Michelle's Lucy 4/27 Surgery

Can you tell me which one you have. Is it the 2 piece ramp. That's the only one that looks tall enough.

Thanks. I will contact them. Looking at ramps this looks the best!

Oh MY! Scratching behind the ears is a HUGE milestone (one that my Goosie was never able to regain). Little Lucy may have more surprises for you in the future! :-) ~Lisa

It is amazing how much Lucy's recovery sounds similar to Cleo's, she also moves her legs while in the sling on pavement and then just gives up in the grass. You are right though, all it takes is time, thank you for your great attitude, it is inspiring.

Michelle, clearly Lucy has some neuro function going on there!! I bet she will continue to improve and strengthen. I look forward to your next update! Best wishes, ~Lisa

Seven inches is a big drop...too big. Try asking around to people you know to see if anyone is handy with woodworking. You just might find someone that could make you ramps. If you find someone that has the saws and enjoys woodworking just show them a picture of a dog ramp and tell them how high your bed is. Once it's made you can buy a carpet runner or a piece of carpet you like from any store that sells it to glue to the ramp and there's your ramp for likely much cheaper. One idea for one for your bed is the type with a little landing type area at the top then the ramp can sit against the foot of your bed or along one side. Beds are generally much higher than other furniture so the ramp has to be quite long to avoid a steep angle and if they can't sit against the bed they stick out into the room quite a ways. Another idea...if she isn't capable of getting on the bed without help never leave her on it unless you are around...she can't jump up and won't be there to jump down because you'll lift her. Problem solved, you don't need a ramp for the bed.

5 days left!!!!!!  Lucy is out of doggy jail Saturday!! We are all ready with ramps and an exercise pen for when I am not home. I read the link on how to slowly introduce Lucy back.  I think I'm ready.

Lucy is not quite walking (she does with her sling just not without) but she does take some steps and can definitely stand on her own. She stands to eat, scratches behind her ear and tries to run after the neighbors cat. All good things. I've been thinking about getting her a cart until she gets some strength back but I think I will hold off. We have increased her water therapy to twice a week so we will see how that goes for a while.

Today is graduation day!!!! I am sitting on the floor right now with Lucy. She is having her first 10 minutes of supervised freedom and loving it!!! Because she has been having regular PT with about 10 minutes of hydro therapy 2 days a week and about 3-4 5-10 minute sling walks  a day, I think I can skip the "hall walks".  She is doing great.  She walks but a bit like a " drunken sailor" - but she walks!!!

  I have wood and tile floor every where so keeping her from slipping is a bit of a challenge. I ordered her the "toe grips".  Hopefully that will work.  For now we have the house decorated specially for Lucy.  There are rug grips scattered every where.  They work really good but she still manages to find those bare spots.  I am afraid of her slipping and hurting her back again. 

Funny you said that. I was just thinking the other day how difficult this would have been in the winter.  If the toe grips work I will let you know. They are only $30. Much cheaper than covering my entire apt with the rug grips - safer to I imagine.

I was just reading your post dated May 2 at 7:41 pm and just wanted to let you know that my dachshund, Daphne does a jerky movement too, but only when she is going to sleep.  I took a video and posted it on You Tube so I could provide a link to the moderators here.  I have shown the video to her surgeon and the acupuncturist and neither one knows why she is doing it and don't seem concerned.  To me it seems like muscle spasms.  She uses her front legs differently than she did before this all happened and I think she over uses those muscles and that's why she does it?  I am not sure, never did get an answer.  She is still doing it after her second surgery, thought maybe it would stop.  Anyway, parts of your story sounds quite a bit like what I went through with Daphne.  She tore up her under pads in her crate once she was feeling better, guess she didn't want them in there anymore!  Congrats on Graduation from crate rest!!  Hang in there, things will get better, keep up the good work.  
this is the link that has the video of Daphne and the jerky movement, it is on the posting dated April 14   dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/243/ticker-maries-daphne-12-conservative%C2%A0    Is it the same kind of jerky movement your doxie was/is doing?  P.S.  Your Lucy is adorable, love the photo.

I have a question - lucy has been off of crate rest for 3 weeks now.  She is walking and doing great.  I think I am the only one who sees she is not quite walking perfect - that's how good she is doing.  She stumbles but only on grass.

 Here is my question - I work all day and only come home for lunch to give Lucy a potty break.  I notice that since she has been given more freedom she HATES her eX pen.  I have a kennel but only use that for sleeping.  I notice that she is now moving her ex pen around because when I get home the pen is "tweaked".  I think she is jumping up on it and moving it.  Of course I am so scared she is hurting her back.  I am giving her calming aids but they don't work. I hesitate to put her in the kennel because I think 8 hrs with only a 30 minute potty break is too long.  I am thinking of letting her go free when I am at work.  She uses her ramp for the couch just fine but she does jump to the chair next to the couch and then jumps up on the back of the chair to bark out the window.  I can't move the chair because my apt is so small.  I am just thinking that she is hurting herself by jumping up on the crate - maybe at this point it is better to let her go free.

any thought or ideas???

You could try to use a furniture blocker to keep her from jumping up on the chair - there are instructions for making them on this site. We use baby gates to keep our dogs out of rooms that we don't want them partying in when we aren't home - maybe that would help. Thanks for letting me know how well the toegrips worked - we are still waiting for them to arrive (Canada) Stevie slips so easily on our wood and tile floors - even with the rugs I've got scattered around she still finds a bare spot to wipe out in, that was how she hurt herself the second time (5weeks out of crate rest from her first IVDD episode in January - talk about slings and potty time in the winter)
Could you use the expen like a barricade to keep her away from areas like the chair??
She sounds like a real dynamo

They help alot - keeping them on is a bit of a problem for us, but they sure make a difference

You will see by Googling that gabapentin as most drugs do has adverse side effects. So it is not good to use them unless there is a benefit.

We have never heard or read about gabapentin having the benefit of helping nerves regenerate. We have witnessed and it is in the literature that it helps with the type of phantom pain associated with a spinal cord injury. A disc episode causes damage to the spinal cord. Does he have a reference to gabapentin for nerve regeneration? Do your own research as usual for each med you dog is on or is to be on. And ask lots of question at a vet visit.

Lucy is like a stroke victim with nerve damage. In the morning when the body is fresh it is easier to walk…as the day moves on the body gets tired more easily. The muscles can't control as well. Pretty normal…so time PT type of walks where she is supposed to be practicing the correct form of walking when her body is not tired out.

Walking on different textures such as grass, sand, up a hill, down a hill and across a help to strengthen and teach the nerves and muscles to better coordinate. We see dogs all the time improving even up to and past a year.