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Post by William & Coco on Feb 16, 2014 2:28:29 GMT -7
-- What is your dog's name? Coco
-- How much does your dog weigh? 52 lbs
-- What breed is your dog and did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD? Beagle mix, not sure of diagnosis
-- What was the date you saw the vet and started 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7? Feb 05
-- Is there still currently pain - No
-- What are the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and frequencies? Daily shots of Elastase inhibator, Antibiotic, and Anti-inflammation.
-- Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you do some happy talk? Cannot walk/move rear legs at all, started to lose deep pain sensation in rare left leg...but she is still able to wag her tail.
-- Do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted up? Yes
-- Eating and drinking OK? Yes
-- Poops OK - normal color no dark or bright red blood? No control of bowel movement, poop just comes out while resting. No bladder control either, leaks and starting to have minimal blood in urine.
Hello all,
Let me start off by saying how much I appreciate this site and I am looking forward to your advice. Coco is my 5 yr old baby girl with quick progressive disc injury/disease. We are a military family stationed in Okinawa, Japan and vet care is quite a challenge here due to language barrier and cultural differences. Her vet team did not specifically diagnosed her with anything, they just said something about maybe herniated discs, high chances of recurrence, surgery, etc. I am very confused about what her chance of recovery is and exactly what kind of medications they are giving her. The above information is what's listed on our vet bill.
Coco first showed signs of pain three weeks ago. She started yelping when doing certain movements and progressively did not want to jump on the couch or bed to cuddle with me. These symptoms quickly progressed to her starting to wobble and dragging her rear legs, at which point we then took her to the vet on Feb 05. The vet suggested daily shots and since I am currently pregnant (36 weeks at that time) and my husband is active duty with long hours, we decided to hospitalize her for the length of suggested treatment (5 days). On Sunday, Feb 09, we were delighted that Coco could be discharged with
oral steroids
pain medication
and directions for crate rest. That night she was able to walk, potty, and seemed overall her old self. The next morning, however, I noticed that she started to loose control of her rear legs again (while crate resting) and took her to the vet for additional checkup. The vet suggested prolonged treatment with "daily shots" and she's been hospitalized ever since with no improvement. She's now dragging her rear legs, lost control of her bladder and bowel movement, but still able to wag her tail and maintain good appetite. My husband and I were discussing euthanasia as we're unable to pay for surgery and have diminishing hopes of Coco's ability to walk again. We hate to see her like this and have decided for now that if she doesn't respond to treatment by Wednesday, we will request euthanasia for her. This is breaking our heart and is a very tough decision for the both of us.
Upon discovering your website, however, I am beginning to wonder if there's hope for Coco after all. Could she indeed walk again if given time to heal? I am willing to put up with caring for a newborn and paralyzed dog as long as there's a chance of recovery. From what I can gather so far, the strict crate rest allows her body to repair the discs/nerve damage that no medication can heal....is that correct? Medications are used to reduce swelling and pain?! So if Coco is not in pain, she wouldn't necessarily need medications while I crate rest her at home? Please help, I want to do absolutely everything in my power to help my baby get back on her four paws.
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Feb 16, 2014 8:08:03 GMT -7
I'm so very sorry to hear about Coco. It's a very stressful thing when your dog becomes paralyzed and you have the added burden of being in a foreign country. And expecting a child of course complicates things further. We're here for you and will help you as best as we can. Please know that there is every reason to believe Coco can recover from this disc episode with conservative care. Once the pain is brought under control, she can heal comfortably in her crate. Many dogs recover fully with conservative care. Even if she doesn't recover full use of her legs, she can live a happy and active life using a cart. Dogs don't understand the concept of "handicapped". www.dodgerslist.com/index/SDUNCANquality.htmThe vet hospital was correct in discharging Coco with oral steroids, pain meds and crate rest. You will also need a stomach protectant, such as Famotodine, to protect from the side effects of the meds. The anti-inflammatory is to resolve the swelling that is pressing on her spine and causing the pain and nerve damage. The pain meds are necessary to control the pain until the swelling goes down, which could take a week or two or sometimes a month. The 8 full weeks of crate rest is to control movement in the spine to prevent further damage and to allow the disc to heal and form scar tissue. The nerve damage that you're seeing (loss of leg function, loss of bladder control, etc.) can take a long time to heal, sometimes weeks, months or even a year. If Coco can still wag her tail when spoken to in a happy voice, she must still have deep pain sensation so that is a very good sign. Have they done a urinalysis due to the blood in the urine? She may have a urinary tract infection and will need an antibiotic. With this disease self education is critical not just so you make sure the right things are being done for the best recovery but for your own emotions. The unknown is simply a scary place. Get ready to fight this disease now and in the future by knowing all things IVDD. There is no better place to start than on our main web page with "Overview: the essentials" and then read all you can as soon as possible. Here's the link www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty for a full 8 weeks is the SINGLE most important thing you can do to help your dog-- it is the hallmark component of conservative treatment. Carried in and out to potty. No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering, scooting or dragging around during potty times. No baths, no chiro (aka VOM). In other words do everything you can to limit the vertebrae in the back from moving and putting pressure on the bad disc. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmYou'll need to learn how to express her bladder. You should get a hands on your hands demonstration of how to express. While on a steroid, Coco will need to be expressed every 2-3 hours as steroids cause increased thirst and urination. Please take a look at our video and info before you get your lesson: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm The very, very lightest least aggressive range of motion and leg massage is necessary for paralyzed legs during conservative treatment once off all meds and there is no pain. The information highlighted in PINK pertains to a dog who can't walk but only after all meds are stopped and there is no pain. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/massagepassiveexercises.htmLaser light therapy, acupuncture and electroacupuncture which sends a microcurrent of electricity to and from acupuncture points (which are really big nerve bundles), can be very beneficial at helping to re-establish the nerve connections in the body. Any one of these therapies can be started right away if in your budget... they not only help relieve pain and inflammation but will kick start nerves to begin regeneration. Please let us know what meds Coco is prescribed when released from the hospital and when crate rest is started. This page will help you set up Coco's recovery suite: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmHealing prayers for Coco. |
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Post by William & Coco on Feb 16, 2014 18:48:35 GMT -7
Marjorie,
thank you so much, your response give me hope and let us believe that our family can weather this storm. Laser light therapy, acupuncture or electro-acupuncture is unfortunately not available in Okinawa. The vet office did not run a urinalysis on her, but did mention that the bleeding may be the result of a UTI and told me that they will keep an eye on it/treat it after observation. Her vet team also diagnosed her with loss of deep pain sensation although she was still able to wag her tail on Wed, Feb 12....I wonder if that is a misdiagnosis and will ask them to redo the exam prior to picking her up.
We're going to pick Coco up this Wed, Feb 19 and start crate rest at home for her on this day. I have set up a crating area for her with puppy pads. Since she's a heavier dog, I plan on stacking the puppy pads on her crating area and strip each layer after leaking/expressing of bladder. As for stomach protectant, I doubt that the vet office is familiar with Pepto AC but will bring it up in case they have/can recommend other forms of stomach protectant. If they absolutely have no clue about what I'm saying, should I go ahead and slowly introduce her to Pepto AC (I can get it from the commissary on base)? If so, can you tell me what the dosage for Coco (52lbs) should be? Also can you please tell me if it's typical for dogs to get worse before better? Coco's condition progressively got worse and seem to be at a "stable" condition for now. Does this sound typical for dogs with IVDD?
I will definitely keep this board updated on Coco's discharged medications, her condition at time of pick up, etc. Thank you guys for your support during this hard time, it means the world to our family!
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Feb 17, 2014 5:55:33 GMT -7
If Coco can wag her tail when spoken to in a happy voice or when someone walks into the room, then you know that her brain is sending proper signals to her tail and that the nerves are connecting. That would also mean that she has deep pain sensation. Otherwise, tail wagging could be reflex. It's difficult even for trained neurologists to always detect DPS. I would insist on having a urinalysis done to see if Coco has a UTI. If there is still an infection, then I would also ask them to get started on a urine culture (which takes a few days) to figure out what antibiotic she needs to get rid of the infection. Sometimes there are not clear symptoms with a UTI so a urinalysis is needed. If your vet says Coco has no health issues such as liver, heart, etc to keep her from taking Pepcid AC, then do get it on board. I would give Coco 10 mg of Pepcid AC (generic is famotidine) 30 minutes before the dose of the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours. Sucralfate or Carafate is also a good stomach protector for them to prescribe. Yes, as long as there is still swelling pressing on the nerves of the spine, an IVDD dog's condition can worsen before getting better. Once the steroid starts getting that swelling down and movement is limited, they can stabilize. You can convert a wire crate to open from the top, which might make it easier to care for Coco: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies/cratetopconvert.pdfHere's Dodgerslist page about what to expect discharge day. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/surgery.htm#dischargeHere is a list of questions to ask on discharge day, too. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htmI'm sure you'll be very glad to have Coco back home with you and I know she'll be delighted, too! Be sure to get a lesson on expressing before her discharge. Any questions at all, please let us know. |
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Post by Kathy & General on Feb 17, 2014 6:42:39 GMT -7
Hello,
I was reading your story and I just wanted to offer some support. I have a basset hound that is currently in week 8 of recovery from his 2nd IVDD episode. (HIs story is posted here also, General 12/28) This one was not as bad as his first. During his first episode he lost the ability to walk on his own, I was devastated. However, with the help of his vet and the medications he was back to normal within 3 months. He did have some set backs both times when we tried to decrease his Predisone he would stumble and show signs of pain. It just meant that the swelling was still there and he still needed the steroids. By the time General had his 2nd injury to his back, I had found Dodger's List. This is such a great resource!!! The people here really know their stuff!!! I had to drive them crazy with my constant questions, but they answered every one! Just listen to them and give it time! Hang in there and know that everyone who reads your story will be sending positive thoughts to you and Coco!!!
Kathy
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StevieLuv
Helpful Member 
Conservative Treatment 3x. It really does work!
Posts: 1,335
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Post by StevieLuv on Feb 17, 2014 11:24:37 GMT -7
Hi, here is some additional support. Stevie was paralysed last January and she walks again  She first tried to stand after 5 weeks of crate rest, and now she walks. Kinda goofy looking but she doesn't care and neither do we |
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Post by William & Coco on Mar 9, 2014 18:55:39 GMT -7
Hi guys, thank you all for your support and I apologize for haven't been up here in so long. As some of you can probably imagine, I gave birth to a healthy/beautiful baby-girl on Feb 19 and life has been very hectic for us since. We weren't able to pick Coco up from the Vet until Sat., Feb 22, but our family was very hopeful as when we picked her up, we were informed that she has regained control of her bladder and bowel movement!!! The vet did not want to prescribe any painkiller for Coco but they assured me that she was not in any pain. They have, however, prescribed anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic for us for as long as Coco needs it. Every since the day of her crate rest, Coco has shown tremendous progress. She's no longer paralyzed and is now able to stand on her back legs!! I broke down crying the day she was able to stand up and wag her tail to greet me like in the good ol days. Although her stance is still wobbly, it's obvious that her condition is improving very fast on a daily basis. We're still using a sling to support her back when she's pottying and will probably use it for the entire time that she's on crate rest to help alleviate stress on her discs. The better she's feeling, the whinier she gets about being crate rested...trying my hardest to stay on course with the tough love and ignore those puppy eyes. I hope to be able to update you guys with more good news as we're going through our conservative treatment!
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StevieLuv
Helpful Member
Conservative Treatment 3x. It really does work!
Posts: 1,335
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Post by StevieLuv on Mar 9, 2014 19:51:50 GMT -7
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter and what a wonderful update on Coco. Your persistence and determination to give her the help and time she needed to start healing have paid off. Congratulations all around, and keep us posted on her progress. We have lots of info on this site to continue to help you and prepare you for the after crate rest activities. |
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Mar 10, 2014 6:57:50 GMT -7
What a wonderful update - such great progress for Coco in a very short time! And congratulations on the birth of your baby! When you get a chance, please let us know the names and exact dosages in mgs and frequency given for the anti-inflammatory and antibiotic prescribed. Why is an antibiotic being prescribed? As for the anti-inflammatory, if Coco doesn't have any pain, there would be no need for an anti-inflammatory. So happy for you and Coco. |
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Post by William & Coco on Apr 17, 2014 22:21:29 GMT -7
Hello all, Life has been hectic, but good all around We are fast approaching our 8 week deadline and Coco's condition has been stable. She is; however, still wobbly on her feet and her back is still hunched. I wonder if I should continue to keep her on crate rest beyond the 8 week or is the wobbly walk because of the weak muscle due to the crate rest? The antibiotic prescribed for Coco is 150 mg of Baytril by "Bayer Bayer" and I don't have information for Coco's anti-inflammatory because it was packaged in an ordinary white envelope. Communication remains a challenge for us and I honestly am stomped as to why she needs the anti-inflammatory and antibiotic  |
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Apr 18, 2014 4:41:43 GMT -7
The wobbly walking is most likely from nerve damage and can take months to heal. Nerves are very slow to heal and that would not be a reason to extend crate rest. Some of the weakness that you're seeing could be from the crate rest and you may see improvement once she's walking more again. Movement after crate rest needs to be very gradual as the muscles and stamina need to be gradually built up again. Here's more info on that so you have it when Coco is ready to graduate: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmHowever, since Coco is still on an anti-inflammatory, there's no way of knowing if there is still swelling around the spine. She would need to be weaned off of the anti-inflammatory so a test can be made to see if pain returns. Pain = swelling = more time on all meds. If there is no pain, then all meds can be stopped. She shouldn't be released from crate rest until a week has passed after all meds are stopped and there is no pain. If the anti-inflammatory is a steroid, then she will need to be weaned off of it and you'll need a vet's direction on how to do that. If the anti-inflammatory is a NSAID, then it can be stopped without weaning. Please let us know what the vet says after speaking to them about stopping the anti-inflammatory and antibiotic at this point. You have much more of a challenge being where you are right now and I know it's hard enough without that challenge. My prayers continue to be with you and Coco. |
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She first tried to stand after 5 weeks of crate rest, and now she walks. Kinda goofy looking but she doesn't care and neither do we 
