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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 1, 2016 5:30:42 GMT -7
Thanks, Pauliana. We did ask about Pepcid and the vet said that it usually isn't needed on a short term basis, but we agree with you that it seems like a good idea to do anyway proactively. We didn't ask the question exactly as you mentioned, but I believe they seemed ok with it since they recommended it if there were gastro issues. I will give them a call to ask that way just to be sure and we'll get that [Pepcid AC] started today when her dose this evening. I do know that her blood work has always been good for heart/kidneys/etc, so I don't believe function of those would prevent it.
This morning we finally got my wife to express her bladder. I think the problem is that her hands are kind of small to hold both under her and also get thumb(s) on top to hold her back and press against the bladder. Before I think she was just pulling up and hoping the weight of her would be enough pressure, but I don't think it is. As soon as I put my hand on her back she was able to get it to work. I'm off to work, so if she cannot get it while I'm gone I'll just have to head home from work early to help or ask for some family to stop by and give her a hand (which will probably be a more regular occurrence now).
I only had a few minutes before leaving for work after we gave her meds, but was playing around pinching her toes and tail. I couldn't keep her from watching me do it, but thought that maybe I was getting a response. The dr said the most important part of the DPS test is that they turn around and LOOK at what is pinching them as opposed to just getting a physical reaction (which may be a reflex). We will try again a bit later today - but MAYBE ... just maybe we're starting to get a response. When we take her in Friday for suture removal we'll ask them to do a proper test again of course.
Also, I'm sure this is just a reflex, but we noticed that every time we express her bladder her tail goes up a bit just before urine starts. Good reflex to help keep her cleaner every time we have to do this instead of it getting all over her tail!
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Marjorie
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Post by Marjorie on Nov 1, 2016 6:02:57 GMT -7
I'm glad to hear that your wife was able to express Moet's bladder, Curtis. Expressing is a skill that can definitely take some practice. It might be easier for your wife to try to express Moet in a prone position. Tips on how to do that can be found here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm
A pinch test at home probably isn't going to tell you much. It can sometimes even be difficult for a vet to determine deep pain sensation. What you can definitely be looking for, which will tell you there is deep pain sensation, is a tail wag when Moet is spoken to in a happy voice or when someone she knows walks into the room. Neurological function usually returns in the reverse order of the damage. 1. Deep Pain Sensation (Only correctly identified by a specialist.) 2. Tail wagging with joy at seeing you, getting a treat or due to your happy talk. 3. Bladder and bowel control proved by passing the "sniff and pee" test. Take your dog out to an old pee spot in the grass. Let him sniff and then observe for release of urine. 4. Leg movement, and then ability to move up into a standing position, and then wobbly walking. 5. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly placed paws. 6. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 2, 2016 9:02:12 GMT -7
My wife is having better luck expressing her bladder, however twice now she had peed in her crate. We are expressing every 5-6 hours at least and getting decent amounts of urine.
This morning we expressed her bladder at 6am and my wife noticed urine in her crate around 10am. She is going to call the doctor about this, because we certainly do not want her bladder distending and overflowing if that's what is happening, but it's hard to believe so because when we express her bladder, it is definitely not overly full. We are actually still both having a bit of a hard time even finding it to do right, but get it eventually.
Also, last night we played around with a paperclip on Moet's skin behind the marks where the doctors indicated loss of feeling for Myelomalacia testing. We observed one doctor do the paperclip end test with us and she started feeling it very close to the marker spots. Last night we noticed that she was beginning to feel it about an inch or even inch and a half further back from the marker spots. Not getting our hopes up yet, but that may be a positive sign of some nerves at the skin level there at least beginning to regenerate a bit. Still no reaction when we attempt to do our own deep pain sensation test the way they described. We'll have them do a proper test Friday when stitches are out.
Other than that, she is doing well. Still very calm probably due to Tramadol. She has pooped three times now since we got her home, so seems that everything bowel wise is working. Somewhat hard/dry stool compared to normal probably due to the Tramadol. That or we are just not noticing it fast enough possibly and it is drying out a bit. ------
Yesterday: Thanks, we'll give the laying down position a try tonight if she is still having problems.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 2, 2016 9:23:24 GMT -7
While learning to express, you may not yet have the proficiency to feel the bladder at the last stage of being quite empty. So it would fill up sooner than you think. Until you get to the level of skill at expressing to fully void the bladder, just move up your expressing an hour or so til you find she is staying dry. Are you expressing for poop? www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm#poop It is not the health issue urine in the bladder is, but more that Moet will not be anxious smelling/finding poop where she sleeps. Plain pureed canned pumpkin's high fiber can firm up stools and help. The amount of water in the diet makes all the difference. NOTE: alternatives are really ripe mashed fresh pear, just take off the peel off; microwaved and mashed peeled sweet potatoe. -- To loosen the stool, add equal parts water to each kibble meal and soak overnight. At mealtime add one teaspoon of plain canned pureed pumpkin 1x a day. -- To firm up the stool add 1 teaspoon plain canned pureed pumpkin 1x a day to kibble and no extra soaking water to the kibble.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 4, 2016 9:36:56 GMT -7
Moet had her stitches out this morning. Her incision looks good.
We are still having problems with her peeing in her crate. Even expressing her every 2-3 hours we find that she is peeing in her crate randomly. We discussed with the doctor this morning and she said that most likely her muscle tone on her urethra is just not very good right now for some reason. We are having to use doggy diapers and change them often in order to keep her drier.
We found one place in DFW that does laser therapy. Plano Animal Clinic. They have a pretty busy schedule and we are still trying to get her worked in for her first consult and treatment. We're also looking into electroacupuncture as well.
[Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 2, 2016 at 10:54am] Ok, that's kind of what we figured about not emptying it all the way. We'll move up our timings for expressing and keep trying.
We aren't expressing poop yet. Just trying to get the hang of urine first and let her rest as much as we can. We'll aim for that once we have bladder expressing down.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Nov 4, 2016 13:19:44 GMT -7
Are you getting a good stream or two of urine each time you express? If so, that should be enough to keep her dry if you do it every two hours. Leaking constantly may also be a sign of a UTI. You may want to get a urinalysis to rule out the need for anti-biotics by bringing in a urine sample for vet to run in his clinic
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 6, 2016 10:51:38 GMT -7
Are you getting a good stream or two of urine each time you express? If so, that should be enough to keep her dry if you do it every two hours. Leaking constantly may also be a sign of a UTI. You may want to get a urinalysis to rule out the need for anti-biotics by bringing in a urine sample for vet to run in his clinic Yes, getting a good stream. We are still finding a little bit of urine in the diaper most of the time. The surgery center said they don't think that she has a UTI, but if we get any additional signs of one at all, we will definitely get her in for a test.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 6, 2016 14:54:07 GMT -7
Curtis, are you able to feel the bladder now? When it is very full it just fills the tummy area and you can't discern the shape of it. But as it empties, it may have the shape of a small plum. The proficiency level you are seeking with this new skill is the last stage of being pretty empty. Are you able to almost feel the fingers of the other hand because the bladder is so flat?
Some UTI's have no observant signs of foul odor, change in color of urine to help you be suspicious of an infection. So with paralyzed dogs and no control of the bladder it may be a good idea to periodically bring in a sample of urine or use the method your local DVM vet prefers and have him run a urinalysis in his clinic.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 8, 2016 9:11:09 GMT -7
My wife is the one that is having to do it almost all the time lately because I'm extremely busy with work. When I have done it, I do not explicitly feel her bladder. We feel around just forward of her pelvic area and push until her tail starts to go up and then keep steady pressure from there and push more towards the rear as the stream starts to go down. It's likely we are not emptying it all the way, but we feel that we're getting as much urine out as before when we would take her outside.
Yes, we will get a sample of urine tested as soon as we can.
My wife took Moet to her first laser appointment at Plano Animal Clinic and without me knowing they did a laser treatment, VOM and apparently had her try to walk across the floor so that the doctor could see any movement at all from her legs. My wife questioned heavily why he needed to try and get her to walk across the floor when she is clearly paralyzed, and agreed to try to let her a little bit, but not much. I'm a bit pi$$ed off at this doctor because of course I have read that VOM is not something to do at all right now, but a doctor is recommending it and trying to get her to walk across the floor knowing fully well that she is on crate rest. When mentioning crate rest the doctor apparently said that isn't really needed after surgery except to let the inflammation after surgery recover.
Suggestions on what to do here? My intention was to have them ONLY perform laser treatments, and that is it. $89 for initial visit and apparently $165 per treatment set. I had read online about people paying $500 or so for entire 21 sessions laser treatment. I feel like this doctor does not have the best interests for Moet and is also very expensive.
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Post by Linda Stowe on Nov 8, 2016 10:04:33 GMT -7
Curtis, I am in Frisco. I have only seen one holistic vet while here. All of my dogs went down while I was in IL. I did take mine to see Dr. Karen Ave in Carrollton for another issue and liked her. Several friends had recommended her. www.animalacuvet.com/ I would definitely change vets. Another one I found although I don't have any recommendations is dallasacupuncturevet.com/ Looks like he is in Plano a couple of days a week and also does house calls. A lot of holistic vets will want to try the VOM. When talking with several boarded neuros, they do not recommend it. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htm You might print out this article from Dr. Isaacs and take it with you. Linda
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 8, 2016 10:34:51 GMT -7
Curtis, you have just provided an example of why it is so important for owners to be up to speed on disc disease. Not all vets can know every disease in detail but owners can know the one most important to them. When there is time would be good for both or you check out the articles you have read on our "All things IVDD" page: www.dodgerslist.com/literature.htm Dr. Isaac's Chiro article is there along with many others including dentals for the IVDD dog. Crate rest for the post-op dog is a bit different than for the conservatively treated (meds + very STRICT rest). Surgery removed the offending disc material. So it is not likely any harm was done with a few footsteps with front legs and dragging back ones at the vet's office. With IVDD knowledge there are no happy tail wags nor bladder control, a test for leg movement is a dubious activity and Chiro VOM could certainly be dangerous to any other possibly prematurely aged discs. Nerves heal typically in the reverse order of the damage to the spinal cord as follows: 1. Deep Pain Sensation (Only correctly identified by a specialist.) 2. Tail wagging with joy at seeing you or getting a treat or meal. 3. Bladder and bowel control verified with the "sniff and pee" test. 4. Leg Movement, and then ability to move up into a standing position, and then wobbly walking. 5. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly place the feet. 6. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run. Dr Isaacs ACVIM (neurology) says "The soft tissue dissection associated with surgery typically takes 4-6 weeks to mend."..Crate rest is important post-operatively to help prevent damage to the surgical site. If a dog gets too active bleeding can occur that leads to a hematoma (blood clot) compressing the spinal cord." Let us know what your surgeon directed for the number of weeks for post op crate rest which does include all the at home PT he has Rx'd. Some want 4 weeks, some 6 weeks, while other situations call for 8 weeks.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 8, 2016 10:58:39 GMT -7
Thank you both for the quick reply. We live in Carrollton and have read about the acu person near us and are trying to setup an appointment.
Yes, I have read all of the great info here but my wife has not yet. I agree that no tail wags, bladder control, pain test are all that is needed and there is absolutely no reason to try and get her to walk on her own without those. A further reason this doctor is full of it.
I just found out that this doctor at Plano Animal Clinic tried to sell my wife $160 in vitamin supplements in addition to the $89 initial visit and $165 laser and VOM. When balking at the price of the supplements the doctor said it's part of the overall treatment and she really needs them. Funny (but not) how supplements are more important than crate rest to him. She also said that the doctor did the VOM and laser at the same time, apparently saying the treatment goes together. My intention was to ONLY do laser so that there is minimal movement of her spine. The doctor essentially said "she is paralyzed, unless you try out-of-the-box treatments, there is nothing that will happen and you cannot hurt her spinal cord any more than it is". Once I find out the name of this doctor I will post it. I'm appalled.
Surgeon ordered 6+ weeks of crate rest. We are doing pretty well with it except that we have to take her out to express bladder more than we expected. The Pack-and-Play we borrowed from a friend is working pretty well for her as well. We are to start home PT with leg stretches and exercises shortly I believe. I cannot remember if that was to start after crate rest is over. We have a sheet at home with directions on that. Her incision is looking very good. Parts of it are very difficult to discern where the cut was.
Our Normal vet Dr. Blonien at Parker Animal Bird Clinic hasn't seen her since surgery, but they do not perform laser therapy.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Nov 8, 2016 14:51:18 GMT -7
Unfortunately it is possible to cause further damage to the spinal cord. Additional disk material could rupture causing further harm. However, with the little bit of movement that Moet did she should be fine.
A surgeon's recommendation of six weeks of post-op crate rest is very common. Usually dogs can do some light PT during the after surgery crate rest period so definitely check on that.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 8, 2016 19:24:51 GMT -7
Curtis, we are always looking for IVDD knowledgeable vets for our Member Directory. It is just a fact of life that not all vets know IVDD....so hope your wife can become as well read as you are to be able to identify when something is not right and politely say "no thank you" to it. Would you consider helping another trying to make decisions… We have a directory where you can share surgical info: dodgerslist.boards.net/board/10/guidelines-posting State: Hospital: Address: Cost: Date of surgery: What was included in cost (MRI?, days stay, ER? PT? meds for home, sling, etc.) Comments: ----- IVDD knowledgeable vet for acupuncture/laser or as a the primary DVM vet: dodgerslist.boards.net/board/10/guidelines-posting vet recommendations: Name of Vet Name of Clinic Street Address City: State or country: Type of vet (general/board certified surgeon, acupuncture, etc.) Comments:
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 10, 2016 8:00:09 GMT -7
Right, this is why I'm pretty upset at the doctor performing the treatment that he did. Yes, hopefully it was limited movement and she will have no adverse effects from it. I'm looking for a new place to do laser therapy alone.
Yes, I will definitely add to these lists soon when I can.
Wanted to bring up something we've noticed lately with Moet. We mentioned before that when expressing her bladder, her tail goes up in reflex (a nice benefit keeping it clean). We've also started noticing recently that her tail shakes side to side after we're done, probably involuntarily, kind of in a way like I imagine having the "chills". Her legs stretch out holding her up a bit as well. Is this something that you all notice(d) with your dogs? I still do pinch tests on her tail and toes almost every day, and we're not seeing progress where she looks back at what she's feeling.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 10, 2016 9:45:28 GMT -7
Curtis, for us humans to be able to distinguish between reflex and brain directed, we have to see some sort of head level involvement with the tail, with a limb or with release of urine so we know the movement was done with purposeful thinking. --- Sniff (head level nose) then release of urine would be brain directed. --- Hear (head level ear) you doing some happy talk and then tail wags is brain directed. Tail and leg movement during potty time can often be a reflex --- Itchy sensation at at neck and then tries to scratch would be purposeful movement. Tickling paws, etc can cause reflex leg movements.
Here is the reason you should stop doing the pinch test. Most DVMs have difficulty in correctly interpreting what they observe with the pinch test...they get it wrong about deep pain sensation. So this is why we always say only trust on a DPS report when a specialist ACVIM (neurology) or ACVS (ortho) tell you about it. Another thing about the pinch test is that is is done with hurtful pressure to the toes, the skin. Daily use of that kind of pressure can hurt the skin cells, etc. Here is the one test that nobody can get wrong..... the happy tail wag. So every day, as many times a day as you want do some happy talk to Moet and then observe for the unmistakeable tail movement showing joy. The happy talk will be good for Moet's spirit, too.
Now, about your own spirit. Since nerves can be the slowest part of the body to self repair, looking every day for some sort of outward sign can be a downer when you don't observe anything. Chances are that the body is working and you simply can't see that inner progress. So take a different tack and instead observe all the good things you CAN see going on around you. Your wife works from home and can give Moet care during the day. Moet is joyful to see you come home, get a treat, a warm meal. How peaceful she looks when sleeping. Fill your heart with all the wonderful things that happen every day. The glass is half full, NOT half empty!
May I ask for your help? When possible avoid using the <quote> button to reply to a post. Thanks bunches!
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 14, 2016 9:36:42 GMT -7
It's been a few days now, but just wanted to comment that we're amazed at how many reflexes Moet has in her hind quarters. We are seeing a lot more tail wagging related to bladder and bowel expressing, and a lot of stretches of both her rear legs too. The tail wagging is helping us understand when we're in the right spot to express her, and also to help let us know that we need to keep expressing or that she is about to poop. I've also noticed when we are just trying to situate her for expressing or putting her in her crate/pack-and-play, touching the bottom of her feet causes her to push her legs out quite quick/strongly via reflex too. Still no progress on a "mental" tail wag, but we're getting more hopefully since it seems that her reflexes are getting better. If nothing else, it is giving us hope that she will be able to spinal walk in the future maybe. When I took her in the grass to express her bladder yesterday, she heard another dog nearby and barked, and I ALMOST think that she wagged her tail a little bit in reaction to that, but it was probably related to expressing some way or another. Prior to her injury she was a big tail-wagger anytime my wife or I walked in the room after being gone, so that will be the "tell-tail" sign (pun intended).
[Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 10, 2016 at 10:37am] Right, the surgeons mentioned the same kind of test for reflex vs "head level" involved movement too. That's why we've been looking for times when she turns around to see what's touching her when scratching her back past the line of nerve injury. I was just trying to get an understanding from experience of what kind of reflexes she has as a paraplegic. This is all new to us and we're just trying to figure it out.
We are in more of a "glass-half-full" mindset lately, and things like these new movements (which are reflexes) that we're just starting to notice are giving us a little bit more hope that maybe some kind of nerve regeneration/recovery is happening and will continue to happen. We're definitely awaiting a tail wag! I'll cease the pinch tests.
Yes, I'll avoid the Quote button. I was doing that so that like on other forums it's easier to see what I was replying to when there are multiple replies prior.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 14, 2016 9:53:35 GMT -7
HI Curtis, thanks for checking in with what's current for Moet. Sounds like all those reflexes are causing muscles to fire ... a good thing for helping to maintain muscle tone! The important thing is that you have a nice routine of caring for her established and feeling confident about the signals you are learning. Keep up the good work! Moet's spirit and interest in life means that when crate rest is over, she'll be BACK enjoying life and family activities even if more time is needed to see how much nerves can self repair. She is till the same loving Moet no matter the degree of nerve healing.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 14, 2016 10:30:03 GMT -7
Yes, we are eagerly waiting the end of crate rest. She is definitely getting antsy to get out. We really wish we had her crate trained properly before. A lot of whining in the middle of the night lately waking us up all night long. We will probably let her sleep in the bed again once crate rest is over if her bladder & bowels get under control.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Nov 14, 2016 14:40:52 GMT -7
Yes it's true. The better they feel the more they want to get going. My Nala's halfway through crate rest and starting to get antsy. Have you tried a stroller for Moet so you can move he/she around the house with you? Just keep your baby under close supervision if you do so no accidents occur. Our pups think they're invincible!
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 15, 2016 20:22:53 GMT -7
Funny you ask because we just got a stroller in today. It works pretty well, and is actually a bit more confining than her crate, so it keeps her even more stable. Has shocks in the wheels which is good for her as well.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 22, 2016 15:15:25 GMT -7
Quick update. We had Dr. Jennifer Smallwood out to our house Sunday for Moet's first electro-acupuncture session. We were going to do laser as well, however she actually recommended against it for Moet in her condition. We are scheduled to start rehab therapy for Moet next Tues.
Report from acu session:
Withdrawl reflexes present both hind limbs patellar reflexes 2+ TCVM Diagnosis: Wei Syndrome with Stagnation Wood Constitution Electroacupuncture BL 11-BL 23, Shen Shu- Shen Peng dry needle BL 10 L(reactive), LI 10, ST 36, BL 40, Liu Feng, LIV 3, Wei-jian, thoracolumbar huatojiji Aquapuncture GV 4, Bai hui did not attempt Aquapuncture at An Shen as she is typically reactive about ears. Comments: 1. Strongly recommend rehab. Aquatic therapy is indicated but typically they are not able to participate in aquatic exercises if they are incontinent. However, there are several ground exercises that can be of great benefit as well. Please discuss options with North Texas Animal Rehab. 2. Many animals are sleepy or lethargic post acupuncture. Some may experience a transient period of soreness. 3. Please provide an update via phone or email mid week.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 22, 2016 18:14:58 GMT -7
When it is time for water therapy do look into underwater treadmill. This video will help you understand the benefits over swimming in water.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Nov 23, 2016 3:07:13 GMT -7
My Nala had this after surgery. She was not springing back. I really believe this helped her to get walking again.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 23, 2016 7:37:48 GMT -7
Yes, we will definitely do water treadmill with her if it's recommended (or anything at that matter). Dr Smallwood said that if we don't see improvement from electro acupuncture within 3-4 more treatments, she would not recommend continuing that.
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Dec 6, 2016 8:10:11 GMT -7
Well we are officially off of 6 week crate rest. Moet is doing very well considering. Last night we finally let her down on the ground on a blanket and let her play with some toys and a tennis ball. She was in heaven after having to sit around so much the past 6 weeks. We are really seeing a lot of movement in her hind quarters that has us pretty encouraged that either she is beginning to have more nerve recovery, or that she will be able to "spinal walk" as we've read about. We lift her rear up and just provide a bit of side-to-side support, and she is able to stay standing like that for quite a while. Without side to side support she can stay up for 10 seconds or so. A little wobbly, but much better than before when we would test this while expressing her bladder. When telling her to sit from there it seems to be a conscious decision going on that causes her rear to go down instead of just falling over. When holding her up lightly while playing, she is very clearly pulling one leg or the other forward to try and move forward towards a toy that is just out of reach. We can see and feel it. Also we swear that her tail moves in reaction to seeing toys and wanting to play with them. If these are still all reflexes, then we're just amazed at how it's possible to have so many. Her bladder and bowels seem more predictable lately because she is letting us know when she needs to go we believe. We are also starting to make it longer through the night without her waking us up. For a while she was waking us up every night around 3-4am, but now that's stretched to 6-6:30, which is nice. We still have to have her in diapers though because she cannot control herself completely. When trying to put her tail through the hole we cut in baby diapers, it can be very difficult to do by yourself because her tail moves so much when you touch it at all. We take her in for her 6 week post-op appointment on Thursday. With all of the new movement we're seeing, we are hoping that the surgeons also recognize improvement and give us a better outlook than we were expecting a few weeks ago.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Dec 6, 2016 11:11:45 GMT -7
Curtis congrats on finishing all 6 weeks of rest. Discuss with your surgeon a plan to introduce her back to family life on a gradual basis and not free reign of the house right away. Some ideas here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htm If you haven't already to make those home modifications so that you can reduce the stress on her spine in the future as she begins to walk again. No more stairs, ramps up to furniture, or blocking furniture all together. All those ideas and more are in this link: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmWith the leg movement you are seeing, I bet the bouyancy of water and floor moving underfoot, will help Moet learn the art of walking again much sooner if you can begin underwater treadmill. We invite you to hop on to our educational bandwagon team. Education about disc disease is our number one mission! We wish we did not have to hear of another dog that was put to sleep because of disc disease nor one denied the correct principles of crate rest to help them heal. We would like all of our members to pay forward for the help they have received with their dog by helping us educate!
We depend on you. Here are two ways to help... -- "Share" our FB posts www.facebook.com/Dodgerslist-- Hand carry our literature to your vets. When in conversation at the grocery store line or wherever you may meet breeds most prone to IVDD (Dachshunds, Beagles, Poodles, Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas) give out our little cards. Ask Linda to send you a free packet: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/litorder.htm-- Browse the Dodgerslist shop just in case you may find something you can't do without! LOL www.dodgerslist.com/store.htmDo share your neuro's comments after your Thursday visit, I bet he will be quite pleased!
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Dec 8, 2016 21:57:28 GMT -7
Thank you very much for the info related to keeping Moet safe around the house. We are doing our best, but will have more to do once she's mobile with a cart soon. Yes, we have also started educating everyone we know about IVDD with dachshunds.
We had a great visit with the surgeon this morning, Dr. Thompson at DVSC in Dallas. We very much like her as she is really passionate about her work and care for the animals. Highly recommend her (and will add info to your recommendation list soon).
She was very impressed with the tone of Moet's rear legs. She did a deep pain test with a pair of surgical clamps/pliers on several toes on each foot. We did get some reaction and attempt to bite Dr. Thompson on her left foot! She also held Moet as she tried to walk around a bit and highlighted how she is indeed pulling her legs forward trying to walk, and the left leg especially is trying to do a lot more when holding her up barely. So we are pretty encouraged by this!
Last night we ordered Moet a cart from Doggon Wheels per recommendation from the therapy center at DVSC. Dr. Thompson believes the cart will help Moet out tremendously with burning some energy and hopefully sleeping longer during the night. Like you mentioned, she also reiterated that hydro therapy may really help Moet since it lets her be buoyant and allow her rear legs to move as much as they can on their own. I believe our second appointment with therapy is next week where she will get to do the treadmill for the first time. Also she said that they as surgeons don't really encourage acupuncture because of the lack of proven studies in Western medicine (not surprising), but that we can certain continue it. We were encouraged by Dr. Smallwood (the acuptherapist) saying previously that if it doesn't help within 3-4 treatments, there really isn't a reason to continue and we should move on to other treatments. Shows that she's in it for the results and not for getting paid.
We discussed Moet's bladder issues still as that is our major concern with all 3 of our daily lives. As mentioned before, we keep a diaper on Moet most of the time due to leakage. We are still keeping her in the pack-and-play next to our bed at night which works well enough for now (at least for the first part of the night). Dr. Thompson said we could put her back into the bed with us if needed to get her to calm down for all 3 of us to get sleep, but be very aware of falls of course. Luckily we only had her jump off the bed one time quite a while ago. With no ability to stop herself from going over an edge since she cannot use her rear legs, we are trying to avoid this if at all possible. Luckily, once she is in the bed with us (historically), she is under the covers quickly and as long as possible. We have to drag her out from under the covers every time!
One issue that we could really use some advice on is diapers. We started out with dog diapers but they are crazy expensive. We're using size 2 pampers for children for less than 1/10th of the price and they work great, EXCEPT that there are tons of grains of a water absorption material that fall out when we cut a hole in them for her tail. Someone has to have run into this issue before and figured out the best way to keep those grains from getting everywhere all over the house and her crate. My only thoughts are to seal the hole we cut with tape (but that would make the time for diaper change double probably), or even figure out how to use one of those heated plastic sealers designed for packaging and food. We are not opposed to cloth diapers at some point since we don't like being environmentally unfriendly with plastic, but at this point we still feel like we're trying to get everything into a grove. So any suggestions on these water absorption grains?
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
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Post by PaulaM on Dec 9, 2016 8:08:26 GMT -7
My last experience with baby diapers was the Costco Kirkland brand with no problem of escaping absorption grains as maybe the absorption stuff was not granular but more in a sheet form??? I do know I first bought some diapers at the dollar store and they had the grains. You may have to try another brand? I just scissor down the center back diaper part to estimated location of tail. Once tail was in position, overlapped the two slit back pieces and duct tape closed above the tail. Then secured side tabs closed to fit dog's waist. Very exciting news that Moet will begin underwater treadmill. Do take some pictures and let us know how it goes. While acupuncture may be a good therapy, laser light therapy may be the better choice. Here is why... The light energy promotes a photochemical reaction which increases cellular metabolism. This, in turn, expedites cell repair. Laser light facilitiates the nerve cells to produce the energy they normally would if healthy so they can function as they normally would. Technical details on power, how the cells receive the light, etc. articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/28/k-laser-benefits.aspx
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Post by Curtis & Moet on Dec 9, 2016 10:06:10 GMT -7
Thanks for the advice on other diapers. So far we've tried Pampers and Huggies. I guess we'll keep going down the list to see if we can find some that do not have the granules. Good to know that some exist at least!
Right now, the doctor doing acupuncture recommended against laser therapy with Moet. I forget the reason, but we will ask her again at her next acupuncture session.
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