Tammi's Jackson's 5/15 Surgery cocker spanial

Hi everyone,

I am so grateful I was directed to this site.  It has been an overwhelming and often lonely (in that you feel like you are the only person/dog that has ever gone through this) and scary month.  I have never heard of IVDD and during the last month or so I have had moments of fear, confusion, and helplessness.

Jackson is a five year old cocker spanial, and on May 1st I noticed he didn't want to move and was trembling.  I took him to the vet and was told "he probably just hurt himself" and he was given a prescription for Metecam.  For a few days he seemed to do well, but a week later on May 8th, he was experiencing the same symptoms.  We took him to a different Vet on the 8th and was told it was probably a disc issue and if he needed to be on crate rest for 8 weeks unless it got worse.  By the next day it was worse.  However, when we went to the same Vet and saw a different doctor, his pain medication had kicked in and he appeared a lot better.  At this time, his adreneline had kicked in and he "appeared" okay.  The doctor took blood and did an xray.  He found nothing alarming and told us if we weren't comfortable with his diagnosis, to go to a speciality center in our region.

We did the following day (Friday the 10th) and the neurologist said he passed his neuro exam and told us to continue crate rest unless it got worse.  I swear Jackson had a way of fooling the vets...  By Saturday he was crossing his back limbs and his feet were starting to knuckle.  We took Jackson back to the speciality center and he was admitted for a reevaluation by the neurologist.

He had an MRI on Monday morning that led to an IVDD diagnosis and was scheduled for surgery 2 days later.  The surgeon said he was suprised that Jackson wasn't in more pain because of how displaced the disc appeared.  Surgery on the 15th went well and he was initially moving his hind legs.  However, throughout the following day he lost all motor function of his hind legs.   The surgeon believed it was due to a small blood clot and kept saying he was "a little concerned".  I didn't know how to take that... Those first three days were terrifying.  On Sunday though, we had leg movement and he no longer needed to be expressed.

Jackson came hom Monday with the following medications: 1 Tramadol 3 times a day,  2 Gabapentin 3 times a day, 1 Clavamox 2 times a day, Prednisone on a taper schedule, and Omeprazole once daily.  He was also given a prescription for Trazadone incase he gets too excited in his crate.

He is in good spirits.  He is eating and drinking and urinating and defacating outside without need for expression.  I have noticed during "bicylcle motions" during PT that his left hind left appears much weaker than his right hind leg. This was also the leg that was beginning to lose function/ buckle prior to surgery. Has anyone else been through this, where one leg appears signifigantly stronger than the other?

It has been almost three weeks and with the harness he does quite well. (Not that we allow that other than for PT and bathroom breaks) He had his 2 week followup last week  and the doctor had him "walk" unassisted for assessment.  You could see that he wanted to go so badly but his back legs aren't ready for that.  He looked like he was on ice. He graduated from ONLY being outside to go to the bathroom to being allowed 3 5 minute walks with a towel for support as part of his PT. 

The doctor said where he is at 6 weeks is usually a good sign as to how he will be long term.  Can anyone that has been through this attest to that?






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