Welcome to the Forum! We are a friendly group and just go by first names. Mine is Paula, what is yours? Sorry you posted privately. Any one moderator can not be on-line 24 hrs/day. Posting on this side, the public Forum, someone will see your posts.
I commend you along with Dr. Glass' kudos to you on being educated beforehand to understand how critical it is in saving the nerves in the spinal cord by crating at once. Good job.
Trembling is a sign of pain so also pleased Dr. Glass did not take any chances of pain surfacing again by prescribing Gabapentin and Tramadol. We also love to see a vet being proactive in protection of the GI tract with Pepcid AC!
I would be a good idea to re-review the four phases of healing this page provides:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htm We hope in the next couple of days you would be able to follow all the informative links to be savvy on how conservative treatment works and more about Oliver's disease.
Coming up soon you will want to know just exactly what to monitor for when the 7 day course of Pred starts the taper.
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsweling.htm Let us know what Dr. Glass says about pain meds during a Pred taper.
Can you fill us in a bit more on Oliver so our comments can be specific to him:
-- Let us know if you observe any hint of pain - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move head or body, tight hard tummy. With feedback on observations of pain, there is still more a vet can do if needed to give full pain control.
-- How much does Oliver weigh?
-- Eating and drinking OK? How are poops today- normal color and firmness, no dark or bright red blood?
-- 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.
ahvma.org/Widgets/FindVet.html
www.serenityvetacupuncture.com/index.php/faq_/ [one vet's overview/prices] Chiropractic is not recommended for IVDD dogs.
You will find may good ideas to help with the necessary 8 weeks of crate rest in the following page
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm 8 weeks is how long it takes for the disc itself to self repair with strong and secure scar tissue. Many members have found a pet stroller to be useful in keeping their dog by their side as they move about the house or sit on the deck to enjoy some fresh air.
-- Most dogs need some 16-18 hours of sleep per day, people sleep 8-9 hours day. What are they doing in the crate? Laying around and sleeping! Don't give into the temptation to start a treat routine to combat non-existent boredom. Adding a bunch of treats as entertainment contributes to weight gain which isn't a good thing. Instead at dinner time as long as Oscar does not get rambuctious he can work for his dinner. Stuff his soaked kibble inside a kong or the new Startmark Chew Ball
www.petsmart.com/dog/toys/starmark-chew-ball-treat-dispenser-dog-toy-zid36-10504/cat-36-catid-100021?_t=pfm%3Dcategory%26pfmvalue%3Dfaceted and freeze it as it will take him a while to lick it all out. A frozen broth ice cube to lick on in a bows is another time consumming lo-cal idea.
Oliver will take his cues from you on whether his recovery suite is a good idea. Be aware you could be inadvertently training for unwanted behavior. To dogs rewards are: food, looking at them, talking to them, eye contact, approaching the crate, petting. So anytime you see unwanted behavior ignore it, turn your back, leave the room if you have to. Preferable is to start teaching what you do want before there is too much practice in doing the unwanted behavior. Anytime your dog is sitting or lying down quietly, give a reward. Soon Oscar will see they get rewards for four feet on the floor, quietly sitting, etc. At potty time every 3-4 hours while on pred you'll carry him to and from the potty place. Take that time to get in sweet talking and kisses!
We look forward to hearing more about Oliver in your next post.
?
