Jane's Princess 5/30 surgery

Hi, is it Jane? My name is Lisa. Welcome to Dodger's List. We're glad you found us. I'm sorry to hear that Princess has been diagnosed with IVDD but glad that you were able to get her surgery. First things first, myelomalacia is a fatal disease that can occur on the heals of any spinal injury. Please read this article so you will know what to expect in the event that Princess develops it: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Myelomalacia.pdf It is not a very common disease, but we have seen it occur. IF Princess develops myelomalacia, you will need to euthanize her, so stay in touch with your vets for regular updates on her condition. I'm sending healing vibes and prayers her way and hope that myelomalacia does not develop.

I am unsure whether Princess' disc ruptured at 11:45 a.m., or 11:45 p.m., but in any event, try not to pay TOO much attention to percentages that the doctors give. We have seen dogs with no deep pain sensation before and after surgery walk again - mine included. My dog had a level 5 disc rupture (the worst) and was operated on 4 hours after the event. He had no DPS or bladder control before the surgery. Over weeks and months, he slowly regained some neurological function. He can now walk, but it took him 11 months to recover. You can read his Success Story by clicking on the link under my signature line to see how his recovery unfolded and what helped him the most. Know that each dog recovers at a different rate and to a different degree. Some dogs stand up a week after surgery and others, like my Goosie, require a much longer time.

We follow what the most knowledgeable Board Certified surgeons recommend for post-op care, and that is 6 weeks of crate rest. The dog is allowed out for potty breaks and for any physical therapy the vet prescribes. Here are two links to help you with crate rest: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm and
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm

In the event that Princess does not have bladder control, you will need to express her bladder for her 4 to 6 times per day until control returns. Be sure to get a HANDS-ON demonstration from the vet when Princess is discharged and watch our video beforehand here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm

Usually, when neurological functions return after a disc injury, they return in this order:

1. Deep pain sensation
2. Tail wagging ability
3. Bladder control
4. Leg movement

So watch for these things in the coming weeks and months! And remember, even dogs that remain paralyzed have a great quality of life - they are the same dog, they just use a cart to get around.

We highly recommend acupuncture and laser light therapy for IVDD. They both stimulate the nerves to heal and reduce pain and inflammation, and acupuncture has the additional bonus of relaxing the dog. 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 and laser light therapy, or you can search for one in your area here: www.holisticvetlist.com/

Here is how to pick up and carry an IVDD dog, or any dog breed that is prone to the disease (support both ends and keep spine aligned): youtube.googleapis.com/v/kyD2IW5m0qY

Here is a list of discharge questions to take with you when you pick up Princess: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htm

The best way for you to help Princess is by learning about her disease. 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

Please let us know what meds Princess is discharged with, along with the dosages and frequency of dosing. Be sure that if she is on an NSAID or steroid, that she is also taking a stomach protectant such as Pepcid AC. We look forward to your next update on Princess. Best wishes, ~Lisa

Lisa, thanks for all the info! Princess is back home now, but has no DPS. She is doing quite fine, although wetting the bed almost every 30 minutes because she drinks so much water! Should she be drinking that much water? I know steroids make them thirsty, but she's ALWAYS constantly wetting her bed even when I express her 4-5 times daily.

Jane, how are you and Princess doing? Are you doing okay with expressing her bladder? As Paula said, you may have to increase expressings to every 2 to 3 hours until she is weaned off the steroids.

Can you tell us what meds she's on besides the steroid, if anything? How is her appetite? Does her pain seem well-controlled? Did you know you can also express poop to avoid accidents? Just watch the expressing video Paula gave you above.

We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, ~Lisa

Jane, have you brought in a urine sample to prove if there is infection present and whether there is a need to start antibiotics?

When bladder control is starting to return a dog may be able to sniff and then pee, but not fully empty the bladder yet. Owners need to let the sniff and pee and then do a quick manual express check to verify all the urine has been voided until there is satisfaction that the dog can fully void the bladder. Have you been doing a quick express check after Princess pees on her own outdoors?

If she is on any medications at this time, what are they?

Hi Jane, welcome to Dodgerslist! I was just reading your story and thought I would tell you about my Daphne who is now 11 weeks post op and still isn't emptying her bladder fully. After she pees I will try to express to see if more comes out and 50% of the time it does. She did have a UTI a few weeks after surgery and had to take antibiotics for 4 weeks I believe, the first round of antibiotics did quite get it all so we had to continue more of the same antibiotics. If I were you I would take a sample into your vet for a urinalysis just to be sure. It costs me $23.00. You don't want to take any chances. If you want to read Daphne's story it is under Updates Tickermarie, Daphne's mom. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Wishing Princess continued improvement.

The signs Daphne had were frequent peeing, peeing on me when I picked her up to take her outside, accidents in her bed and strong smell and dark colored. Because she doesn't have complete control yet, my regular vet suggested giving her Cranberry capsules which I found at WalMart the brand is Spring Valley Cranberry 84mg per soft gel plus vitamin C. I only give her one a day and so far so good since she only weighs 12 lbs. You might want to ask your vet about that if Princess does have a UTI. Hope things continue to improve. Princess will be in my thoughts and prayers. Give her hugs and kisses from Daphne and I. Hang in there, things get better.