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Post by Lauren & Sadie on Jul 10, 2014 12:47:01 GMT -7
My Sadie injured her back on 7/7/2014. She was acting weird on Monday night. My Mom let her out around 4:00 pm to use the bathroom and she came in and went straight to her crate which she usually doesn't do but since a storm was coming and she is terrified mom assumed she was just nervous and didn't think too much of it. Mom went to go check on her an hour later and she was panting like crazy, and looking around all weird and very hot so my mom called me and as soon as I got off the interstate I came over. When I got there she wouldn't get up which is not like her, she usually greets me at the door so I knew something was wrong. I finally got her to try and get up and she started crying when she tried to use her back legs and fell, her back legs just quit working, she was panting and crying. So we took her to the emergency Vet on call. We were a nervous wreck at this point, the vet examined her wobbly, drunken walk and determined that this was in fact neurological and and probably a disc. She pinched her toes and determined that she did have deep pain sensation and then did some x-rays. She also gave us some prednisone. We decided to take Sadie home with us because we felt she would feel safer with her family and recover easier. The vet told us if it became too much to bring her back in and they would take care of her. Sadie is a hound mix and weighs in at around 55lbs so keeping her in her crate was easy but when she needed to go to the bathroom was hard because carrying her is not easy for me or my mother and my mother primarily would be taking care of her. We took her home though and tried that night, I took off work the next day to help out and in the end decided this was not going to work so we packed Sadie in the car and took her to the vet. When we arrived at the vet the Doctor who examined her the night before was luckily there and grabbed us before we could leave and informed us Sadie had lost deep pain sensation and we really needed to get her to surgery if she ASAP so we did. We drove 2 hours going 90 to get her there. Sadie had her surgery on 7/8/2014, 2 days ago. The surgery lasted 4 hours and they determined she had multiple disc fragments between L1 and L2 and a massive bruise over it also. She has been recovering very well they say when they call to update us, unfortunately we had to come back home and haven't been able to see her yet. She has not regained deep pain sensation, and is still cathed. They said that her appetite is coming back and she seems very happy.
Ever since this all began I have been a wreck and looking for answers everywhere and trying to learn anything and everything I can about what has happened to her. Your website has been wonderful and is giving me hope for her recovery. Every time they call and tell me no change in her deep pain sensation I just cry. I want more than anything for my girl to be up and back to normal. Unlike most of these dogs that I have read about Sadie is quite a bit bigger so I pray that is not going to work against her. Any advice any of you have is greatly appreciated as you can tell I am a wreck and very new to all of this.
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Jul 10, 2014 13:12:08 GMT -7
Welcome to Dodgerslist. My name's Marjorie - what's yours? Please let your dog know with your utmost confidence that things are going to be ok…because they will. 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. Here's the link www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htmIt takes 2-4 weeks for the swelling to resolve after surgery. Improvements often happen after that timeframe. Don't be discouraged, it's still very, very early in her recovery. Answers about IVDD Surgery: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/surgery.htm Dr Isaacs' says: "I also advise that at 2-4 weeks we are not seeing the end result of the healing process - this typically does not occur for 6-12 months and in some cases even longer." Nerve regeneration: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htm"Thousands of dogs on Dodgerslist have regained functions in as little as 2 weeks, others 11 months, and still others 3 years later. IVDD is a disease of patience to allow the body to heal on its own terms". If Sadie's bladder control has not returned by the time she is released from the hospital, you will need a hands on your hands demonstration on how to express her bladder before you leave the hospital. Be sure you understand how to do that before you leave. Here is our information on expressing for you to review before your lesson: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm Here's Dodgerslist page about what to expect discharge day. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/surgery.htm#dischargeHere is a list of questions to ask on discharge day, too. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htmAlso these two pages would be helpful for you to read: www.dodgerslist.com/literature.htmwww.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsurgery.htmBe sure to get her recovery suite ready for the homecoming. Here are some links to show you how: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm www.dodgerslist.com/literature/EmergencyCrate%20Training.htmAcupuncture and laser light therapy are helpful treatments that can be very beneficial to assist with re-establishment of nerve connections in the body and usually can be started right away. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingacupuncture.htmAlso water therapy can be performed after the stitches/sutures are removed. Some of these exercises can be done right in the bathtub. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/watertherapy.htmSadie will be on crate rest after she comes home - we usually see 6 weeks of crate rest prescribed. If your crate is wire, you can get castor wheels to put on it so you can wheel Sadie outside down a ramp over steps to her potty area. Or keep her crate near the door to make it easier to get her out. Or put some dirt on a deck for her to do her business. Or use layers of pee pads underneath her in her crate and remove one each time it's dirty. You can convert a wire crate to open from the top: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies/cratetopconvert.pdfIt took several days for my Jeremy's deep pain sensation to return after his surgery and months before there was any movement in his feet at all. But within 6 months following surgery, he was walking and I saw improvements in his walking for well over a year after surgery. Please don't despair. IVDD is not a death sentence. Many dogs regain use of their legs and even if they don't, their lives can be happy ones. www.dodgerslist.com/index/SDUNCANquality.htmPlease let us know what medication, crate rest and PT instructions are given at discharge. Now take a big breath and get some rest. Sadie has come through her surgery and now she's on her way to healing. We're here for you and Sadie and will help you through this. Prayers for a full recovery for Sadie. |
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Post by Lauren & Sadie on Jul 11, 2014 8:56:36 GMT -7
Hi Marjorie, My name is Lauren and I would like to thank you so much for all of the information that you provided. We have printed everything out and are making ourselves familiar with it all. The doctor called this morning with an update and informed us Sadie is still doing good and very comfortable and that they would be taking her catheter out sometime today. We are hoping and praying she will be able to use the bathroom on her own, but we are making ourselves prepared to manually express her bladder if need be. We have read over the information given on this and have also been watching some youtube videos. We are going to see her tomorrow which lifts all of our spirits because without her being around us, we are not complete. This will be our first time seeing her since her surgery on Tuesday, since we live over 2 hours away. I do appreciate this site so much and am so thankful for finding it. Thank you for your help and encouragement. I do wonder if there are any people on here who have dogs around the same size as mine (55lbs) who have had this situation that would mind sharing their story? I am just curious if outcomes are different based on size or breed, does anyone know this answer? Ok, that is all for now. Thanks again and I will update her progress when I know more.
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Sabrina
Helpful Member 
My Charley-dog, a Dodger'sList grad enjoying life!
Posts: 471
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Post by Sabrina on Jul 11, 2014 11:30:37 GMT -7
Hi Lauren, I'm Sabrina. I'm so happy to hear that Sadie's surgery went well and that she's resting comfortably! Nerve healing is different for every dog - the great thing is that there is no "expiration date" for nerve regeneration! Thousands of dogs on Dodgerslist have regained functions in as little as 2 weeks, others 11 months, and still others 3 years later. IVDD is a disease of patience to allow the body to heal on its own terms. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htmLike Marjorie said, with Sadie's size you'll want to have a plan for potty times so as to limit her movement while healing. Let us know how things are going - we are here to support you as you care for Sadie! ))Hugs!(( |
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