Tina's Winston date?? Conservative NECK

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Tina & Winston
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Tina's Winston date?? Conservative NECK Apr 25, 2014 10:13:33 GMT -7

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Post by Tina & Winston on Apr 25, 2014 10:13:33 GMT -7

Good morning.

My little friend Winston came into my life a couple of years ago when I walked into a rescue to donate a bag of dog food. He had a mouth full of bad teeth, UTI, and arthritis. He needed somebody and I couldn't bring myself to leave the little guy. We went from the rescue to the vet to start pain medication and come up with a plan for end of life care. From that day, we have been fighting UTIs. I requested his records to bring to a specialist and it is pages of urine culture + analysis and bloodwork. A dental and repair of fistulas did not stop infections. Two ultrasounds and full exams did not turn up stones. Stones were discovered in his urethra by x-ray when I brought him to a specialist two weeks ago. Winston is guessed to be between 15-17 years. He has kidney disease. Because he is so small, the xray also revealed IVDD. She stopped her exam of his neck due to pain. My husband and I are upset that we didn't see some of the signs. We are stuck in what to do for Winston. We would like to attempt to flush back his stones and start conservative rest but feel we need to adjust his meds to get control of the cervical pain. Winston can walk. He has control of his bladder. A good steady urine stream even with the stones. Does not poop as regular as he did. Seems not to know when it is about to happen. The specialist confirmed good anal tone. (Not sure what that means but found myself excited by some good news.) He is shivering. Slow to move his head. Has a hard, tight tummy. Does not yelp but has never complained about pain. Winston gets:

12.5 mg of Rimadyl/2x a day
12.5 mg of Tramadol/2x a day
300 mg glucosamine/200 mg chondroitin per day
1000 mg fish oil per day

His favorite times of day are when I heat a blanket in the dryer and roll it for him to place his little head on.
Food is always exciting. Even when it is only K/D.

Where do I start?

Thank you,
Tina + Winston

Last Edit: Apr 25, 2014 12:39:44 GMT -7 by Marjorie

Jean & Mimi
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Posts: 663

Tina's Winston date?? Conservative NECK Apr 25, 2014 11:59:15 GMT -7

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Post by Jean & Mimi on Apr 25, 2014 11:59:15 GMT -7

Hi Tina, welcome to Dodgerslist! Winston is for sure a cutie and I am sorry he is experiencing IVDD.

First thing to know is that it IS in the cards for your dog to get back to enjoying life after recovering.

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

Add this comprehensive "must-have" $3 DVD on IVDD to your arsenal of educational resources. Friends, family and those who will be caring for your dog should also watch this DVD www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htm Tape this flyer to your fridge so the whole family knows what things are emergencies: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/FridgeInfo81907.pdf

In order to help you more, could you please answer these questions? (I filled in what I could)

► What is your dog's name? Your name, too. Winston and Tina

► What breed is your dog and did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD, aka: a disc problem, a disc herniation, a bulging disc, slipped disc? Daschund - did the vet officially diagnose?

► What was the date you saw the vet and started the all important 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty for this current disc episode? …. STRICT means 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)?

► Is there still currently pain - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant to move much or slow to move, tight tense tummy? You indicate yes.

► How much does your dog weigh? List the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mg's and times per day given?   12.5 mg of Rimadyl/2x a day
                                 12.5 mg of Tramadol/2x a day

You don't indicate that Winston is on a stomach protector such as Pepcid AC. Phrase the question to your vet this particular way:" Is there a medical/health reason for my dog not take Pepcid?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in stomach protection by giving doxies 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the anti-inflammatory.

► Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you do some happy talk? Yes, he can currently walk and wag his tail.

► Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine or do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted up? You indicate yes.

► Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK - normal firmness & color -no dark or bright red blood? Yes but with some loss of control.

► If there is pain or neuro diminishment, dogs can benefit greatly with acupuncture or laser light therapy. These therapies can be be started right away to help relieve pain and to also to kick start energy production in nerve cells to sprout. So if this therapy is in your budget, seek out a holistic vet.

From what you describe, Winston is still showing signs of pain. Please contact your vet immediately and provide him with your observations. Dogs are really good at hiding pain. There are lots of options to help control Winston's pain, but since he has stones and other medical conditions, it is important that you read up on all the medication possibilities and their side effects so you can properly advocate for him with your vet.  You can bookmark this page, it is a great reference for pet medications.

www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.html

Gabapentin is a medication that works synergistically with Tramadol to help control pain. It has had great success with dogs with hard to control pain. He may also need a muscle relaxer if he is dealing with muscle spasms.

If he likes the warmth, Snuggle Safe is a commercial product that will keep warm the whole night. tinyurl.com/4jk2cx7 [snuggle safe] Wrap in a towel so it's not too hot for the skin. Note: human heating pads can get too hot burning skin on a nerve impaired IVDD dog. So this might help him further.

We look forward to the answers to the rest of the questions. Healing thoughts for Winston.

Marjorie
Moderator~

Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative

Posts: 5,724

Tina's Winston date?? Conservative NECK Apr 25, 2014 12:55:17 GMT -7

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Post by Marjorie on Apr 25, 2014 12:55:17 GMT -7

Tina, in addition to the excellent advice that Jean has given you, I just wanted to add that since you're dealing with a cervical issue, here are some helpful tips, such as raising the food and water dishes so Winston doesn't have to bend his neck down to them, moistening hard kibble, etc. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htm

The crate rest that Jean has indicated above needs to be for a full 8 weeks. That's how long it takes for a damaged disc to heal. Think of the crate as a cast for the back. Here is our info on how to set up a recovery suite for Winston: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm

Winston is most definitely still in pain (his signs of pain are shivering, slow to move his head, hard type tummy.. Neck injuries can be much more painful than back issues and can take longer to heal. How much does Winston weigh? He's currently receiving a very light dose of Tramadol. Tramadol works best when given consistently every 8 hours. Gabapentin does works well with Tramadol but note that if it is to be used in a patient with kidney insufficiency, the dose will need to be modified or another product should be selected. www.marvistavet.com/html/gabapentin.html Also Methocarbamol for muscles spasms which are common with neck injuries. Pain hinders healing and needs to be brought under control ASAP.

Please let us know what the vet says after speaking to them today. We'll be able to better support you after receiving your responses to Jean's questions.

Healing prayers for Winston.

Order free literature for yourself & others: dodgerslist.com/free-literature-2/

Disclaimer:
This information is presented for educational purposes and as a resource for the IVD dog community. The coordinators are not veterinarians or health care professionals. Nothing herein should be interpreted as medical advice and all should contact their pet care professionals for advice. The coordinators are not responsible for the substance and content contained herein and do not advocate any particular product, item or position contained herein.

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Tina's Winston date?? Conservative NECK

Post by Tina & Winston on Apr 25, 2014 10:13:33 GMT -7

Post by Jean & Mimi on Apr 25, 2014 11:59:15 GMT -7

Post by Marjorie on Apr 25, 2014 12:55:17 GMT -7