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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 12, 2014 10:33:33 GMT -7
Ok, i don't think his stomach is bothering him. No gurgles or painful moans and poops ok too... so ill hold off on giving it then. I think he wakes me up to come on bed because he's used to sleeping with me and now that he's no longer on pain meds he is not knocked out all night.
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 13, 2014 9:38:53 GMT -7
Tank has woken me up every hr for the past 5 days minus 1 throughout the night. I was thinking of giving him a tramadol before he went to bed just to make him sleep through the night. Today i start his taper though so he gets no prednisone today and then 5mg tomorrow and then so forth. Since tramadol has a short half life would this be ok and i would still be able to see the signs of pain if there were some from the taper? I will call my vet to make sure i can give it to him but are there any other things that work? I'm losing my mind and can't function
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,579
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Post by PaulaM on Jan 13, 2014 10:58:24 GMT -7
If he is in pain, then it is not time to continue with taper and a pain reliever, Tramadol should be used. IF he is anxious, just can't relax at night to sleep, then a calmer may be in order not the use of a pain reliever. You could put his crate on a sturdy bedside table or if enough room put the crate on your bed at night. To help Tank relax at night 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 diffuser at floor level where the recovery suite is. Some brands to consider: --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 diffuser 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 Other product brands may be available in your area or on-line… just shop by the active ingredient(s) on the label and the quantity for best price A comfort idea is a warm rice sock buddy to lie with, rest the head on or lean against. Fill a sock with 1-2 cups of dry rice. Knot the end. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Test in crook of your arm for warm not hot temperature. Wrap in a towel so it's not too hot for the skin and place in crate. Let Tank snuggle against when you are present to supervise in case he has a desire to munch on the warm rice. Note: human heating pads can get too hot burning skin on a dog. Snuggle Safe is a commercial product that will keep warm the whole night. tinyurl.com/4jk2cx7
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 14, 2014 19:12:34 GMT -7
I just bought the Comfort Zone (DAP) and need to order an oral calmer online the store didn't have any. I also made the rice sock. Thanks for suggestions.
The vet said that the rest of the taper of 5mg every other day will last for 14 days total, so 7 days of steroid and 7 days off. Is that normal or long?
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Jan 14, 2014 20:59:38 GMT -7
Every vet has their own way of tapering off of a steroid. Usually the pain meds are stopped during a taper so a true test for pain can be made. Did the vet say to also stop the Tramadol? Hopefully, the Comfort Zone will help Tank relax so you both can get some rest.
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 15, 2014 15:04:36 GMT -7
Tank's been off his pain meds and muscle relaxers for 7 days or so... He is just on pred 5mg every other day. I added sucralfate and still taking pepcid on days he has the steroid. We are on day 4 of this.
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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 Jan 16, 2014 13:29:33 GMT -7
I hope that Tank is pain-free from here on out so that his taper can go to completion!
Is Tank resting any better at night?
))Hugs!(( - Sabrina
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 16, 2014 18:27:08 GMT -7
Yes, that would be great, that's all i can ask for at this point and i'd be a happy mom. The vet said I could give him benadryl 12.5mg before bedtime... so the last 2 nights he only woke up once and then last night slept through whole night! It was great to sleep. I don't wanna give him benadryl for the rest of the 2.5 weeks but maybe a couple more nights of sleep will be good. Hopefully the comfort zone DAP is starting to work i have it plugged in my room where he is.
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Post by Pauliana on Jan 16, 2014 20:18:16 GMT -7
Hi Ashley,
Glad the taper is going well so far.. Benedryl is great for sleep both Tank's and yours..
Comfort Zone Dap for cats has worked around here..Our frisky kittens last summer wouldn't stop rough play during the night. I plugged it in and after a couple of days we had some very mellow but happy kitties..No more rough stuff. LOL It may take some time to work but it does work. Hope it helps Tank too.
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Jan 26, 2014 20:58:44 GMT -7
Just an update. Tank had his last prednisone 5mg dose TODAY, he was on the taper of 5mg every other day for 2 weeks. Starting tomorrow it will be the beginning of 7 WEEKS of crate rest. He has not showed signs of pain (crossing fingers this continues). I got the oral calmer now with the comfort zone dap and i think it works great during the day. If i could just get him to sleep through the night, the benadryl doesn't work anymore. 1 more week and then i think when he gets his bed back he'll sleep through the night. I'm starting to think about putting couch blockers up and making ramps somehow maybe out of the stairs i originally had for him. He has been getting back to normal i can tell he is ready to come out and start playing again. I'm nervous for sure about what he is capable of doing now and if he is ok to run, bounce around and play like he does. I can't control him, that i have learned through this whole process and i know that once out of crate he is going to do what he does as an active playful dog... it makes me nervous and major anxiety! He runs after lizards, squirrels etc... When Tank was younger i put harnesses on him (puppia brand) and it worked. I used collars and harnesses and after a while, he wouldn't wear his harness. I have been using a collar for years now He would not move and would sit there for hours, i mean 12 hours at a time. I don't know what to do about this because i have tried in the past to slowly put a harness on him each day in house etc but I'm worried if i do that now he will roll around on his back like he used to when i put the harness on him and didn't know if that was good so soon after 8 weeks of crate rest. What to do... he can't wear his collar but he won't walk or move in a harness. How will i take him for walks or anything... Any ideas? I even was thinking of calling a trainer but what can they do?
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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 Jan 26, 2014 21:43:48 GMT -7
Hi Ashley! So glad to hear that Tank is still pain free at the end of his pred taper! For after Tank's graduation on Feb 3, check out this page: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmIt has a great "general/sample" schedule for slowly rebuilding the muscle mass that Tank has lost while on crate rest. It's a good idea to start out really slowly, and build up gradually, because if you allow too much exercise it may be hard to tell the difference between sore muscles from too much exercise or a relapse of IVDD. If sounds like you've already seen this page with ideas on how to make your home "back friendly": www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmHave you seen this post about "Living with the Fear of IVDD"? dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/410/living-fear-ivddThat has really helped me! I haven't yet found a harness that is an ideal fit for my Charley-dog. He currently wears a Puppia - it's rather a lot of material, and I'm wondering if maybe Tank doesn't like the feel of all that stuff on him? Maybe he would be happier with a harness that is more like the Boston Terrier is wearing in this picture? --- I can't get the picture to embed! But it's on this page: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm"Kikopup" on youtube has a great video about using clicker training to help a dog not mind a harness: That might be something to try after crate rest is over. (If you don't do clicker training, kikopup has a video on her channel explaining how to get started). ))Hugs!((
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Feb 3, 2014 8:45:13 GMT -7
TANK GRADUATED! What a day, I never thought this day would come. Tank is back to himself. Gotta get him to lose a little weight and get him to wear a harness but we are so happy to be cuddling and gaining muscle back. THANK YOU to everyone on this site, I can't imagine going through this without all of you and your support and help. Also, is this harness appropriate and safe? A physical therapist for dogs recommended it: www.dogwalkinsync.com/revolutionary.php
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Post by Erin & Sarge on Feb 3, 2014 9:23:19 GMT -7
Ashley, I wanted to tell you that Tank is beautiful! You are doing a great job with dealing with the emotional side of this, My Sarge just started on this journey last week and I think the hardest part is seeing these little guys in pain. Well wishes for your Tank and I hope he continues to be pain free.
Erin and Sarge
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,579
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 3, 2014 12:26:47 GMT -7
Congratulations, Ashely! Job well done in caring for Tank. The harness has the features needed for an IVDD dog regarding that it does sit on the boney part of the skeleton (shoulders/chest area) rather than up higher on the soft neck tissue. So all that remains is to find out if it actually works for Tank's body shape. Sometimes it does take trying a few brands to get the right one. Let us know how this product works if you end up choosing it. Other members will be interested in what you have to say.
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Post by Jean & Mimi on Feb 4, 2014 7:18:35 GMT -7
Congratulations!!! Very excited for you both...enjoy the snuggle time and the new normal
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Post by Ashley&Tank on Feb 15, 2014 20:09:26 GMT -7
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,579
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 18, 2014 13:14:31 GMT -7
For my dog that harness fits too high on the soft tissue of the neck. See if the links under "harness" would work for Tank. www.dodgerslist.com/links.htm
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Post by Michele & Sherm on Mar 5, 2014 4:53:40 GMT -7
Congrats Ashley and Tank!!!
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