Andi
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Post by Andi on May 10, 2013 4:51:28 GMT -7
Hi everyone. My name is Andi, i have had my smooth tan dachshund, Marley, for about 7 years. He has never had any back problems until recently. Wednesday night, he could not make it up the two steps leading back into the house from outside. He still seemed perky enough and I did not witness the step episode, my fiance did. The next day, he acted like he did not want to move (he sleeps with us). I picked him up and took him outside to use the bathroom and i noticed his back legs were wobbly. I called the vet and got an appointment that day. When I took him into the vet, they immediately said it was his back. She said since he was walking, it was a good sign. She sent me home with prednisone, methocarbamol, and tramadol. She said strict crate rest and to pick him up and take him to pee. Well, I had to go to school that night, so my fiance was home with him. When I got home from school, Marley couldn't move his hind legs. I was freaking out. The vet had given me the numbers for the closest emergency animal hospitals. I called one, told them what was going on and they said to bring him in. My fiance works at a hospital and was on call shift that night. Luckily he found someone to cover it and was able to go with me. When we got to the emergency animal hospital (which is 40 min away), they took Marley and did an x-ray to see what we were up against. The x-ray came back and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Not only did Marley have a disk space narrowing, he had three. The other two had happened some time ago the vet said. The third one is what was giving him so much difficulty. I had no idea my Marley had even went through this before. Me and my fiance cannot afford the surgery, so we opted to take Marley home and see what medications and crate rest will do. The next day (yesterday), i took him to my vet in town to get her opinion. I told her surgery was not an option. She told me to up his prednisone for the next 4 doses and they also put a fentanyl patch on him. She said if an upset stomach should occur to give him 5mg of pepcid ac 30 minutes before the prednisone. She also said he has about a 20-30% chance of an adequate recovery without surgery. He still has deep pain in his hind legs. He cannot control his bowels and we are supposed to express him. My fiance does a pretty good job with it, but I cannot seem to do it. I will try today and if I am not successful, I will take him back to the vet to be expressed and to be shown again how to do it. Marley will not eat his regular dry food but he will eat soft food. He was drinking water by himself yesterday but this morning he wouldn't drink. I feel so bad for him and don't want him to be in this pain. Euthanasia has crossed my mind, but I don't want to give up on him. He is a trooper. I also don't want to be selfish and I want to be fair to him. I am having a very difficult time with this.
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 10, 2013 6:29:26 GMT -7
Good morning Andi. I'm so glad you found Dodgerslist. First and most importantly put euthanasia out of your mind, permanently! Regardless of how this turns out Marley will absolutely have a wonderful quality of life after crate rest is over. We have many dogs here on the list who are completely paralyzed and use wheel chairs and are the happiest dogs you will ever know. I'll give you the link to our home page and you'll find some videos and I bet you'll smile and laugh and find great encouragement. Remember that dogs are not humans. They don't have to go to jobs, drive cars, do the myriad of other things that can be so difficult for us if we don't have the use of our legs...yet look at the humans who do this as paraplegics! Marley only cares that he has his humans near and loving him, he really doesn't care about his legs as much as you think he does. We must be careful not to impose human values on our animals. One thing that really stood out to me in your post is his reluctance to eat and drink normally. This indicates some upset stomach from the Prednisone. It is vital that you start the Pepcid immediately and he should also have an additional stomach protector so that this doesn't become a more significant problem. Contact your vet right away and tell her how he is acting and ask for a stomach coating medication...sucralfate is the one most commonly used. Start giving the Prednisone with his food to provide additional protection to his stomach. If there is a dose between meals give him some food at that time also. Keep your vet apprised of his food and water intake...if he stops eating or doesn't start drinking they will need to take measures to keep him hydrated. Also if you notice blood in his poop or black poop let your vet know immediately. You said you are expressing his bowels, how about his bladder? Is he peeing on his own or do you find urine in his bedding or is he not peeing at all? Expressing is a skill that can be learned so don't be discouraged. It does sometimes take a few hands on demonstrations though so just keep at it. Relax and know that you are doing this for Marley. The crate rest is the most important thing you can do for Marley's back/legs at this point. Surgery is a quick fix but isn't the only option. Many dogs have a full recovery using crate rest. It is important that you be diligent. In the crate at all times except when you take him out for potty time. No extra snuggling, no baths, no extra time out of that crate. Here is a link to our IVDD101 page. There is a ton of information here on what is happening with Marley, how you can set up his crate, medications, etc. Some of the information pertains to surgery so you can skip that but read read read! www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htmWe've all been through this before or are going through it. It's a slow process, no quick fixes, so take some deep breathes and relax. Keep us posted on Marley's progress and especially his stomach. Hang in there! |
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Andi
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by Andi on May 10, 2013 6:46:09 GMT -7
Thank you so much. I am very happy I found Dodgerslist. It has given me hope. I plan to start him on pepcid today. I have been keeping him hydrated by giving him water with a syringe in his mouth....not a needle, just a oral one. My fiance does a better job than me at expressing his urine. He did so this morning before he left for work. I tried about an hour ago and got a little bit but not much. I talked to my vet and they said to keep trying and if I wanted to bring him in, I could. When he is in his crate, he doesn't seem to want to lay down. Is this normal? I can tell that he is not in as much pain, which is comforting. We do have another dog, a husky, and she knows something is wrong. She walks up to his crate and just lays her head down. I hope that we can get his pain under control and am hoping for a recovery. Even if he does not come back from being paralyzed, I hope he can get control of his bladder and bowels.He is definitely a strong boy! Thank you for your support and I will keep you posted.
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 10, 2013 7:14:10 GMT -7
It is important that you learn to express his bladder properly as any urine left sitting in the bladder for periods of time is a perfect medium for bacteria to grow leading to a bladder infection. Regular emptying of the bladder is important for his health. It is a skill you can learn but it may just take a few hands-on demonstrations from your vet. Here is a link to our page on bladder expressing which may help as well. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htmIt may be that sitting up is more comfortable than lying down. What do you have in the crate for bedding? We recommend a pad, either the eggcrate style or memory foam. You can buy them at the pet stores sized to your crate and generally in a nice cover or buy it cheaper at a craft store and cut to fit your crate. Either way wrap it in a trash bag and tape closed to prevent it from getting wet if he has an accident or if water spills, etc. Then either place it back in the cover it came in or wrapt it tightly in a fleece blanket or piece of fleece fabric purchased at a fabric store. Fleece is wicking and should it get wet will keep the moisture off his skin. One additional precaution is a bumper pad of sorts if you have the wire crate to prevent him from getting a foot/leg out through the wires. You can roll a towel or blanket and place it around the edges or purchase thin pads that have a rolled edge that are generally made to crate sizes. www.petco.com/product/119336/Petco-Cream-Fleece-Bolster-Mat-for-Dogs.aspx Now you have the base of your crate. Most dogs prefer a blanket of some thickness to lay on or under. You know his preferences from here so fix it up little. One other thing to consider is access to water. There are several styles of water bowl that attach to the crate, this prevents spilling of the bowl but gives him constant access to water. Generally the wire crates are best tolerated as it feels less closed in. You can choose to cover all or part of it with a blanket or sheet at any time but it can also be left open so he can see out all around. Just some tips I've learned from experience. :-) Paula is one of our moderators and she has a dachshund that has been in a wheelchair for years. He is one of the cutest happiest dogs I've ever seen. Her pictures and videos always make me laugh. She is on limited availability for a few days but she'll be back soon and she'll give you some encouragement in that area from firsthand experience. For right now though we'll focus on pain control, bladder expressing and just getting through this crate rest/healing period. www.dodgerslist.com/index/SDUNCANquality.htm |
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Post by Pauliana on May 10, 2013 7:58:33 GMT -7
Hi Andi! So glad you are here with us on Dodgerslist and are feeling more encouraged. You will feel even better once you have read our dogs success stories. Reading these stories helped me so much when my Tyler woke up one morning not able to move his hind legs. He has recovered now and you wouldn't even know to look at him that he has IVDD. He is happy and running around here like nothing ever happened. Dodgerslist helped me to learn how to care for Tyler and we will help you too! www.dodgerslist.com/monthstory.htm I want to echo Sherry about how important it is to let your Vet know about the refusal to eat which is a sign of stomach distress. Ask the Vet ASAP about adding Sucralfate to his medications. It will act as a bandaid over the irritations developing in his stomach. Pepcid Ac works in a different way to stop the acid caused by Prednisone. Both are very neccessary to prevent an Ulcer or stomach bleed. This can come on oh so quickly..
I see he is on Prednisone, Methocarbamol and Tramadol, what are the dosages and the frequencies they are to be given??
Feel better Marley!! |
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Andi
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Posts: 6
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Post by Andi on May 10, 2013 8:24:16 GMT -7
The vet upped his ▲prednisone for the next 4 doses...so 2 more to go. Originally it was 5mg twice a day for 5 days, then once a day for 5 days, then every other day. The methocarbamol is half a tablet, so 250mg three times a day and the tramadol is half a tablet, so 25mg three times a day.
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 10, 2013 16:41:25 GMT -7
Did you talk to the vet about his reluctance to eat and drink normally? It was a concern initially and now with increasing the Prednisone it is even more so. Stomach problems can turn serious very quickly so this is a priority problem. Be sure you give the Prednisone with food and contact the vet right away about getting a stomach coating medication.
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Andi
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Posts: 6
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Post by Andi on May 10, 2013 18:08:47 GMT -7
We gave him pepcid AC for his stomach and he ate food tonight and drank water. He is still in a lot of pain and not wanting to move at all, no personality and no interest in anything going on around him. This makes me wonder if he needs a different dosage of pain meds. I am calling the vet tomorrow to give them a progress report and will ask them about it, also about something to coat his stomach to help with the prednisone. Me and my fiance are trying to have one of us here with him most of the time but it is hard because we both work and I go to school. We don't want him pooping and then having to lay in it or having a full bladder and peeing some out and having to lay in it until we can get home. This is just so very hard on both of us and it kills us to see him in pain and this way.
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 10, 2013 20:47:00 GMT -7
If he is still in pain then a conversation with the vet is absolutely warranted. Does your vet have a 24-hour call number or is there an emergency vet you can take him to for pain meds tonight? Sometimes an injection of something stronger is warranted once just to get pain under control and then the pills can keep it under control. The fentanyl patch may be part of the reason he seems so disinterested and lacking in personality. Pain can cause this as well but fentanyl is a can induce some lethargy. Though it is a strong pain medication not all pain meds work the same way or work on the same type of pain so it's worth exploring other options. Sometimes the strongest isn't the best because it doesn't work properly.
There are also alternative therapies that help with pain and swelling such as laser therapy and acupuncture. If these are a financial possibility for you ask your vet about them.
If you can become proficient at expressing his bowels and bladder you can get him on a schedule just as he would be if he had full control and it wouldn't be so vital that you are with him all the time. Did you check out the link I gave you above on expressing? It might be helpful. Also, fleece fabric is wicking and will keep moisture away from his skin so if he did leak a small amount it wouldn't be right next to him. We advocate fleece blankets or getting fleece from the fabric store and cutting pieces for the crate for this reason.
I'm glad he ate and drank, this is a great relief concerning his stomach!
You could also try heat or cold and see if they seem to help. Theoretically cold is best for swelling but often with a disc episode it's the muscle spasms that cause a good deal of pain and heat is most soothing so it's a guess. You can put a cup or two of rice in a tube sock, tie a knot in the end and put it in the microwave for a couple minutes until it's warm. Some dogs take to it right away others find it a little suspicious and you have to hold it lightly against them. Never leave this in the crate when you aren't home as the rice may smell irresistible and he may try to eat it. A cold pack can be made of water and rubbing alcohol in a zip lock baggie...2 parts water, 1 part alcohol and freeze, the alcohol keeps the water from freezing solid so it is soft and moldable. Never put the ice pack directly on his skin, put a blanket over him then the ice pack.
I know how hard this is. I had a dog with a cervical disc episode and those are notoriously hard when it comes to pain control as it's so hard for them to rest their heads since they move them to eat, drink, look around, etc. Seems they just don't get comfortable for days and days. I don't think I slept for a week because he'd cry off and on all night. Hang in there and keep us posted.
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Andi
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Posts: 6
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Post by Andi on May 11, 2013 12:37:48 GMT -7
Today, he doesn't seem to be in much pain. I worked this morning but my fiance said he seemed pretty comfortable. When i got home from work, he lifted his head seemingly to greet me. I talked to the vet about him not really wanting to eat and they told me to cut back on his prednisone and try a bland diet. He ate today when I got home from work. My fiance is getting really good at expressing his bladder and he even got Marley to poop today. How often should Marley poop? We set up his crate with his original dog bed inside a trash bag with a fleece blanket covering that and a towel rolled up so he can rest his head. He seems to be pretty comfortable. I can now talk about him without crying which is good and me and my fiance both agree with giving him a chance to show us what he has and make some sort of recovery.
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Post by Sherry Layman on May 11, 2013 16:25:47 GMT -7
Keep a close eye on Marley's pain level. Decreasing the prednisone means you've decreased the method of reducing the swelling of the disc. If Marley seems to regress this is a sign that the disc is not healing and increasing the prednisone will be necessary.
If Marley continues to be reluctant to eat this is a sign of discomfort somewhere...his back or his stomach. The most prudent course of action would be to increase the prednisone again and get him on a stomach coating medication such as sucralfate in addition to the pepcid.
Marley may do just fine but it's best to have a plan in case of a set back so a decision can be made quickly and with little stress and emotion, just logic.
Please keep in mind that recovery has many definitions. Recovery from IVDD does not always mean getting back full use of the legs. Our first priority is to get a dog pain free and into the weaning stage of the medications and off of pain meds. Once crate rest is completed physical therapy can begin for dogs that either have no use of their back legs or are very weak or exhibit other deficits. But this is only after the crate rest period is complete (6 weeks for surgical dogs and 8 weeks for crate rest only dogs). The priority is first to heal the disc. It can take weeks and even months to know what the outcome of therapy may be. We had a dog on here once that regained use of it's legs a year into physical therapy. But if it's not in the cards for Marley to recover use of his legs he can still have a perfectly happy and full life as long as you will love him, that's all he'll ask of you. You really do need to go to the success stories page and watch some of the dogs in wheel chairs...they'll amaze you!
Hang in there. You never know what the outcome will be but regardless I know that Marley will be happy just to be with his pack.
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Andi
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Post by Andi on May 12, 2013 8:24:21 GMT -7
Marley seems to be very comfortable. He is laying down and relaxing, which is a great sign. He ate very well last night. I think that because he is not active right now, he doesn't want to eat as much or as often as before. My main goal is to get him pain free. He seems to be on the right track. He's been giving me kisses, the best kisses ever!  I have looked at some success stories and they have given me hope. I just want him to have a good quality of life. We are both hanging in there and are optimistic. Thank you for all of your support and knowledge. |
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Post by natureluva on May 12, 2013 16:37:37 GMT -7
Glad to hear Marley is feeling comfortable! A pain-free dog is a happy dog, whether he can walk or not. :-) Aren't our Success Stories wonderful? Marley will have a great quality of life. He just needs treatment to get through this disc episode - 8 weeks of strict crate rest to heal the disc, plus meds to mask the symptoms. If Marley gets bored in the crate, get creative. Here are dvds that can help prevent boredom: petsittervideos.com/ and www.petmusic.com/ Be sure to move his crate from room to room so he can be involved in family activities. Crates can be put on casters for easy moving. Consider an ex-pen for crate rest during the day. You can sit inside the pen with him and give him attention. Just be sure he does not have too much room to move around in there. Also, a playpen or pet stroller are great ideas. I still use my pet stroller to this day! Both of my dogs love it. Dogs get so much mental stimulation out of stroller rides. Once Marley is off of his meds, you can take him on stroller rides in quiet areas on smooth surfaces. Here's an article about strollers if you're interested: dodgerslist.com/literature/strollers.htm Very happy that you are feeling optimistic. That really is important, because our dogs feed off of whatever emotions we are having. If you are depressed, he will sense that and feel anxious or sad. So keep a smile on your face and in your voice! You're doing a great job with Marley. We look forward to your next update. Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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I have looked at some success stories and they have given me hope. I just want him to have a good quality of life. We are both hanging in there and are optimistic. Thank you for all of your support and knowledge.
