marc
New Member
Posts: 2 
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Post by marc on May 2, 2013 9:43:57 GMT -7
Hi everyone,
Our 12 year old Bichon Frise has been diagnosed with IVDD (symptoms were very sudden). We have been crating him for 10 days and intend to continue for up to 8 weeks. He is no longer on pain medication but still uses anti-inflammatories (Metacam). The following are his initial symptoms and where he is at now:
Before:
- not wagging his tail
- not being able to lift himself up except for half a second at a time...and then his back legs would wobble alot
- not being able to have bowel or bladder movements
- trembling
- not having any energy
- not interested in eating or drinking
Now:
- wagging his tail
- not trembling
- has normal bladder movements and bowel is every two days
- having lots of energy
- is able to stand but wobbly when he pees
- drinks and eats normally
With that said, we have a few questions that we're hoping someone could answer:
1) How long should he be on anti-inflammatories (Metacam)? Should he be tapered gradually?
2) Our dog tends to get very restless in his wire cage, standing more than we'd like him to and whining to get out. Some sites speak of muscle relaxants to calm them down. Any opinions on this?
3) How do you know when your dog is ready to start doing more physical exercises (ie: how do we know if he's ready at 7 weeks or if he needs more than 8 weeks)?
As hard as it is to see him like this, we're trying to be as optimistic as we can. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Post by Pauliana on May 2, 2013 11:19:17 GMT -7
Hi Marc, welcome to Dodgerslist! you are off to a great start using 8 weeks of crate rest to help Youpi heal from his disc episode. You can see that it's working with his improving condition. I would wait for the entire 8 weeks before returning him to gradual activity. When that time comes this link has lots of tips: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmAsk your Vet about starting a taper of the Metacam. During the taper you watch for signs of pain, such as yelping, tight hard tummy, shivering, reluctance to move. If that happens you return to the original dose and start the taper again later. It sounds to me like he is ready for the taper. ➤➤ PEPCID AC - NSAIDs PEPCID AC The FDA and manufacturer pkg insert indicate gastrointestinal problems are side effects of using NSAIDs. The natural defenses of the stomach to shield against stomach acid is hindered when taking NSAIDs. Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation, can occur at any time, with or without warning symptoms. Phrase the question to your vet this particular way:" Is there a medical/health reason for my dog not take Pepcid?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in stomach protection by giving doxies 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the NSAID. Pepcid is generally considered a safe-over-the-counter suppressor of stomach acid production for a healthy dog and good insurance. Dogs don't speak up at first signs of trouble like a person would. By the time we notice black or red blood in the stools, things can quickly go from bleeding ulcers to a life threatening perforated stomach. We ask that all members read about each med their dog is on or may take as a safety measure. This directory is in alpha order: www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htmwww.dodgerslist.com/neurocorner2/stomachProtection.htmIf Youpi is standing too much in his crate please read the 2nd paragraph in the link at the end of this paragraph, Tamara explains about lowering the crate roof to prevent standing and this also works to help calm the dog. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htmWhining and barking are behavior problems. Watch when you reward (petting, treats, talking to him, giving eye contact, ). Those rewards should only be given when he is quiet or doing something you approve of. Otherwise you can be inadvertently training for unwanted behaviors. If he is behaving and quiet reward with a "good boy!l" or a treat. Clicker training: www.clickerlessons.com/clicker.htmIt also helps to move the crate to the rooms you spend the most time in and also give him a view of outside to help fight boredom. There are ways to make it less miserable. There are wheeled carts at the hardware store to put the crate on, so your dog can have a change of scenery. We had a crate or ex pen recovery suite in the 3 rooms we spent the most time in and that way Tyler didn't get as bored. Using any oral calmer in combination with a Pheromone diffuser seems to work best to help relax a dog. It takes several days for these to start working - it isn't immediate but they are a much better option if you can avoid heavy duty prescription sedatives. Farnum's Comfort Zone with D.A.P. www.petcomfortzone.com/dogs.html [pheromone diffuser] with one oral calmer from below: Oral calmers: 1) ANXITANE® S chewable tabs contain 50 mg L-Theanine, an amino acid that acts neurologically to help keep dogs calm, relaxed www.virbacvet.com/products/detail/anxitane-l-theanine-chewable-tablets/behavioral-health 2) Composure Soft Chews are colostrum based like calming mother's milk and contain 21 mg of L-Theanine. www.vetriscience.com/composure-soft-dogs-MD-LD.php [Composure] 3) Rescue Remedy is a liquid herb combo to help with relaxation www.bachrescueremedypet.comI hope Youpi continues to improve day by day.. |
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marc
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by marc on May 16, 2013 9:50:55 GMT -7
Hi Paulina,
Thank you for your support and all of your input. It's now been 3.5 weeks of crating and he's no longer on any type of medication. His bowel movements are daily (90% of the time) and he doesn't seem to wobble as much when peeing. He doesn't have any symptoms of pain. We were able to lower the crate roof like it was explained in Tamara's post. He seems calmer now. We've also been moving the crate around so he's able to be with us most of the time. While he seems to be accepting the crate a little more, he still has moments where he really wants to get out. He'll be standing for long periods of time. Is this bad? Does this push back his recovery? Should we start using muscle relaxants?
Once again, thank you for everything. He seems to be going in the right direction so far! This site has definitely helped with his recovery.
Marc
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 16, 2013 18:53:58 GMT -7
The standing is fine as long as he seems to be comfortable. Sometimes they won't lay down because it's painful so just be sure you consider that and evaluate. They do get bored and tired of being in one position so they'll sit or stand sometimes. If he's not being rambunctious and doesn't seem to be standing to avoid discomfort then it's ok if he stands.
Muscle relaxants are for painful muscle spasms...generally at the beginning of the disc episode. If he doesn't seem to be in pain then no need for muscle relaxants. If you are thinking of something to calm him (relaxants) then you can pick up herbal calming remedies as most pet stores. Some take a few days to build to full potency. Whether you use these or not is up to you. How often are his "moments" when he really wants to get out and what is his behavior during this time? If his behavior is something that could hurt his back then it would be beneficial to help keep him more relaxed in his crate.
Glad things are progressing so well. You're almost half way done!!!
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