kk
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Post by kk on May 15, 2013 9:04:47 GMT -7
My miniature dachshund, Twist, is turning 4 next month.
Saturday, May 11th, I noticed he was hunching his back and shortly after he started crying in pain and did not want to be touched. I immediately called and took him into the vet's office. Because he was responsive the vet hoped it was just inflammation of the spine and gave him a cortisone shot and a prescription for prednisone (1/2 tab- 2x a day) and tramadol (1/4 tab- 2-3x a day) and told me to keep him restricted to his pen area to see if he improved in a couple days.
Sunday afternoon/evening, my poor pup was miserable (trembling, yelping and reluctant to move) even with the pain medication and could barely move without pain. I did the best I could to keep him comfortable and decided Monday that he would need to go back in to have x-rays. He was still eating and drinking and able to go to the bathroom normally (aside from the fact that I was carrying him to and from his crate to his outdoor potty area).
Monday, he was admitted to the vet's office so they could manage his pain overnight (as there were not any available vets to perform the myelogram
). Tuesday, after the myelogram, I was told by the vet that he has two calcified discs in the mid section of his back (where he is hunching) and multiple areas in his spine/neck where the gaps between the discs have thinned. I asked her if there are indicative to IVDD and the vet responded, yes. It was *suggested* (he currently still has full neurological functionality and is able to walk) to consult with a neurologist about the next course of action and they also mentioned that switching his medications has seemed to reduce the pain (will update when I find out what the new meds are).
Today (Wednesday), I finally get to pick him up from the vet's office later, as they kept him another night for observation after the myelogram yesterday. After reading some of the wonderful articles on this site, I went out and bought him a new memory foam bed and a couple fleece blankets, made his pen area smaller, and purchased bowls that can attach at his head level so he can eat/drink without straining.
I have seen a lot of great information on here but most of what I have read, applies to dogs that already have a slipped disc or paralysis and Twist doesn't have either of those issues at this time. I'm wondering if he should still have 6 - 8 weeks of strict crate rest or what I should expect for treatment and the future.
I'm already aware that he will need to be trained to not jump at all and that I should provide him with a ramp when he is able to come on the bed again. I also realize that he should not use a standard leash and collar, but should have a harness instead (silly question but I have a life-vest for him that has a hook for the leash in the same place as a typical harness-- can I use that for taking him outdoors? I thought the padding might provide some comfort?)
Any support and info provided would be greatly appreciated! This has been such a heartbreaking and stressful experience. I'll post more info when I pick him up later.
Thanks!
-KK
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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 15, 2013 9:16:31 GMT -7
Hi my name is Maureen. Yes to the 8 weeks of cage rest - even though he isn't paralysed there is an issue with 2 of his discs that are causing pain because of swelling. You want enough time for the swelling to go down and for scar tissue to form, so that he doesn't herniate the discs. A plain harness would probably be better that the life vest because it will allow for more normal movement. I think about our dogs life vests and that padding is quite stiff. Once you get a list of medications it would help if you could post them here. Pain control is VERY important for proper healing and don't let anyone tell you differently. You did a great job of catching his condition before it progressed to paralysis. There is alot of information on this site, and lots of people here to help and to provide encouragement. We all understand the heartbreak and stress of having and IVDD injured dog. Keeping you in thought and prayer  |
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on May 15, 2013 11:35:56 GMT -7
I agree with Maureen, 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 is needed. Twist DOES have disc damage and that is the cause of the pain. This video and even more useful information comes from this page, it will give you a very good overall understanding of the disease you are dealing with and how long it takes for the different phases of healing: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htmMy name is Paula, what is yours? Be aware that Tramadol is quite short acting with a half life of 1.7 hours and is usually prescribed for 3x a day to fully control pain. We can be of more help as Maureen noted with full information on his meds, exact names, dose in mg and how often you've been prescribed to give them. Can you also tell us this: -- Is there still currently any pain when you pick him up at the vet? - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move head or body, tight hard tummy? Pain should be under control in 1 hour with the right combo/dose/frequency of meds. And the pain should stay fully in control dose to dose of the pain meds. Know your pain meds ahead of time to discuss with the vet. You should know all your options for range of times you could give, range of mg you could give. Late at night or when the vet is closed you will be glad to have that information. more on pain meds: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpain.htm-- Currently can your dog wobbly walk? Does he knuckle his paws? -- Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK - normal color no dark or bright red blood? Make sure you have a stomach protector on board for Twist. Cortisteroids (Prednisone, Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, etc.) are involved with stimulating gastric acid secretion causing GI upset to the more threatening bleeding ulcers or holes in the stomach or intestine. Phrase the question to your vet in this particular way: "is there any medical reason my dog may not to take Pepcid AC?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in protecting the stomach by giving doxies 5MG Pepcid AC (generic name is Famotidine) 30 mins prior to steroid. 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.htmlIs surgery an option for your family? Usually a myelogram is done right before surgery as a planning tool. For conservative treatment there is not a need to know exactly which disc is invovled....100% STRICT crate rest works for any disc. Did the vet specifically say the problematic disc was in the neck or the back? Let us know when Twist is back home. |
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Post by julnewma on May 15, 2013 12:18:28 GMT -7
Hi there,
Twist's situation (symptoms and medications) sounds very similar to my Frank's.
My vet recommended 2-3 weeks of crate rest, and I posed the same question that you did in the thread I began.
I appreciate the vet's advice, but am lengthening the duration of Frankie's crate rest. We are aiming for 8 weeks. I would be nearly inconsolable if we did not crate him long enough for his injury to heal and he re-injured himself. Better to err on the side of caution.
Good luck with Twist. Love the name!
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kk
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by kk on May 15, 2013 20:52:09 GMT -7
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for responding! I can't tell you all how grateful I am to have this site as a resource right now! First of all, I'm so happy my buddy is home and he has been hanging in his new recovery suite. He was pretty excited to see me and I think keeping him calm may be an issue at times because he really acts like a pup still but he was able to lay down in his crate and rest after I fed him (seemed to like his attached bowl). Here's the info you all have asked about: My name? I'm Kristen. Sorry about that, in typical mom fashion I was more concerned about my pup than introducing myself, haha. Twist's diagnosis: -2 calcified discs in mid back -narrowed disc spaces in the neck-Can walk -Eat/Drink Ok -Poop Ok Prescription: Prednisone- 5mg 2x a day x 5 days then to 5 mg 1x a day x 5 days then to 5 mg every other day Tramadol 1/4 tab 3-4 x a day "Strict confinement"- they didn't write an amount of time so I asked before leaving...here's the frustrating part...when I asked the girl giving me these instructions how long, her response was " The neurologist can tell you. You just need to call the neurologist in the morning." And the discharge paper work also says " Recommend" consult with neurologist to discuss surgery. I'm frustrated because when i spoke to the doctor on the phone yesterday, I explained to her that i'm worried about being able to afford surgery and that I was interested in the conservative approach with strict crate rest. Her response was that I didn't need to go to the neurologist because Twist is functioning fine neurologically at this time but that they were recommending it just as a consultation. So now I'm just confused. I'm thinking I may want to consult a different veterinarian's office because I would like to discuss all of my options thoroughly. Maureen, Thanks for the prayers and thoughts! I will get him a harness (Luckily, he goes potty on command pretty well and I was able to just tell him to go and pick him right back up for the few times this evening). Paula, one question I had I was unclear what this means "short acting with a half life of 1.7 hours" in reference to the tramadol. Thanks for the info on the Pepcid AC. I believe I already have some for Twist because he has had a history of upset tummies-- you probably just saved him some discomfort! julnewma- Thanks! How is Frank doing? Are you having any trouble keeping him calm at all? Any and all thoughts on the info I posted above are welcome! This is all really overwhelming. |
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on May 16, 2013 7:39:34 GMT -7
Kristen, a medication's half life is the time it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body. Exactly how many times a day are you dosing Tramadol (being prescribed at a range of 3-4x a day)? And is his pain fully under control at this time? Calcifications are not necessarily where a disc episode is occurring. Are there any of these signs of pain to confirm he has a neck disc? Holds his leg up, not wanting to bear weight? Does he hold his head in an unusual position, nose to the ground or head held high? These are the extra things you should do for a dog with a neck disc. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmTwist has been prescribed one round of pred at the anti-inflammatory level for 5 days, then it is being reduced (taperered) to lower than the anti-inflammatory dose. This is done for health reasons to signal the body to again make its own steroid hormone which is responsible for regulating many body functions. It just happens the taper is a perfect window for IVDD dogs into how swelling is being taken down. At the time of the taper if there is any hint of pain, then you know more time on pred is needed back at the anti-inflammatory dose. Most vets will also call for backing off or stopping the pain med (tramadol) to have a clear picture on assessing swelling. Most dogs can get the swelling down in 1-2 courses of pred while other may need to be on it for more like a month. The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the 100% STRICT crate rest part. Med work to reduce swelling and give comfort from pain. There are no meds to heal the disc....the crate rest serves that purpose. I'm sorry your vet and his staff are not comfortable with IVDD. When you think of all the species, breeds and diseases each can have plus all the daily hats you vet wears of pediatrician, dentist, etc it is no wonder he may not know each and every disease to the nth degree. But YOU can by reading, reading! Hopefully your vet will be open to what you have learned here so he is in a better position to help another dog with full disclosure on how important 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 is for 8 weeks. Please help him by giving him a tool he can use with other clients. Ask Linda for our free brochures, especially the one on "Crate Rest Recovery Process" www.dodgerslist.com/literature/litorder.htm You can introduce us by printing our our letter so he knows we are associated with many vets who specialize in IVDD  There are two treatments for a disc episode: conservative treatment and surgery. You can beef up your knowledge bank on these two treatments here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsurgery.htmThe reason you would go for a consultation with a specialist when surgery is not a consideration, is if you can't find a local vet to support you through conservative treatment with proper meds to get pain under control while swelling is being addressed plus staying on pred until all the swelling is gone. If pain is fully under control with tramadol, then Twist is in position along with 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for a full 8 weeks to heal his disc in comfort. If his pain is not under control you local vet still has more options in his medical bag. He could use methocarbamol for muscle spasm pain. He could add in Gabapentin. All this is mentioned in more detail here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmLet us know the name of the stomach protector you are using with Twist. I guess by now you know we are a group who LOVE details! LOL |
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