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Post by Sharelyn & Penny on Jul 11, 2014 17:32:47 GMT -7
Hi!
1st let me say, I could not have managed our little Lady Penelope's (aka Penny to her friends) IVDD episode with out this website,and the support of IVDD Dachshund Support Australia... Thank you very much, we have learned almost everything we needed here... from how to set up her recovery suite, to what to expect etc...
Penny is a 6yr old smooth mini dachshund, who was very active pre-injury- we also have a puppy Gidget 11 months, also a mini. We live just outside Sydney Australia.
We are 12 wks post op for a large rupture on T12- The surgeon said her disc exploded. Surgery went well, and currently her status is No DPS, and she is still incontinent. We take her to acupuncture weekly, which has really helped Pennys recovery he also does laser treatment. We do home physio with her at least once a day, but mainly twice a day. (including trying to walk over low sticks.... LOL) We see a professional animal physiotherapist once a week, where she checks Penny progress and puts her on a whole body vibrator for exercises. We put her in our tiny bathtub and march her up and down it once a week... not sure it helps, 'cause our tub is so tiny.... It is winter here, so going to the local lake for water therapy is too cold- but Penny did love to swim.... Penny takes Ester C, Rosehip Vital Canine and a supplement the acupuncturist gives us. Just FYI both Dr's are over hour and a half away for us.... . When not supervised, Penny is still in her small pen enclosure, and sleeps there at night. I don't want to put her and Gidget together for sleeping till Penny regains her continence but they miss each other.
Last week our physio said Penny was "spinal walking" (aka Spinal Locomotion) which I have learned means her back legs are automatically following her front legs in a sort of body memory way.... she still does not know where her feet are....she has *no* idea... and has adapted. She is pretty good at it! Noodly, but really gets around. I have ordered little boots for her rear feet to provide her with some extra traction as well, as our floor is slippery for her.
Our physio thinks this *could* be the best Penny gets, as nearly 12 wks post op, most improvement is seen in the 1st 6-12 wks. Of course she did go onto say, she didn't want to be discouraging, but for us to be aware of the reality, and that Penny *may* get some more improvement over time, and she no idea if her bladder/bowel control will come back at all....
I have looked at your video on spinal walking and read the posts here on it, but I want some advise.
Should we be looking at putting Penny in wheels? Is it too soon?
What signs should we look for to know it is *time* .....
Will wheels help her, or hinder her in re-building her nerve pathways....
If she currently has no DPS (and most comments I read say if she doesn't have any by now, it is *unlikely* but still possible for her to get some) I am cognisant of the fact that she is very adaptable and will adjust quickly to her new normal...... I don't want to do anything that will impair or delay her maximum chance of recovery. If we put her in wheels, does she have a chance of getting out of them?
We are a bit confused on what our next steps should be... and of course we would do pretty much anything for our little friend. Can you point us in the right direction?
thank you for your time and again, for the excellent resource of this website,
Sharelyn
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Post by Cindi & Kytt on Jul 11, 2014 20:20:52 GMT -7
Sharelyn,
One of my IVDD puppers, Oscar, remained paralyzed after surgery. He did spinal walk for a period of time, but he returned to dragging. I did order an Eddie's cart for him, and he was able to zoom around in it. What you don't want is for Penny to develop drag sores which can be an issue for paralyzed puppers. Oscar was primarily in his cart when he was outside as I have tile in my house, and he was able to scoot around without friction. I don't remember how long it was post-surgery that I ordered the cart, but it wasn't that long after surgery. He never did regain DPS.
I tried the boots on him and drag bags, but they didn't work too well for him, and actually slowed him down. You just have to give these things a go and see what works best for Penny.
I sure do wish your Penny all the best!
Cindi and Keeghan
Edited to add: I don't think the cart would hinder the possibility of walking. You can still continue all of your PT, acupuncture, laser etc. Also, with the cart we had, I could take Oscar's legs off the support bar and that would have allowed him to "walk" in his cart if he had been able.
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Jul 12, 2014 7:32:54 GMT -7
Sharelyn, when my Jeremy had surgery three year ago, I was also told that there would be little to no more improvement three months after surgery. At that point, Jeremy had regained DPS but he could hardly stand up, much less walk. Three months after I was told that he had obtained most of the improvement that he would, he was walking. I continued to see improvements more than a year afterwards. He never did regain complete bladder or bowel control though usually that comes back before they're able to walk. Jeremy had a cart three months post op and he adjusted to it wonderfully. I got the larger wheels for him so he could go right into the ocean with it and run on the sand. When I wanted him to try to move his legs, I would adjust the back so his feet just touched the ground. When I let him run fast, I would put his feet up in the stirrups. He left that cart behind in three months and walked on his own. I actually felt that sling walking helped him regain his footing better than a cart did. With the sling, I was able to let him have more pressure on his feet or less, according to the terrain and how he was doing. I continued doing PT with him three times a day for at least 6-8 months following the surgery. We did acupuncture for a few months. I used to sling walk him along the edge of the ocean shore to get some water therapy. He goes into the water even if it's 30 degrees out! The cart will not hinder the possibility of walking. Some people feel that as long as a dog can get from one place to the other in a cart, they won't try to walk. But the cart isn't for all day, just for a short period of time. And it gives them the freedom of movement that they love. Some people feel it's a great rehab tool and will encourage walking. Here are some tips to look for in a cart: www.dodgerslist.com/links/cart.htmAlso please know that it can be difficult even for a specialist to detect deep pain sensation. Is there any movement at all in Penelope's feet or legs? Never give up - nerves can take so very long to heal but heal they can! Prayers for a full recovery for Penelope. |
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Post by Sharelyn & Penny on Jul 12, 2014 22:09:49 GMT -7
Thank you both for your insights... I really appreciate knowing how others have managed and it gives me a good idea of the wide range and variety of individual solutions.... I think I will look into getter her a cart, it obviously can't hurt her, and from comments may even help stabilise her rear legs. Much appreciated.
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