Dr. Mahaly at Slidell Vet in Slidell, LA recommended we take Hershie, dachshund, to South Paws Vet immediately upon seeing her x-rays.
Hershie had neck pain, x-ray revealed no disc space in several places. Dr. George Edwards examined her on a Thursday, prescribed pain relief meds and steriods after her Metacam washout, 100% crate rest. She showed pain but had all limbs working. Despite crate rest, on Saturday morning Hershie worsened. She was seen emergency on early Saturday morning, they added Gabapentin. By Monday, Hershie was still in pain and not right. Upon detailed consultation, we all decided it was best to surgically treat Hershie by removing the disc matter that was pressing on her spinal cord. Everyone at South Paws was wonderful, compassionate and thoroughly explained each step of this new and scary process to us. We knew Hershie was in good hands. After surgery, we were updated that evening by the doctor and every evening the night nurse called and told us they would not leave her alone and would keep her comfortable all night, so I could sleep. Hershie will receive her PT there and we know we have compassionate vets to care for our doxies if needed.
Mandeville, Louisiana
South Paws Veterinary Specialties
2631 North Causeway Blvd
Mandeville, Louisiana 70471
985-809-1590
www.SouthPawsVetSpecialists.comMonday - Friday 8am - 5pm office hours, 24 hour answering service patched me thru in emergency immediately
Date of Surgery: 6/4/2015
Cost: $2,936.85
Included pre-op tests, complete antibiotic shot, MRI, IV, anesthesia, 3 day 2 night level 3 hospitalization, surgery, pain meds, surgery recheck, removal of stitches, additional tramadol for home, PT consult for underwater treadmill and possible laser light therapy at incision site, consultation IVDD 101, call any time to talk to a vet tech or vet to answer any questions!
Discharge Instructions Summary
IVDD strict confinement 4 weeks, potty outside on a sling, harness to prevent sudden movement
Exercises: Passive Range of Motion- flex limbs 20-30 times, 2xs daily, mini massages
Cold Therapy: cold packs 15-20 min twice daily first 5 days
Heat Therapy: warm 10-15 minutes twice daily (don't burn pet or leave unattended with heat)
Medications: Continue Tramadol and Diazapam as previously described for next 7-10 days
Gradually taper Prednisone as prescribed
Diet: Feed as normal, post op may need canned food, chicken broth, bland chicken and rice to encourage eating, if pet doesn't eat for 3 days contact vet for instructions.
Incision Site: Monitor for signs of swelling, redness, pus- call vet. Do not let pet lick/chew, etc. If occurs, call vet. Staples can be removed in 14 days at South Paws or regular vet.
Bathroom: Take pet out 4-5 times a day. Do NOT allow to roam free, on lead at all times. If pet has not defecated after day 4, call vet. (I added a tsp of canned pumpkin. No problems.)
4 Week Follow up- schedule appointment with surgeon (we will discuss activity level resuming new normal)
Doctor's Comments for Hershie:
"Hershie is doing well post-op. All neck pain can take 2-3 weeks to resolve completely; however, Hershie is much more comfortable already. She does still have mild neurological deficits to the left forelimb. You should see slow and steady improvement though over the next 2-4 weeks. Be patient with her progress, as neurological injuries take time to recover from. I strongly recommend controlled physical therapy here at South Paws. Her prognosis remains good. In the future, neck leads and collars are not recommended and should be avoided. A well fitting harness should be used instead. Thank you for coming to South Paws! Please call with any questions or concerns.
George Edwards, DVM, Surgical Resident, Practice Limited to Small Animal Surgery"
The Director of the Hospital (Robert Hancock, DVM, MS, DACVS), Surgeons, Vet Techs and hospital staff are wonderful. The first visit was less than $200, the emergency Saturday morning visit was only charged for the additional medicine, and surgery was just under $3,000. Thankful, Heidi Weber