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Post by buddydizzymama on Mar 28, 2013 14:55:05 GMT -7
Hello All,
I am brand new to this site, and was directed here by an online Dachshund Lovers site seeking guidance about post-op care. I have two dachshunds, Buddy and Dizzy, both seven years old from different litters but just two months apart. Each has a their own set of health concerns, but most pressing at this time is the disc surgery Dizzy had on Monday, March 25th to relieve a pinched spinal cord.
We are Americans living in Germany and have not been formally diagnosed with IVDD, but I'm sure that's what it is since he has three calcified discs in his lower back. The language barrier makes it difficult for me to understand or know the medications to share with you all, but I can offer a bit of background.
One year ago, Dizzy had back problems (pain mostly, absolutely no loss of function) and we were given anti-inflamatories and ordered crate rest. It worked at that time. Then, Tuesday the 19th Dizzy had his legs give out from under him when trying to walk. We were ordered crate rest again and did that for a week. We will never, ever go to that vet again!
I couldn't bear it not seeing him improve, so we took him to a specialist on Monday located an hour away at the recommendation of a friend. He was given an MRI and it was decided he needed surgery that day. The vet was apalled we were told to crate rest him. Dizzy should have been in for surgery within 48 hours. The good news is that Dizzy never lost feeling in his legs or control of his bodily functions and is expected to make a near-full recovery. The vet gave us some pain medicine and told us to crate rest him this week, ice his back for swelling, and start physical therapy one week after surgery. Please keep in mind that Dizzy can pee and poo without assistance, lift his leg, shake his leg, and vigorously wag his tail three days post-op.
My issue is that I cannot get him into the physical therapist before April 9th, two weeks after his surgery, and am unsure what I should do next week. Should I continue crate rest until he can be seen? Are there minimal exercises I can do next week with him until he can be seen? Is it OK for him to walk around at all? He can wobbly walk, just not on smooth surfaces. Should I worry about muscle atrophy at all? I would ask the vet, but the vet is constantly busy and since we live in Germany the language barrier with the staff makes things challeging. I would really appreciate advice on how to best care for my dog next week until he can be seen by the physical therapist, and even she speaks little English.
Thank you for your help!
Regards,
Sarah B.
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Post by buddydizzymama on Mar 28, 2013 15:21:26 GMT -7
Also, my other dog Buddy was sent to stay with a friend for this week to give us a chance to focus on Dizzy and his healing. We also didn't want Buddy exciting Dizzy or trying to play with him. How should I go about bringing Buddy home and making sure the two of them take it easy? They have never been separated this long and it's really hard on Buddy. Dizzy will be in a crate for the most part, but he won't be there forever and even with PT he has a long recovery ahead of him.
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Post by Linda Stowe on Mar 28, 2013 18:23:56 GMT -7
Hello and welcome to Dodgerslist. What good news that Dizzy is doing so well so soon after surgery. We have a couple of articles on rehab and PT for post op dogs that should help you. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/massagepassiveexercises.htmwww.dodgerslist.com/literature/rehab.htmAs for crate rest after surgery Texas A&M writes: Vertebral column injury and surgery can disrupt the normal stabilizing structures of the spine such as muscles, bone, joint capsules, and the intervertebral disk. Excessive, unrestricted activity after surgery or certain injuries can lead to vertebral column destabilization and prolonged healing of the injury site. The intervetebral disk, in particular, is very slow to heal and healing may be incomplete; excessive vertebral column motion after disk surgery may therefore lead to recurrence of disk herniation. Additionally, animals that are weak or incoordinated may accidentally traumatize themselves, leading to orthopedic and soft tissue injuries. from TAMU brochure on Cage Rest for Spinal Cord Injury vetmed.tamu.edu/common/docs/public/services/CRSCI%20Levine%20Brochure.pdf [as of Oct 2010 no longer available on-line] Animals are typically kept in the cage at all times, except when they are under the immediate supervision of owners or need to eliminate. Running, jumping, and rough play are prohibited during cage rest. In addition, walking around the home for excessive periods of time – even under supervision – is discouraged. While these recommendations seem strict, they are made to facilitate proper healing following injury. I can imagine how hard it is to deal with this trying to understand what others are telling you. Its all hard enough to comprehend when speaking the same language. Is there someone you can take with who speaks German to help? Linda |
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 28, 2013 21:51:32 GMT -7
Sarah, what are the names of the medicines that Dizzy is currently on? German names are fine. As LInda explained, STRICT crate rest is necessary except being out at potty time and for the PT that is directed. What does the surgeon want for crate rest time? Would you say his pain is under control...that is no shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move, tight hard tummy? This article by Dr. Isaacs can likely also help to answer some of your post op questions: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/surgery.htmFor dogs the inborn instinct about weakness is for survival protection of the pack as a whole. There are two things that can happen in pack dynamics when a dog has been or is sick. 1. The healthy one may try to eliminate the weaker in the pack. 2. For the sick one, now the weaker in the pack to become more protective and aggressive because they know they are weaker now and may be subject to being attacked. Make sure that Dizzy feels protected from his best buds when home alone... the crate will be that source of protection. Whenever you leave the house and they are not supervised, it is a good idea to crate them for their own safety. We have had many instances where a deadly attack among best buds could have been avoided by crating. One I recall is of two sisters who had grown up together and never showed any signs of aggression to one another. The two dogs were put in the kitchen while their owners went out to dinner. They came home to find the IVDD dog almost dead from the vicious attacks of the other. We invite all members to get up to speed on disc disease. It can be that Dizzy has only one episode is entire life or he may have multiple ones. This is a good page to start your education and then move to reading all the articles on the "Disc Disease 101" page as time permits. There is even great information in making your home back friendly, which would be good for Buddy right now and great tips and supplies for the next 6 weeks of crate rest for Dizzy. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htm |
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Post by buddydizzymama on Mar 29, 2013 15:06:18 GMT -7
Dizzy doesn't mind his crate at all. They have been crate trained since pups, and Dizzy runs right back to his crate after he's done his business outside. We carry the crate outside so he never has to walk far and haven't dared to pick him up since we are scared of him wiggling and us potentially hurting him further. We haven't let him run around or walk other than to potty. He eats in his crate when we bring food to him, and since it's the airline crate we used to bring him over here, he has an attached water bowl.
I think his pain is under control. He doesn't wimper when moving. He shows no reluctance to move unless he's sleeping and we ask if he needs to go potty, but he's always been like that. His belly is a little harder than normal, but it's not anything I am very concerned about. He's gets two medications - one he takes whole in the morning, and the other he gets half a tablet three times per day (the pain meds). My husband put the paperwork up and I can't find it, but I'll update it with the names when I have them.
I'd rather be safe than sorry and crate rest him for an extra week than attempt to administer my own PT and risk injuring him further. I just wanted to make sure there was no harm in not getting him PT when the vet recommended. I guess a week more of crate rest won't hurt anything. I'll check out those sites. Thank you for your help!
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Post by natureluva on Mar 29, 2013 15:50:08 GMT -7
Hi there, just sharing a link on how to pick up and carry the IVDD dog. Please share with your family so they will know how to keep Dizzy's spine supported and aligned: youtube.googleapis.com/v/kyD2IW5m0qY Also, while Dizzy is on crate rest, here is a link to safeguard your home for the IVDD dog and IVDD-prone breeds: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htm I'm happy to hear that Dizzy had such a fine result from surgery. Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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