Hubby & I are getting to be "old hands" at dealing with IVDD…or so we thought. Our beloved wire-hair Xena (RIP) was Dodgerslist Dog of the Month in November 2006
www.dodgerslist.com/monthstory/dec06.htm and Schatzi, our blk & tan was Dog of the Month in January 2009
www.dodgerslist.com/monthstory/jan09.htm . Both underwent surgery at the Atlantic Veterinary College medical facility here & with proper care and treatment, before, during and after surgery….both made excellent recoveries. Schatzi is still with us (she will be 12 next week) and still back healthy.
Oskar, our 15 lb. pie boy celebrated his 13th birthday on Dec. 5, 2013. We thought we were in the clear, as far as his back was concerned. However, on Dec. 31, 2013….(New Year's Eve morning)…upon returning from the first potty break of the day (6:30 a.m.), my husband noticed Oskar was
arching his back. He immediately called out to me that there was a problem with Osk (since Xena arched her back as well….as opposed to Schatzi….who immediately lost use of both back legs), we quickly realized we were dealing with a back issue.
A call to our vet, who advised us to administer
Metacam, keep Oskar immobilized & re-assess him in one hour. Our assessment confirmed our fears…and at 8:00 a.m. we saw Dr. Garrett (an awesome lady vet at our clinic), who quickly referred us to the AVC. A
CT scan was performed & revealed
4 discs were protruded & pushing on Oskar's spinal column. It being New Year's Eve & the facility was still on Christmas emergency staff only, but we were confident in their care & treatment. Oskar was immediately given
IV pain medication. We discussed the pros & cons of performing a myelogram, since he has a
Grade 4 heart murmur & kidney issues. Since no rupture(s) had occurred, the surgeon recommended we go the pain medication & crate rest route.
After spending 5 days at the AVC & showing signs of recovery he was discharged into our care. He immediately began
crate res 24/7 for 12 weeks…and can you believe on his second day home…he was in
no pain & very comfortable. Allowed out only to do potty breaks. Dr. Garrett at our vet clinic performs
acupuncture…Oskar has undergone three sessions with her & we feel, without a doubt….it aided in his recovery. We take him once a month for ongoing treatment (plus it relaxes him).
As of today, April 8, 2014…..Oskar is
able to walk…but gets carried to do his business outside & we have an Outward Hound sling hubby uses to
carry him on our "walks" with Schatzi.
Having & living with IVDD is an ongoing situation. Since Osk is a "senior" guy…he spends a great deal of his time snuggled up comfy here in the family room. He is still very much a huge part of our daily lives, is comfortable & feeling well…we will continue to monitor him closely. We pray with proper care & lifestyle that we have put this episode behind us...
