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Post by lyonsfamily on May 3, 2013 19:07:55 GMT -7
My name is Jo.
Our Roxie is a few months short of 7 years old. She is one of three mini Doxies that we have, She and my Buddy are long haired and my husband's Lucy is a wire haired mini.
We took her to the vet on Sat,, march 30, 2013. We thought she might have a bowel obstruction because she hadn't pooped. After a brief examination, the vet said she probably had a urinary tract infection and we should walk her around the parking lot and see if we could get a urine sample. We had told the vet about her trembling and her hard stomach, it was as though she was vibrating internally, the way she was trembling.
After we walked her around for over a half hour and got no sample, we were told to go home and feed her some pumpkin to help with the bm. She prescribed antibiotic for the urinary tract infection.
By Monday 4/1/13, we were back at the vet because Roxie couldn't walk. I just knew it was her back but so afraid to get that diagnosis. We had a different vet this time, one of the owners of the practice, she took Xrays, and give the IVDD diagnosis. Surgery starting at about $6,000. No way can we afford that.
We chose Conservative treatment and started crate rest immediately. On Wed. we started with Dexamethasone 1 mg., to be divided in half and given I/2 every morning. We were told to start Pepcid AC 1/2 hour before meals, Roxie got Benedryl, 1/2 tablet which made the dose 12.5 mg. twice a day. We also had an antibiotic, in case she had a urinary infection. We did not take her out for potty breaks, we afraid to move her.
Everything becomes a blur and the records that we thought were so detailed do not tell me when we started the Tramadol. She has received 1/2 of a 50 mg. pill at each mealtime. She had 12.5 mg. of Metronddazole, Cefpodoxine, 1/2 tablet(50mg).
I'm so tired that I can't see straight. I'll post this for now and check tomorrow. Have my daughter re-read it and see what I missed. Roxie is beginning her 5th week of crate rest. She pottys by having a support under her tummy to support her. She moves her left rear leg along with her front legs when she is sniffing around, but not her rear right leg. She wags her tail beautifully.
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Post by Pauliana on May 3, 2013 21:04:41 GMT -7
Hi Jo, welcome to Dodgerslist! Congratulations on getting Roxie through 5 weeks of crate rest so far. How are her pain levels now? It's so wonderful seeing that wagging tail, isn't it? From not being able to walk at all, to being able to move all but one leg, that is some wonderful improvement so far. Here is a link to show you how to lift and carry a Doxie with IVDD. Keep up the strict crate rest for 3 more weeks, 24/7, only out for a very short potty break, so her discs and spine can continue to heal. The medicines that you mentioned above are the ones that Roxie is currently taking? Here is a link to continue your education about IVDD.. www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm. |
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Post by lyonsfamily on May 29, 2013 6:09:04 GMT -7
Hi again, I'm Jo, asking more Qs about conservative treatment.
We have made it through 8 weeks of crate rest. Roxie is still on Dex. 1/2 mg. every other day, and Tramadol 25 mg. morning and evening.
We discovered that the pharmacy cost for Tramadol is about 1/3 the cost of getting the Tram. directly from the vet.
A friend gave us White Crane Formula for back relief, one capsule a.m. and one in the p.m..
We also give her Optimal Pet Hip & Joint Plus. This has Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin and Hyaluronic Acid.
She still get the Pepcid AC before the pills and Benedryl, 1/2 tablet 12/5 mg, morning and afternoon.
I am wondering what to do next. I know the water rehab. is supposed to be helpful, also acupuncture.
We are hurting for cash, like everyone else, right now. I can't just remove her from the crate and say "Now you're on your own". How do folks manage? Roxie can stand, IF she has a surface that she can get a grip on. We have wooden floors, slippery for her. She cannot walk, once she is standing, she will fall over in the back and pull herself along with her front legs.
How do I give her a fuller life? I get tired just watching her try to get around in the crate!
Some ideas, please?
Jo and the Lyons family
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Post by natureluva on May 29, 2013 8:35:59 GMT -7
Hi Jo, we have two excellent links to help you. This one is on how to safeguard your home for the IVDD dog (and your other doxies!): www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htm This link will help you slowly reintroduce Roxie into activities: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm Walmart, Target, and many grocery stores have a generic drug program and you can get a 30-day supply of some drugs for $4 each. Walmart has Tramadol in the correct dosage for our dogs and also Prednisone. Target may have Methocarbamol. So, you can ask the vet for a prescription and take it to the store and have it filled. Just tell them it is for a K9. Here is a Generic Med List: genericmedlist.com/ Is there a reason why she is still on the meds after 8 weeks? Did she show any return of pain while you are tapering the Dex? Here is a link on supplements: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Supplements.htm Be sure to research each ingredient you are giving your dog and get a vet's approval to give. Acupuncture is extremely helpful for IVDD. It stimulates the nerves to heal, reduces pain and inflammation, and induces a state of well-being and serenity. Great stuff. I firmly believe acupuncture helped my Goosie regain his bladder control more quickly, and his movements were stronger after his treatments. These treatments can begin asap, as long as you can safely transport your dog to and from the appointments (crated). You can ask your vet for a referral to a holistic vet that does acupuncture, or you can search for one in your area here: www.holisticvetlist.com/ Water treadmill is very helpful, but can be expensive. If you have access to a pool this summer, get Roxie a well-fitted life jacket and introduce her to swimming. Tempt her around the pool with a treat or toy (my dog loves to swim after frogs in the pool, lol). I swam my dog almost every day for 10 minutes and he was remarkably stronger after only 8 sessions! You can get carpet runners to give Roxie traction in the house. If she is a scooter, you can use a garment to protect her and give her freedom to scoot around: www.k9-carts.com/K9-Carts-Products/protect-a-pet.php OR Ollie’s Cape: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/incontinentdown/Olliecape.pdfA pet stroller is extremely helpful in preventing boredom! You would be amazed at how much mental stimulation dogs get out of stroller rides - makes them feel like they are walking! I still use mine to this day. Only thing is - you can't keep a dog unattended in a stroller: dodgerslist.com/literature/strollers.htm If finances are an issue - look for one in your area on Craig's List. If in the next few weeks, Roxie is still not steadily walking, you may want to order her a cart. Eddie's Wheels is best, but Dogs to Go makes a good cart at a cheaper price. The cart can be used up to 2 hours per day. It will allow Roxie to have freedom for walking outdoors. It will also keep her back safely aligned and allow her legs to be stimulated by touching the ground. This will strengthen her muscles. We look forward to hearing how Roxie does. Congratulations on graduating from crate rest! Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 29, 2013 8:37:31 GMT -7
It is a big thing to get through the eight weeks so congratulations! But you are right, you can't just turn her lose and let her go. I'm glad you recognize that!! www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmI am curious why she's still on the Dex at eight weeks? Generally this is given at full strength for a few days and then weaned off over several days for a complete course of generally never more than two weeks unless the weaning results in increased pain or neuro symptoms. Also why still on the Benadryl? This is generally given for crate tolerance. Hopefully after eight weeks she's learned to behave well enough in the crate that she doesn't need it. The Benadryl causes sleepiness and could be a slight contributor to her unsteady gait...mind you not the whole cause as she certainly has some muscle weakness but I'd get her off the Benadryl unless there is a reason she's still on it, she needs to be fully alert to start her rehab. At this stage there are many options so you'll have to think about what is within your budget and then what you are able to do yourself. First, wood floors are indeed slippery and you obviously aren't going to redo floors so think about how you can provide her some traction. Putting down throw rugs is very helpful and relatively inexpensive. Acupuncture is very beneficial and if you are able to afford it I'd absolutely seek out an acupuncture vet and get started as soon as you can get an appointment. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingacupuncture.htmWater therapy is a great way to help dogs regain muscle strength but it's an added expense. If you have to choose between acupuncture and water therapy my advice would be have acupuncture done by a vet and do the water therapy yourself at home (since you can't do acupuncture yourself). Here's a link to how water therapy can be done at home. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/watertherapy.htmThe first link I gave you has tons of information so really read it over. I wouldn't think about a wheelchair at this point, if she's able to stand there is a chance she'll get strength back and walk again so it would be a wasted expense. Give her time with therapy and see how much she can accomplish. Start first with making her environment safe and doing therapy to help her legs get stronger first. I know it is an emotional time but remember that she is very sensitive to your emotions. If you remain upbeat she will be also. If you are down she will be down also but won't really understand why as dogs are capable of processing human emotions even though they can sense and feel them. Stay positive!!! Also remember that she just doesn't care about the walking as much as you do. Dogs don't have to go to work, drive cars, run errands, do all the things that humans do that make legs and walking such a vital and convenient thing and a wheelchair such an inconvenience. If she ends up never walking again all she will care about is that you still love her and that she's still in the home she's know with the treats and people she loves. Keep us posted on how it's going and feel free to ask questions as you start on this new phase. |
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Post by lyonsfamily on May 29, 2013 9:50:16 GMT -7
I can answer the Q about the meds easy enough. No one ever told us how long to keep Roxie on the meds.
The vet said as long as she showed improvement, she would renew the medication. We took that to mean that she still needs it.
Roxie is very stoic. She does not show pain anymore. She is as eager to "get on with her life" as she always was. We will discontinue the Benedryl immediately, and see how she is without any pain relief.
Thank you for the other sites to check on. We're doing the best we can.
jo, Roxie and the family
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on May 29, 2013 14:08:20 GMT -7
Jo, it is not a good idea for a dog to be on a steroid, Dex, and be out of the crate. IF, if there were still to be swelling going the Dex and the pain med, tramadol could be covering a problem/pain. Those meds would make Roxie feel better and overdo. This is the reason the order is to first go off the anti-inflammatory and pain meds to assess for pain. If there would be no pain showing then the taper off of dex would continue and no medications at all would be needed. Then when that has finish AND 8 weeks of crate rest is done, then she can be released from her recovery suite. All things that go in your dog's mouth have to be researched and only used when there is a reason. If Dex is being tapered and Roxie is having signs of pain, the vet needs to know. I would not be giving my dog who has a neuro disease White Crane without fully understanding the reason why. "White Crane formula: Aconite root is a deadly poison- Herbs containing aconitine are toxic to the nervous system. Aconitine excites the vagus nerve and central nervous system first, and then leads to successive inhibition, and finally death because of paralysis" www.tcvm.com/doc/TCVMNews2010SummerR.pdf Roxie will be depending on your IVDD knowledge to speak up, ask questions and have an understanding of the disease.. to never more blindly follow instructions.. It is all laid out for you on our Main Website. Take the "IVDD 101 button" and first read up on "swelling/inflammation" Roxie will be glad you are reading on her behalf! www.dodgerslist.com/ |
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StevieLuv
Helpful Member 
Conservative Treatment 3x. It really does work!
Posts: 1,335 
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Post by StevieLuv on May 30, 2013 20:47:16 GMT -7
You are doing a great job - don't get down on yourself! Miss Roxie will enjoy the exercise to slowly build up her muscles and balance again. Keep us posted  |
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