Hi! My name is Lisa, what's yours? Welcome to Dodger's List! We're glad you found us.
First things first - IVDD is not a fatal disease. When our pups have an IVDD episode, we simply get them treatment for it. There are two treatments for IVDD: Conservative or Surgery. Conservative treatment consists of 8 weeks of strict crate rest to heal the disc, plus meds to mask the pain and reduce inflammation.
It is a good sign that Copper can wag his tail, that means he still has some neurological function. If you feel that Copper loses bladder control, get a hands-on bladder expressing demo from the vet. You will need to express him 4 to 6 times until control returns. If he has accidents in his crate or squirts urine when picked up, he likely is losing bladder control. Don't panic. This is very common. We have a link to help you with expressing, should it become necessary. Expressing is easy, but takes a bit of practice:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm Here are three links to help you with crate rest and conservative treatment. Please read them thoroughly so that you will feel more confident about his treatment:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm www.dodgerslist.com/literature/conservative.htm Also discuss with your vet a stomach protectant to protect Copper from internal bleeding from the excess acid produced by the steroid. We usually see Pepcid AC (generic is famotidine, buy at any pharmacy or supermarket) given. The normal dose for a dog up to 15 pounds is 5 mg given 30 minutes before each dose of steroid. For some reason, some vets are not proactive about protecting the stomach and wait until an internal bleed has already occurred before prescribing a stomach protectant. I say - why wait for that?
If they are within your budget, acupuncture and laser light therapy are excellent complementary treatments for IVDD. They both stimulate the nerves to heal and reduce pain and inflammation, and acupuncture has the additional bonus of inducing a state of well-being. 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 and laser light therapy, or you can search for one in your area here:
www.holisticvetlist.com/ We have seen THOUSANDS of dogs recover with conservative treatment. Just practice strict crate rest so that his disc can fully heal. Minimizing movement of the spine is the only thing that heals the disc! On potty breaks, be sure that he cannot run away from you. Use a sling to support his rear. A figure-8 sling works best for males. They are inexpensive to make using two cheap, nylon leashes and vet wrap:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies/Figure8.jpg Here is the correct way to pick up an IVDD dog:
youtube.googleapis.com/v/kyD2IW5m0qY To give you hope, read through some of our Success Stories - stories about dogs just like Copper, who recovered with either conservative treatment or surgery:
www.dodgerslist.com/monthstory.htmDo try to control your emotions around Copper. He will feed off of any negative emotions you may be having. He will feel like he's done something wrong. So try to put a smile on your face and in your voice when you are around Copper. Cry in another room. :-)
Empower yourself with knowledge about IVDD so that you will feel less anxious and worried. Here is a brief tutorial on IVDD:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/index.html . If a dvd is more your style, we have an excellent one available for only $3 including shipping. It's great to have on hand to show to family/friends/petsitters so they will know what they can and cannot do with your dog and how they can help:
www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htm We look forward to hearing how Copper does throughout crate rest. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Best wishes, ~Lisa
