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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 18, 2014 8:54:57 GMT -7
Not sure if this is the right place to share our story, but wanted to let people see my sweet survivor! On February 17, 2014, I put a baby gate at the top of our stairs to prevent our 6 month old newly-mobile son from toppling down the stairs. As a result, that same day, Bella (who had already had some issues with stairs and furniture) tripped over the ledge on the gate when the door was open and plummeted down the entire flight of stairs  That was at about 3pm and it was my first day back to work after a roughly 1 month hiatus that I took to care for my son. My mom called me in a panic saying she thinks Bella broke her back. I've never run so fast in my life as I did to get to my car to make it home to her. When I got home, she was hiding under the papasan chair in our living room about 10 feet away from the stairs. Her back was severely arched, her hind legs were limp, and she was panting -- clearly in shock. We slid her onto her crate tray and I put her in the front seat of the car with me and held her still as I rushed her to the vet. They did some preliminary pinch tests to confirm she was in fact paralyzed and then recommended some x-rays to determine if the spine had been severed or if it was a ruptured disc. They said if her spinal cord had been severed, there was no chance of recovery and that she would probably not make it through the week, but that that if it was a ruptured disc, she could have surgery and have a roughly 90% chance of survival. The X-rays confirmed it was a ruptured disc between the L1 and L2 vertebrae and so we rushed her to the emergency vet hospital at NC State University (took us about an hour to get there), they had her CT scan completed and she was in surgery by 8pm. The neurosurgeon who performed her surgery called me shortly after midnight to let me know that the surgery was done and Bella was awake, but that she was still paralyzed, and with the severity of her rupture and the lack of deep pain sensation, return of mobility would be possible but not guaranteed. I was told prior to surgery that despite best efforts, there was also a possibility that the inflammation of the spinal cord would be irreversible and that the entire spinal cord could inflame and eventually cause death. The chance there was about 11%, and I was told that we wouldn't know if that would happen until a few days after surgery. Those few days were absolutely agonizing. I don't think I blinked once. Well those few days finally passed and the neuro said she seemed to be in the clear. Well now we are 4 weeks post operation and she is still paralyzed, but we do muscle workouts and massages every day and she has a laser therapy once per week and we are about to start hydrotherapy and possible acupuncture. She's been on strict crate rest except to be expressed and to eat for the past 4 weeks, and she is READY to be let out. She seems like she has no clue that she is or was ever hurt, and she has her spunk back. Feel free to check out the website I made for her at www.downdoxie.com. She also has a youtube channel which can be found there, with some pre-fall videos as well as some post-surgery videos where I'll also be recording our massage routines and therapy sessions for those who are interested in viewing! thanks for reading! |
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,549
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 18, 2014 12:13:02 GMT -7
Kaity, welcome to Dodgerslist. Sorry to hear of the accident but impressed with your fast action to get help! Not all Dachshunds are born with disc disease. Did the surgeon indicate to you whether this was an accident to the disc or that perhaps evidence of hardened other discs indicated this particular disc was already prematurely aging and the fall was just the last straw that the disc could not bounce back into shape, but instead tore -- meaning that Bella was born with IVDD? There is not a limit on nerve healing, so the laser therapy plus the time mother nature needs to regenerate new nerve endings still have possibilities! Having been born with disc disease means you would need to make a priority to learn all you can. Many dogs have just one disc episode while other can have multiple episodes during their life time. This disease is just unpredictable. 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. Are you ready? Here's the link www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm Make sure your whole family can identify IVDD emergencies with this Fridge flyer: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/FridgeInfo81907.pdf-- Can Bella wag her tail specifically when you do some happy talk to her? -- Is she staying dry in between expressing sessions? If she is not any any meds you likely can express every 4-6 hours going to even 8 hours in a pinch. -- What meds if any is she on now? |
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 19, 2014 2:49:31 GMT -7
Honestly I can't recall what the vet said about whether she was born with it or not. We have a follow up next week so I will ask the surgeon when we are there. That being said-- in the past couple weeks I have read what I believe to be this entire website! Ive printed the fridge flyer and ive searched high and low for any and all info I can find about IVDD in case something happens to her again. I created a website for her as a means to share her story with everyone I know (many of whom own doxies themselves and had no idea of the dangers of IVDD). Ive got her on crate rest now in a small crate, but as soon as we are approved for more free time, ive gotten a play pen for her instead. Its a plastic 8 panel that doesnt havea ledge that she would need to step over in order to get out of it. And its only 26 inches tall which makes it possible for me to bend over and easily pick her up with two hands while supporting both her front and her rear simultaneously. Mainly doing this because due to my work schedule, she often sits for hours in her own poop now that she cannot control her bowels, which must be mortifying to her. Hopefully in the bigger pen she will at least have the option to move away from it. And ive ordered her a 3inch orthopedic foam pet bed so she wont have so much strain on herself as she seems to have trying to get over the ledge on her current bed. Regarding her tail wagging, we thought it was just muscular, but as of last night I believe it is neurological and intentionally being wagged. She used to LOVE chasing our laser pointer, and last night I had to pull it out to convince my other dachshund to come inside from her potty and 45 minute yard-sniffing, and when Bella saw it, she absolutely lost her noodle with excitement and was sitting on the floor wagging her tail rather adamantly in anticipation of me hitting the button. That was the first time ive seen her wag it NOT while being held. Will try and post a video next time my husband is home-- I dont want to do it without him here because she gets TOO excited almost, and im not ready yet for her tobe that active. On the laser pointer note, she also tried a few times to lift herself up onto her legs. Again, dont know if it was just her front muscles ooverworking or if she can actually tell her legs with her brain to do it. Will get a video. And as for meds, she seems to be in ZERO pain and isnt on anything at all  I was previously expressing her every 6 hours but her rehab vet asked us to go every 12 hours as a test this week due to the fact that even though its available, she doesnt drink much water, and also to test if she will relieve herself on her own. And she did pee in her crate once this week, so I wonder if she is getting a bit of sensation back, as she wasnt able to do that at all (not even when excited) in the beginning. She also peed on the floor atthe vet last week for her rehab session without being expressed, and it was a full emptying of a relatively full bladder and not just a little inadvertent dribble, which the vet said is a great sign. And regarding staying dry between sessions, with the exception of the one time she peed in her crate, she is staying dry. I wipe her paws and underside down with baby wipes every time I express her in order to prevent ammonia scalding. And I have a really absorption crate mat that I bought which wicks off the top and the one time she did pee on it, I could see the spit but it felt dry, and it was warm so I knew it was fresh. I gave her abath rinse after I got her out of the crate and I washed the pad immediately to be safe. She also has started licking her hind quarters again and so I feel confident that she takes care of any remnants I dont get off with thw baby wipes (and because of this licking, I use all natural chemical free wipes so she isnt licking up toxins) |
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Post by Jean & Mimi on Mar 19, 2014 5:17:17 GMT -7
Kaity you could also try giving Bella a green tea bath. Boil up a pot of green tea, let it cool and wipe Bella down with that. It neurtralizes any possible urine scald and keeps them smelling fresh. Bella is beautiful. Glad she is pain free!
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 19, 2014 6:15:28 GMT -7
Thanks for the tip! Speaking of, do you have a good suggestion for how to bathe her in the tub? I don't want to shampoo her and then have her sitting in the water, she's never been fond of the bath and she always tenses up when I put her near the faucet, and arches her back in attempt to escape, trying to relieve as much pressure on her back as possible, so I may just have to do super-slow bathing, using a cup and letting her sit at the other end of the tub? I just feel like when I use a cup, the water pressure of the pouring isn't strong enough to get the shampoo out of her fur (she has really silky thick fur so it's hard to penetrate without the water pressure of the faucet) and when I don't get all the suds out, she ends up having dry skin for a while.
we make tea almost every day, so we will have this on hand regularly, what a great natural remedy, never thought of it!
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Mar 19, 2014 7:00:51 GMT -7
Kaity, Bella should be expressed at least every 8 hours. Allowing a dog to go 12 hours without being expressed to see if she can hold her urine is not the way to test for bladder control. The only way we humans can tell if she has bladder control is to take her out to a spot where she's peed before, let her sniff while supporting her hips (don't press on her belly while doing this) and see if she can release urine on her own. If she can, then she has bladder control. She may still need to be expressed after going on her own to help her completely empty her bladder until you see that she can empty her bladder on her own. Dogs usually don't pee where they sleep, unless they've been left too long and have no choice. What happens with an incontinent dog is their bladders overflow and that can stretch the bladder out of shape. Also, urine left too long in the bladder can lead to urinary tract infections, which are common for paralyzed dogs. Expressing Bella every 6 hours as you have been doing is what you should continue to do until she can pass a sniff and pee test. The fact that she's staying dry in between expressings is a good sign that you're doing a good job expressing her. You can also express for poop which should help with accidents in the crate. You'll need to learn when Bella usually poops and try to catch it a half hour or so before she goes. You can try expressing for poop before you leave for work or before bed. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm As for the bath, possibly you could hook up a hand held spray that might make things easier. Be sure to use a rubber mat so she doesn't slip in the tub. Wonderful news on that tail wag! Nerves can take a very long time to heal, months, even a year or more. It took six months for my Jeremy to walk again after his surgery and he was still showing signs of improvement over a year later. IVDD is most definitely a disease of patience. Great job on educating yourself about IVDD! Even if it does turn out that Bella's condition was due to an injury and not IVDD, you'll want to make your home back friendly. Here are some tips if you haven't seen them yet: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmPlease let us know how the sniff and pee test goes. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery for Bella. |
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 19, 2014 9:27:04 GMT -7
Her problem is that she hardly drinks anything at all (even when we put it right in front of her and try to trick her into drinking it by putting treats and kibble in the water), and so often when we try to express after 6 hours, we can't get anything at all, and I feel like I make her uncomfortable when her bladder is so small. We are fortunate that our vet is literally 5 minutes down the road and they do expression at no charge (all day every day as long as I bring her in) and a few times I've worried that maybe I'm just not finding the bladder and so I've taken her in and they can't express her either because its already so small. She said usually as a test period she would say max of 8 hours but she just never has much pee (it seems weird to me?) and I guess they dont want to see if she pees in her crate out of necessity, but rather if when its full and larger, if she will pee out of excitement, which she does, and so I still go home on my lunch to let her out every day (so, every 5 hours!) And we've tried the sniff and pee test many times, the problem I think is she was in her sling and I was unsure of whether she peed due to the pressure from the sling or whether she went because she meant to. I've been meaning to test her again without the sling but its been raining and sleeting for 4 days straight and she's a diva and refuses to touch wet ground (always been that way) and so I've been expressing her indoors and will try again once the ground dries LOL And on the bowel movement thing, she used to poop about 10 minutes after she ate, twice a day, always. Now its a little off and she usually goes within 2 hours of eating, I've been able to express it a few times but sometimes its not far enough down to be able to express. That being said, she DOES seem to get the hint when we take her outside, and I have a feeling she might be able to tell when she has to pass a bowel movement, because she usually never cries or barks in her crate, and a couple times this week, she's started barking neurotically to be let out of the crate, and as soon as I let her out, she poops (usually on the way to being carried to the bathroom or yard)... AND when we go outside and stand in the driveway, she's been pooping when we get out there on her own accord (a couple times on my arm, but hey, at least she has the right idea!) And great tip on the bath mat! -- my husband is also trying to engineer a little mesh stand to support her hind quarters while we bathe her so that she's not soaking in dirty suds water |
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 22, 2014 6:19:56 GMT -7
Anyone have any suggestions for how to train a dog (that has always been a couch dog) NOT to jump up on the couch? I have two doxies and one is down now and CAN'T get up onto the couch on her own (and we won't allow her to even if her paralysis goes away), but we have another one (Sophie) who still wants to be on the couch ALL THE TIME. I'm trying to teach Sophie not to be on the couch but despite telling her no 500 times and lifting her off and putting her on the ground every time she gets up there, she still does it. She looks at me like I've tried to murder her when I set her on the ground. I've tried putting her on a dog bed that is just as comfortable, and sometimes it works if I put a blanket on top of her, but just as soon as I walk away, she leaps right back onto the couch. Is it still safe to use doggy stairs if I can get her to use one? Or do they make ramps for furniture that won't take up all the floor space in my house? I don't think it is fair to Bella that Sophie is on the couch all the time, and I also don't want the jumping to eventually cause issues for Sophie (even though she hasn't had a single IVDD problem yet at 5 years old)
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,549
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 22, 2014 7:56:32 GMT -7
Kaity, good questions on how to discourage jumping. I guess mostly it is retraining ourselves. If what has been been done is not changing their behavior, then there is a need to first change our behavior. Get in the habit of putting a furniture blocker in place whenever you leave the room so there is no chance of them practicing the wrong behavior. It can take 100 practices of the right behavior to extinguish the one time they did the wrong behavior! Try using a very large pillow, a couple of panels from an ex-pen, or a PVC furniture blocker, or block that room with a gate. Our "All things IVDD" of course addresses those very solutions in more detail. Do check out the right hand column under "after crate rest then what?" The article is Back Friendly Home ideas All Things IVDD is a good page to have bookmarked: www.dodgerslist.com/literature.htm
Steps, stairs...are all the same, instead think RAMPs to avoid increased force on the vertebrae which then push on disc.
Do you have a Snuggle Safe in their bed. It is warmed in the microwave and stays warm 6-8 hours. My dog does the happy dance when he see me carrying towards his bed. Find one at local Pet store or lots of places on-line: www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=E53AAF66-347A-4789-AFCC-5D6FA77ED8B6&item=30459&ccd=IFP003&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_content=30459You may wish to hire a dog trainer to give you tips or scour the internet for a tutorial. Dr. Yin has a good video that may give you an idea on behavior training re: not jumping: Dodgerslist has an excellent video in the "Ramp Traning for the IVDD Community." That informaiton is also on the "All Things IVDD" page www.dodgerslist.com/literature.htmHow is Bella doing today? Drinking or consuming more liquids via lapping or incorporated (soaking equal part water as kibble at each meal) into her food? How about expressing, how are you doing with that? Had a chance weather-wise to try the sniff and pee test? |
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 22, 2014 9:32:43 GMT -7
Thank you! Will try a snugglesafe!
I have another update too -- I did the sniff and pee test like you all suggested, I took her in the yard where she typically uses the bathroom, I didn't use the sling because it puts pressure on her bladder, instead I was leaning down and holding her by her back hips to support her so to be sure that there was ZERO pressure on her bladder, and while she didn't empty it, she definitely dribbled probably about 1/4 of what was in there, I then expressed the rest because I knew that wasn't all, but that means she's at least got SOME functionality right?? She sniffed around for about 10 seconds and then I felt her hips drop, she was putting most of her weight on her feet and she let go of the weight and that was when she started dribbling. Does this mean anything? Or am I excited for nothing haha, I was standing in my front yard shouting YAY and bouncing up and down while leaning over her, my neighbor was looking at me like I was crazy!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,549
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 22, 2014 11:08:20 GMT -7
Kaity, you correctly performed the typical "happy pee dance" on correctly identifying Bella passing the sniff and pee test! LOL So did someone get a photo of that? Keep on doing an express check each time til you are confident Bella is able to release all the urine.
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 22, 2014 11:23:36 GMT -7
I've disassembled her crate and am now keeping her in a playpen instead, I want to make sure if she NEEDS to go when I'm not home, that she has a place do do it that is not her bed. I got her an orthopedic bed that is flat and easier for her to climb up onto (its 3.5inches high) and put a pee pad on the other side of the pen. Last night while I was asleep she pooped on the pee-pad, which makes me wonder if she got out of bed and did that intentionally because she felt the need to go and then went back to bed, or if she just happened to be sitting on it when she unintentionally went to the bathroom.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,549
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 22, 2014 11:40:44 GMT -7
Bladder and bowel control typically return close in time. My bet is Bella has bowel control.
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Post by Kate & Gary on Mar 22, 2014 16:35:19 GMT -7
Hi Kaity,
Going back to what you were saying about training a dog to not jump on the couch...
A dog trainer gave us the tip of when leaving the house put the dining room chairs on the couch (lie them down) so there isn't a spot for the dog to jump up on. They get used to not jumping up as soon as you walk out the door, and eventually you won't need to do this.
Good luck!
Kate
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Mar 23, 2014 5:20:41 GMT -7
Thanks for that! We actually always crate the dogs when we leave (always have) so it won't help when we are out of the house, but will definitely try it while we are home. Her main issue is she wants to sit next to me while I'm on the couch. I have a 6 month old that I'm usually feeding when I'm actually able to sit down on the couch for a chance, so it is hard to set her down when she jumps up. I'll do a variation of the chair on the couch though and am now stacking firm pillows on the edge all around me so that she can't make it up with me. She is now sitting on the ground whimpering and crying like LET ME UP THERE, hope she learns soon, it is heartbreaking to see her sad haha
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Mar 23, 2014 5:49:14 GMT -7
You might consider blocking the chairs/couch with furniture blockers, making a human/doxie den on the floor from egg crate mattress toppers, blankets, pillows and join Bella on the floor! The floor can be a cozy place for you all. Some tips here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmGood job on always crating your dogs when you're out of the house - safest place for them. |
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Post by Kaity & Bella on Apr 1, 2014 8:02:40 GMT -7
Does anyone have any experience with the WALKABOUT custom rear lift harness? I'm thinking of getting one for her as the simple sling really seems to tug on her belly ,and while she cannot feel it due to the paralysis, I can't help but think it's not good on her muscles... I tried a silk tie at someone's suggestion, but didn't like that either. |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,549
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Post by PaulaM on Apr 1, 2014 8:54:03 GMT -7
Congratulations on the finish of crate rest! Now that she can urinate on her own, have you seen any of the next neuro functions to show evidence of returning....any leg movements of her own? I have tested out and reviewed the walkabout rear in the Jan 2013 Dodgers Digest newsletter issue. www.dodgerslist.com/newsletter.htm I was very impressed with the sturdy construction and high quality materials. It is made of neoprine allowing the leg holes to give with movement and providing comfort there. Here are a few of the points I made in that article: " I am 5’2" and could fully up stand up holding the Walkabout's handle. The handle length is not adjustable. The Walkabout fits quite well and I did not have any problem with my dog being able to run out of the Walkabout when walking outdoors. I would, however, recommend using a harness in conjunction with the Walkabout Back Harness for full safety and control when using it with a strong dog that is still under Conservative treatment or post-op crate rest."
"On smooth indoor hardwood, tile floors, or carpet, Clark could scoot easily and the harness provided skin protection and cushion. I would probably sew a frictionless, replaceable fabric patch, such as ripstop nylon, to the bottom to save wear and tear on an expensive Walkabout. "I have also tested The Gingerlead which is a padded sling with more width than the current slings you have tried and may then be a better fit. Handle length is adjustable. gingerlead.com/dog-sling-sizing.htmCheck out the homemade slings from our Helpful Supplies List under " Support at potty times" www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm |
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That was at about 3pm and it was my first day back to work after a roughly 1 month hiatus that I took to care for my son. My mom called me in a panic saying she thinks Bella broke her back. I've never run so fast in my life as I did to get to my car to make it home to her. When I got home, she was hiding under the papasan chair in our living room about 10 feet away from the stairs. Her back was severely arched, her hind legs were limp, and she was panting -- clearly in shock. We slid her onto her crate tray and I put her in the front seat of the car with me and held her still as I rushed her to the vet. They did some preliminary pinch tests to confirm she was in fact paralyzed and then recommended some x-rays to determine if the spine had been severed or if it was a ruptured disc. They said if her spinal cord had been severed, there was no chance of recovery and that she would probably not make it through the week, but that that if it was a ruptured disc, she could have surgery and have a roughly 90% chance of survival. The X-rays confirmed it was a ruptured disc between the L1 and L2 vertebrae and so we rushed her to the emergency vet hospital at NC State University (took us about an hour to get there), they had her CT scan completed and she was in surgery by 8pm. The neurosurgeon who performed her surgery called me shortly after midnight to let me know that the surgery was done and Bella was awake, but that she was still paralyzed, and with the severity of her rupture and the lack of deep pain sensation, return of mobility would be possible but not guaranteed. I was told prior to surgery that despite best efforts, there was also a possibility that the inflammation of the spinal cord would be irreversible and that the entire spinal cord could inflame and eventually cause death. The chance there was about 11%, and I was told that we wouldn't know if that would happen until a few days after surgery. Those few days were absolutely agonizing. I don't think I blinked once. Well those few days finally passed and the neuro said she seemed to be in the clear. Well now we are 4 weeks post operation and she is still paralyzed, but we do muscle workouts and massages every day and she has a laser therapy once per week and we are about to start hydrotherapy and possible acupuncture. She's been on strict crate rest except to be expressed and to eat for the past 4 weeks, and she is READY to be let out. She seems like she has no clue that she is or was ever hurt, and she has her spunk back. 
I was previously expressing her every 6 hours but her rehab vet asked us to go every 12 hours as a test this week due to the fact that even though its available, she doesnt drink much water, and also to test if she will relieve herself on her own. And she did pee in her crate once this week, so I wonder if she is getting a bit of sensation back, as she wasnt able to do that at all (not even when excited) in the beginning. She also peed on the floor atthe vet last week for her rehab session without being expressed, and it was a full emptying of a relatively full bladder and not just a little inadvertent dribble, which the vet said is a great sign.
