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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 1, 2013 21:31:16 GMT -7
Hello my name is Donna and Ally is my 11yo dapple dachshund. Last Thursday morning Ally sneezed, yelped, and fell over. It was very apparent Ally could not move and was in great pain. A quick trip to the vet and news was not good. Only her left rear leg responded when stretched and all paws only responded to deep pain stimulus. She did wag her tail when she saw me or heard me talking. Ally was given a pain shot, a steroid shot, and a laser treatment. She was prescribed Tramadol 50mg 1/2 tab x 2 and Methocarbamol 500mg 1/4 tab x 3. Ally received additional laser treatments Friday and Saturday with no improvement. I give her liquids orally with a syringe and hand feed her wet food. She has been able to pee and poop on her own, I turn her every hour or so, and I am doing passive rom to keep her muscles stimulated. Ally was given Baytril 22.7mg 1 1/2 tabs and Zyrtec 1/2 tab daily due to sneezing out huge amounts of mucus. Ally makes no sound, has quit wagging her tail, and she looks at me with her big brown eyes wanting me to make it all better. We have an appointment with a surgeon in the morning for an evaluation and I feel positive he will want to do immediate surgery. I am so worried and so stressed re the surgery, the location of her injury, her age, as well as the outcome of the surgery. I have read mixed reviews and I would like to know your thoughts and any questions I should ask the surgeon tomorrow. I discovered your site while doing research and the caring support you show has been a blessing to me. |
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Post by natureluva on Apr 2, 2013 6:15:03 GMT -7
Hi Donna, welcome to Dodger's List! We're glad you found us. Glad to hear you'll be taking Ally to a specialist this morning. The specialist will help you determine whether Ally is healthy enough to undergo surgery and whether surgery is necessary. If the specialist thinks surgery is not an option, then you would do conservative treatment which is 8 weeks of strict crate rest (this is what heals the disc) plus meds to reduce inflammation and mask the pain. If conservative treatment is recommended, it will be necessary for Ally to be given an anti-inflammatory, most likely a steroid, to reduce the inflammation that the disc is causing on the spinal cord. It is this pressure on the spinal cord that causes the nerve damage (loss of bladder control, loss of tail wagging ability, loss of leg movement). Right now, Ally is only on pain meds, as the steroid injection likely has worn off. You will need to determine whether Ally has lost bladder control (Is she having accidents in her crate? Does she squirt urine when picked up?). If she has lost bladder control, you will need to manually express her bladder 4 to 6 times per day until control returns. Expressing is easy, but takes practice. Whether Ally has surgery or you go the conservative route, if she does not have bladder control, ask your vet for a HANDS ON expressing demonstration. Have your vet place your hands on Ally's bladder and express urine right there in front of the vet so he/she can check your work. Here is a link to help you: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm Acupuncture and laser light therapy are excellent complementary treatments for IVDD. They both stimulate the nerves to heal and reduce pain and inflammation, and acupuncture has the additional bonus of inducing a state of well-being. These treatments can begin asap, as long as you can safely transport your dog to and from the appointments (crated). You can ask your vet for a referral to a holistic vet that does acupuncture and laser light therapy, or you can search for one in your area here: www.holisticvetlist.com/ The best way for you to help Ally is by learning about her disease. Here is a brief tutorial on IVDD: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/index.html . If a dvd is more your style, we have an excellent one available for only $3 including shipping. It's great to have on hand to show to family/friends/petsitters so they will know what they can and cannot do with your dog and how they can help: www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htm Here is a link to help you with conservative treatment: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/conservative.htm And here is a link to help you regarding surgery: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/surgery.htm I know this is a scary time, but knowledge will give you power. Try to learn all you can about what is going on with Ally and you will feel more confident about making decisions regarding treatment. IVDD is a very treatable disease. We have helped over 4,000 IVDD dogs and their owners here, so you are in good company. Please feel free to ask any questions that may pop up. Please let us know how the specialist appointment goes today. Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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Pat & Clarita
New Member
8/28 conserv, 2 prior surgeries
Posts: 81 
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Post by Pat & Clarita on Apr 2, 2013 14:54:30 GMT -7
Hi Donna, You are in good hands with these folks at Dodgers.. they have helped me and my Granddog through a tough time and they will get you through this stressful time. They know more than the Vets as they have guided so many of us through it. Hang in there! Pat
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 2, 2013 19:50:46 GMT -7
Hi Lisa thanks for your response. Ally and I met with the surgeon this morning to discuss our options and we decided surgery was the only chance she had for recovering any voluntary movement. All four paws still responded to deep pain and she was still peeing and pooing on her own. Unfortunately Ally was showing signs of depression and was refusing to eat so she went to surgery this afternoon. The surgeon removed quite a bit of disc material and he believes her chances of walking on her own are better than 50%. I have checked out some of the links you suggested and found them very helpful. I will keep you updated.
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 2, 2013 19:55:07 GMT -7
Thank you for your words of support Pat. I really appreciate it.
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Post by Pauliana on Apr 2, 2013 20:47:47 GMT -7
Donna,
Praying for Ally and sending her healing wishes and prayers over the miles. Will be watching for an update..
Glad you checked out the links.. The more you know about IVDD, the better it is for Ally and her recovery..
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Post by Nancy & Polly on Apr 2, 2013 21:29:46 GMT -7
Wishing you courage!
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Post by natureluva on Apr 3, 2013 18:10:41 GMT -7
Hi Donna, thanks for the update. I'm so glad to hear Ally made it through the surgery. Here is a list a discharge questions that you may want to ask the surgeon when you take Ally home: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htm My dog was very depressed while at the vet's and was also refusing food. It was because he was nervous/anxious and missed his family. Plus he had just gone through a major surgery and the meds can sometimes affect their personalities. However, when I showed up at the vet's and held him and gave him his favorite treats, he gobbled them right up. We follow what the most knowledgeable IVDD surgeons recommend for post-op care, and that is 6 weeks of crate rest. The dog is allowed out for potty breaks and for whatever physical therapy the vet recommends. If within your budget, acupunture and laser therapy can begin anytime (the sooner the better) to help rev up Ally's recovery. Be aware that some dogs' neurological functions worsen after surgery due to post-op swelling. The swelling takes about 2 weeks to go down and then many owners see improvement. If Ally does not have bladder control, remember to watch the expressing video that I posted to you earlier and get a HANDS ON lesson from the vet on how to express her bladder. You will need to do that 4 to 6 times per day until control returns. We look forward to hearing how her recovery goes. Please let us know. Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 3, 2013 19:44:09 GMT -7
Hi all, great news today. Ally got an awesome post op report today. She is able to move all four paws, when put in a sitting position she could help support herself for a couple of minutes and actually drank a bit of water from a bowl, and was able to put some pressure on her legs when held up to potty. I am so excited and very optimistic about her recovery. Donna
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Post by Linda Stowe on Apr 4, 2013 14:39:22 GMT -7
Donna, be sure and keep us updated on Ally. Do you know when she'll be coming home?
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 16, 2013 22:07:26 GMT -7
Hi all, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. My enet was down for the last couple of weeks. Ally had a great 10 report and she goes for another visit on the 26th. Ally's right side is weak but she supports her upper body very well. She turns over without a problem, crawls in short bursts, and has made it to a standing several times for about a nano second each time. Ally has also shown some signs of depression which the vet assures me is normal and will likely subside as she gains more independence. I keep her meals tasty, work on pt and massages every day and will start doing hydro therapy this week. I will keep you updated on Ally's progress. Donna
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on Apr 17, 2013 13:06:10 GMT -7
Donna, that is good new about being able to move up into a standing position!
Is she on any meds at this point in time?
How are you doing with expressing, does she stay dry in between sessions? OR are you seeing a degree of bladder control coming back? The only way for us humans to know if there is bladder control is with the sniff and pee test. Carry outdoors, set on an old pee spot to sniff it. See if urine is then released. Make sure the sling or your hands are not on the tummy area as that can press on the bladder. If urine comes out bladder control is returning. You should do a quick express check to verify there is full voiding until you are certain it is consistently happening. Let us know what you observe.
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 27, 2013 21:21:33 GMT -7
Ally is beginning to walk and getting stronger every day. Great vet report. She goes back in two weeks and if all continues to improve she will be released from his care. We are so thankful for your thoughts and support.
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Post by natureluva on Apr 28, 2013 6:54:57 GMT -7
Donna, Ally has had an excellent result from her surgery. You must be very excited! We follow what the most knowledgeable Board Certified neurosurgeons recommend for post-op care, and that is 6 weeks of crate rest. However, the dog is allowed out for whatever physical therapy is recommended (often includes controlled walks) plus potty breaks. After the 6 weeks of crate rest are done, the dog is slowly reintroduced into activities. Here's a link to help you with that: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm Congratulations on Ally's successful surgery! Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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Post by dachiegirl on Apr 28, 2013 19:35:02 GMT -7
Hi Lisa. Yes we are very excited at Ally's continued success. A donated playpen has become her recovery suite and she is quite content at this time. I will post another update after her next check-up. Donna
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Post by dachiegirl on May 20, 2013 10:54:17 GMT -7
Hi all,
Here is our wonderful news on Ally. All vet check ups are complete. Ally is walking almost as good as new. She still has some weakness in her right front leg and she wobbles some but she gets stronger every day.. Ally has the freedom of whatever room we are in but we are still putting her in the playpen when are not there to keep and eye on her. She lets us know when she want to go out and can potty on her own. Ally has always been such an active little doxie and it is so good to see the progress she makes every day. Thank you so much for your support and info. You have helped make this journey a bit better for all of us. I hope Ally's recovery provides encouragement to others who also face this challenge.
Donna
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