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Post by Nancy & Maisy on Jul 16, 2015 14:01:02 GMT -7
Oh, boy. Maisy was spayed this a.m. and she's having lots of post op pain. Thanks to you all, I know to give her .5 mg Pepcid AC before starting her Rimadyl, which the vet just prescribed in addition to the 25 mg Tramadol we started just a bit ago. I was able to come here and re-read my entries on meds to get the correct dosage for the Pepcid, too. Poor little girl. She's not feeling well at all.
My regular vet was understanding of the back issues, knowing Maisy's history and did all of the moving of Maisy herself before and after surgery. She even carried her out to the car and put her in her crate afterwards to minimize movement. What a great vet I've found! And she's at a low cost clinic. She returns my calls right away; so responsive and caring. It makes a world of difference.
Fingers crossed that the Rimadyl/Tram combo will control her pain.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,892
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 16, 2015 16:35:40 GMT -7
Nancy......Ouch! Yes, do hope to hear back Rimadyl/Tramadol have her in comfort. Kudos to you for remembering stomach protection Pepcid AC 5mgs 2x/day. Sounds like you have found a good vet for your doxies.
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Post by Nancy & Maisy on Jan 13, 2016 0:05:14 GMT -7
A little bit of history for starters: Maisy Faye had some sort of disc episode last May. We treated conservatively and she graduated. Her X-rays taken then showed a normal spine with no visible calcification, so there was no diagnosis of IVDD. She turned 2 in October. I'm wondering if it makes sense to have more X- rays done this year to see if there are calcification now, since clinical signs tend to show by the age of three, so that I can know whether she has IVDD. What do you think? It wouldn't change anything; we have ramps galore and are careful with both her and Mowgli (who has been diagnosed with IVDD). I'm just thinking it would be good to know. Thank you!
By the way, we're really enjoying the calendar! |
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Jan 13, 2016 8:49:13 GMT -7
Regular X-rays (radiographs) are good for evaluating bony abnormalities (fractures, infection of the bone, tumors of the bone). A healthy intervertebral disk and spinal cord are not visible on a radiograph because they are soft tissue and not bone. X-rays are usually done to rule out something other than IVDD. To get a good spinal radiograph, usually anesthesia is required. Anesthesia is risky for a dog with IVDD as all core muscles supporting the spine are relaxed. MRI and CT scans are the only definitive way to diagnose IVDD and they're expensive and risky due to anesthesia. MRIs and CT scans are usually only done just prior to surgery. Calcified discs do not necessarily mean that a particular disc is going to rupture. It only means that the dog may have IVDD and this chalky appearance to the discs is only a “normal” part of the abnormal aging process of such a dog’s discs. Read more here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CalcifiedDiscs.htmSo in summary, there would be no reason to x-ray at this point. Just keep doing what you're doing to protect the spine. |
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