that statement. Are you consistently giving Tramadol every 8 hours, that is how pain is controlled. Once pain shows, the dose has been too late. Tramadol's short half life if 1.7 hours makes it not a good pain controlling med unless given every 8 hours. -- how much does Charlie weigh?
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Post by charlette on Nov 23, 2013 10:13:00 GMT -7
Ok, I will go ahead and go buy Pepcid and start him on that to be safe. Charlie weighs 13 pounds. He only takes meds twice a day. He doesn't seem to be in any pain anymore when we pick him up, put him down and when he walks a few steps. He is only nervous when we go outside. If I take him out of crate and put him down beside me and I sit down with him a couple minutes he relaxes. He has always been a bit of a baby so that is why the subleties are tough with him. Yes the Methacarbonal has been dropped. The vet says he wants to keep him comfortable but not so doped up he gets to feeling so good that it masks his pain and he tries something crazy. His tummy doesn't seem tight this morning and he is pretty frisky...funny how I wanted that really badly and now that he is feeling a little better I am nervous for a different reason...worried he will do something crazy. So we are watching him like a hawk:)
Thanks again!
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Post by charlette on Nov 24, 2013 10:06:05 GMT -7
Hi...another quick question. I have read several posts on here that talk about tapering both prednisone and tramadol. I think our vet only mentioned the taper on prednisone. I do not remember him saying to taper tramadol. Charlie is on full dose prednisone for first week, then half dose following week then everyother day for a week so 3 weeks total. He told us we could take him off tramadol after a week or so unless he exhibited signs of pain but again don't remember him saying to taper. Should I call him?
Good news to report...yesterday Charlie easily went pee twice and and pooped once and it looked pretty normal. Bad news is that he doesn't seem to want to poop after walking just couple steps...it has always been his habit to traverse half the yard before finding just the right spot. He tried that yesterday and we almost panicked as I was afraid to pull on his harness. I was also afraid to yell at him to stop for fear of him having a startle reaction. So he probably walked 30 steps before my husband finally carefully got in front of him to prevent him from going further. Fortunately he hasn't relapsed still feels fine but we were terrified. Any suggestions?
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,571
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 24, 2013 14:57:09 GMT -7
Some vets do taper down off of tramadol and some stop it. The idea on taper of pred is that this is a test. A test to see how all the painful swelilng is doing. So if pain meds are on board, you won't have a clear picture. . Often it takes being at the anti-inflammatory dose of prednisone (5mg 2x/day) for 1-2 weeks or even for some dogs more like a month before all the swelling is gone. When the vet guesses swelling might be gone there will be a taper. The dose is lowered to less than the anti-flammatory dose your job at home would be to assess just how well reduction of swelling is going by observing for any hint of pain. To have a clear picture on a taper, pain meds are also stopped or backed off too. Rule of thumb is: pain = swelling = more time on Pred, pain meds and Pepcid AC is needed. If there is no pain on the taper then it goes to completion. Then no meds at all are needed. Disc healing will continue for the remainder of the 8 weeks. Nerves can continue to self heal…think in terms of months. For me the key at potty time was setting up a 6 foot diameter fenced area on my deck with a bit of snow to potty on. The visual & physical barrier let Clark know there was not be be any sniff fests…just pottying. Use an ex-pen in the yard or some of the poke in the ground wire garden edging fence to make a potty place. If it is snowing in your area, you might b able to shovel a small area in the grass and the remaining snow bank would be the "fence."
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Post by charlette on Nov 24, 2013 17:53:56 GMT -7
Ah...penning in an area in the back yard is a great idea, thanks! We live in Tampa so we definitely don't have to worry about snow:)
Charlie is really frisky today, tail not even between his legs today. He has tried to dig his way out of the crate a couple of times today but stops when we tell him no...hope he doesn't try that when we aren't home as I am guessing that the digging motion not good for his back.
Thanks again for answering all my questions!
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Marjorie
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Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
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Post by Marjorie on Nov 24, 2013 18:09:37 GMT -7
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Post by charlette on Nov 26, 2013 18:23:00 GMT -7
Hi...ok Charlie is feeling better. We tried the calming tricks in the link but covering crate only makes him more crazy. He does ok when we have been home awhile and we bring his crate room to room with us and talk to him. However, when we come home after being out..he goes nuts in the crate...whining and trying desparately to get to us. He tries to dig out to us, tries to jump (we have Kong crate that allows insert so he can't really jump). We talk to him pet him in crate but he tries everything to get past us and worried he will hurt himself. We will then take him out of crate and lay on floor with him and let him lick us to death and eventually he calms down, we take him out potty and put him back in. Is it ok to let him out of crate if we lay with him and don't let him walk around? I am hoping so because if we don't really afraid he is going to hurt himself. He seems to have forgotten that he is injured and feels no pain at all now. I guess that good but we are really nervous that he will re-injure himself.
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Sabrina
Helpful Member
My Charley-dog, a Dodger'sList grad enjoying life!
Posts: 471
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Post by Sabrina on Nov 26, 2013 22:56:58 GMT -7
Hi Charlette! It's good news that Charlie is feeling better, but it can be very difficult to get our tenacious little dogs to rest while on crate rest! Have you tried any of this?: Calming aids 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. Of course always keep your vet in the loop on all things you give your dog. Place a DAP pheromone diffusor at floor level where the recovery suite is: --Comfort Zone (DAP) wall plug-in diffuser 48ml www.petcomfortzone.com/dogs.html --Adaptil (DAP) wall plug in diffuser 48ml www.adaptil.com/ Use a diffusor with one oral calmer from below: Oral calmers: 1) 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/behavioral-health 2) 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 3) Rescue Remedy is a liquid herb combo to help with relaxation www.bachrescueremedypet.com 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. Other product brands may be available in your area… just shop by the active ingredient(s) on the label and the quantity for best price. As always, double-check everything with your vet to be sure Charlie doesn't have any health conditions that would keep him from taking any of these oral products. It sounds like Charlie needs some more help to be calm, and as neither letting him go nuts in his crate nor letting him onto the floor (our little dogs are so quick! They can be off running or jumping over our arms/legs before we know what's happening!), maybe a combination of a DAP diffusor and oral calmers can help him stay relaxed in the safety of his crate! ))Hugs!(( - Sabrina
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Post by Jean & Mimi on Nov 27, 2013 6:58:12 GMT -7
Don't know if my hint will help or not but we use an ex-pen that we have blocked off with blankets so she just has her limited space to move around in. However, if need be, we could remove the blankets and climb in there with her so she could lick us and that seemed to help. Not sure if it is an option for you but just an idea. (((HUGS)))
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Post by charlette on Nov 27, 2013 10:27:15 GMT -7
Thank you both for your advice! I feel so bad for my poor baby...first terrible pain and now he feels better physically and thinks we are torturing him. We also bought a good doggie stroller today and will put him in there and start taking him some walks to get some safe stimulus. it is completely enclosed so he should be safe enough. It is going to be a long couple of months:)
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,571
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 27, 2013 10:44:31 GMT -7
The stroller is really a great idea! However during the 8 weeks of crate rest, use the stroller inside the house to keep Charlie near you as you move about the house. Maybe out on the deck for a little fresh air break when you are there to supervise. Stroller rides outdoors can be too much vibration or bumps... not good for the early healing disc.
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Post by charlette on Dec 23, 2013 9:01:53 GMT -7
Hello,
It has been a few weeks so thought I would post an update on Charlie. He has been on 5 1/2 weeks of strict crate rest and after a couple of weeks he adjusted to the crate. He went back for a re-check last week and vet said he was like a different dog then last time he saw him. Said he is doing great! Said we can take him out of crate and let him walk around a little (on harness/leash) for little bit at a time (no running or jumping) and gradually work him up to longer walks. He said that walking was best exercise for him to build and maintain the muslcles and help prevent a recurrence.
We have decided that for the rest of his life we will do our very best to keep him from jumping. We have put in ramps everywhere. We will always keep him in crate when not home or not able to watch him. Will continue to keep his weight at optimum (he has never been overweight). We also will not throw ball in house or let him play tug of war again.
Is there anything else we can do to build up his muscles or exercises to strengthen?
Is there any other recommendations....we love him so much and want to give him best chance possible of not having a recurrence but also making sure he has a good quality of life as we are a very active outdoors family. We have an RV and go hiking and biking all the time and in past Charlie has always loved these activities.
Thank you again for all the help that has been provided!!!!
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Dec 23, 2013 9:47:44 GMT -7
I'm glad to hear that Charlie is doing well, Charlette. However, you have been given very dangerous instructions from your vet. It takes a full 8 weeks to heal an injured disc. The disc needs to be reabsorbed by the body and then scar tissue needs to form over the disc. 5-1/2 weeks is not enough time to heal the disc. Graduation from the crate should most definitely not be over until January 11. Dogs can show a great deal of improvement while on crate rest. He may not show any signs of problems right now. However, that does not mean the disc is healed yet. The vet is correct that walking is the best exercise for him to build and maintain the muscles. However, that cannot occur until January 11th. Even then, it will be a very gradual re-introduction to movement. Until January 11th, there still needs to be as little movement to the spine as possible, being carried in and out to potty with a few steps during potty time as possible. Allowing him to walk now, even for short walks, can cause the disc to tear again and if that happens, you'll be back to square one - back on crate rest again, Charlie will again be in pain and he'll be back on meds. Please don't take the chance of this happening and continue with strict crate rest until January 11th. You are correct in all of the things that you plan on doing to protect Charlie's back once he is off of crate rest. Here is our page on making your house back-friendly: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmAnd here is our page on gradually re-introducing movement, but again - only after the full 8 weeks of crate rest is completed. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm
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