Jill welcome to Dodgerslist! Sorry to hear that Ollie relapsed his early healing disc due to lack of crate rest. If there was any inkling or suspicion that Ollie is suffering from another disc episode on 5/9, the treatment given did not give him an opportunity to heal. Did the vet suspicion it was disc related? I know how much you love Ollie so I'll get right to the point so you can make sure things get right asap and he can have a good opportunity to heal.
His pain meds are woefully insufficient since you are reporting current yelping, not wanting to bear weight on the front paw. A vet needs feedback on your observations to know if their Rx is working or not. Did you tell the vet on 5/20? Tramadol would not likely control pain unless the vet prescribes it for 3x a day as it has a very short half life and 25mgs is a very light dose for a 13 lbs dog. You will read about methocarbamol and gabapentin which can be very helpful in 100% pain control here
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpain.htm Reading will put you in position first thing in the am to strongly advocate for full 100 % pain control dose to dose of his pain meds. Healing can't really go forward until there is full pain control.
Normally when the vet guesses swelling might be gone there will be a stop of anti-inflammatory and pain meds. Usually the first course of anti-inflammatory will be 5 or 7 days and then a test stop. Your job at home would be to assess just how well reduction of swelling is going by observing for any hint of pain (shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move head or body, tight hard tummy, holding leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight). To have a clear picture on a stop, pain meds are also stopped or backed off too so prompt action of getting meds back on board if there is pain indicating there is still swelling going on in the spinal cord.
Rule of thumb is: pain = swelling = more time on non-steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAID), pain meds and Pepcid AC needed.
The single most important care is the 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for a full 8 weeks right from the get go so there are no relapses while the disc is forming secure scar tissue. Glad to hear crate rest was finally implemented on May 20. You will want to make sure you are doing potty time correctly and other tips for the essential crate rest here:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmIt sounds like there may be a neck disc involved with the difficulty (pain) in lowering the head, holding front paw. Until you are certain it is not, then these are the extra things you can do at home for Ollie:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmAny use of an anti-inflammatory really needs proactive protection of the GI tract. We follow those vets who are proactive and ask you to ask your vet in this particular way
Is there a medical/health reason my dog may not take Pepcid?" If there is no reason, doxies get 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the NSAID and the NSAID with a meal. The natural defenses of the stomach to shield against stomach acid is hindered when taking NSAIDs. Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation, can occur at any time, with or without warning symptoms. This directory very good for learning about each of your dog's meds:
www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htm The clicking sound is not a symptom I'm familiar with that is related to a disc episode.
Caring for an IVDD dog is all about education to know, fight and win with this enemy. It is easy to make mistakes and not be committed to the treatment when full understanding of IVDD has not yet been achieved. And for yourself, knowledge lets you step out of a very scary place…"the unknown" and the toll it takes on your emotions.
So you are savvy about conservative treatment this page is a wonderful place to get a good overview of each of the phases of healing:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htm Hope to hear you will be able to follow all the informative links and complete your readings in the next couple of days.
This "Disc Disease" DVD is a wonderful way to help other family members understand and even others who might be around or taking care of Ollie:
www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htmWe anxiously await hearing you either called the ER vet or got in touch with your own vet to get that pain fully in control with more aggressive use of pain meds. And also that Ollie's stomach is protected with Pepcid AC.
Never give up, stay focused, stay postitive and stay strong! You and Ollie will get through this bump in the road of life with your new found IVDD self education.
