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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 8, 2013 20:44:50 GMT -7
We have six dachshunds. Penny is a full size mix and is almost 14 yrs old. Maggie, Schatzie and Katie are 9 1/2 yrs old. Betsy and Mikey are around 8 1/2 yrs old. Maggie had back surgery in 2010. Katie had her back surgery in Aug 2011. Dr Milton in Birmingham performed both surgeries and both dogs had full recoveries.
We noticed Katie was not wanting to be around the other dogs, not eating and having a little difficulty walking. We observed her overnight and decided a trip to the vet was needed. Dr Graydon at Eastmont Animal Clinic recommended crate rest and put Katie on anti-inflammatory meds. We had to go out of town for gran child's birthday and debated taking Katie with us. We have an excellent dog sitter that we have used for over five years, so we decided Katie would be more comfortable at home instead of surrounded by our six young grandchildren. We called and checked on her periodically. When we returned from out of town we realized we needed to take her back to vet. Dr Graydon recommended we take her back to Dr Milton in Birmingham as soon as possible since he was familiar with her past problems. She even called and got us worked in their schedule.
My husband took off work and drove the 1 1/2 hrs to Birmingham. Dr Milton evaluated Katie and could tell that it was her neck, since this time not only was she having trouble with hind legs, but with front legs. Katie was also dropping or curling her paws under. She could still walk a few steps, but was very wobbly. He said that we could try medical option, but because Katie was not exhibiting any signs of pain he recommended surgery. It sounded like we could try a medical option, but we might lose the window to prevent paralysis. Also, Dr Milton said she should have full recovery. Even though Katie had surgery once before we felt like she was a healthy 9 1/2 yr old mini dachshund and could still have many more good years, so we opted for surgery.
Katie had her surgery on the 5th. We have already talked with them several times each day since. Katie has been up walking. They have her in antibiotics and pain meds. She still hasn't voided, but we were told this was okay for the first 24 hours after surgery. Her eating is still poor. We drove the 1 1/2 hrs (really more like 2 hrs with traffic) to visit her today. She was happy to see us and we were able to get her to eat a cheeseburger pattie.
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 8, 2013 21:37:41 GMT -7
Welcome to Dodgerslist, my name is Pauliana, what is your name? I am so glad Katie is walking so soon after surgery. Many dogs don't eat well in the hospital away from home and family. I am glad you were able to feed her a hamburger patty. Once she comes home, hopefully her appetite will return. Her stomach is likely upset and it's a good idea to ask the Vet if there is any medical reason why she can't take Pepcid AC as it would protect her stomach while on the Anti Inflammatory. (Steroid or NSAID?) Let us know the names of the medications she comes home with, as well as the dosages and frequencies given. Here is a list of discharge questions to ask her surgeon on the day she gets to come home! www.dodgerslist.com/literature/dischargequestions.htmHere are some tips for caring for a dog with a cervical disc problems.. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htmHere are some tips for getting her crate recovery suite ready. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmYou have been through this many times before but it is never easy. You do have your hands full with 6 beautiful Dachsies! Keep us posted on how Katie is doing, we'll be thinking of her.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 8, 2013 22:07:25 GMT -7
Thanks Pauliana,
I'll be sure to go out and read the documents at the links provided. I'm Jane (aka Granknee). My husband, Tom, and I are in our sixties (though we don't consider ourselves senior citizens).Katie is a 9 1/2 yr old miniature red dachshund weighing around 10 lbs.
We were a little surprised when we saw Katie today. We didn't realize for the neck that they would go in under her neck as opposed to above. Katie did bounce back very quickly when she had her back surgery in 2011. Much quicker than our doxie, Maggie, in 2010. Though I will say Dr Milton told us Maggie's was the worse he had seen in his whole career. Judging from Katie's walking today it looks like she will bounce back quickly again.
Also, I telecommute from home, so I'll be able to closely watch Katie and keep her separate from our other five doxies while she recovers. Katie is one of our worse pullers when walking on a leash. We do use harnesses on all our dachshunds when we walk. We certainly don't want her to pull any on her neck once she recovers. Is there a harness that is recommended for dogs that have had surgery like hers?
I might also mention that Katie is our most stubborn dachshund and our worse pill taker. So I'll definitely be buying some pill pockets or Velveeta to aid administering meds.
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Post by natureluva on Jun 9, 2013 5:53:18 GMT -7
Hi Jane, glad to hear that Katie made it through the surgery with flying colors! We follow what the most knowledgeable IVDD vets recommend for post-op care, and that is 6 weeks of crate rest. The dog is allowed out for potty breaks several times per day and whatever physical therapy is recommended. Since Katie is already walking, you may want to set up an ex-pen in the yard in a 6' radius. You can place her inside so that she cannot bolt, and you will not have to use the harness until her neck is well-healed. I haven't heard of a harness that doesn't involve the chest/lower neck area, but maybe some of our other members have.
Please let us know what meds and dosages Katie is discharged with. If she is on an NSAID or steroid, make sure you protect her tummy from the excess acid produced by these drugs with Pepcid AC. The usual dose is 5 mg given 30 minutes before each dose of NSAID or steroid. Just advise your vet that you are doing so.
We look forward to hearing how Katie does throughout crate rest! Best wishes, ~Lisa
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 10, 2013 18:11:18 GMT -7
Katie is coming home tomorrow! We found out to late today to drive the 3+ hours to Birmingham to pick her up.
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 10, 2013 20:59:43 GMT -7
Hi Jane!
Looking forward to hearing how Katie is settling in her recovery suite once she gets home. Let us know what the vet has to say upon her discharge and the medications she is sent home with. I am sure she will be excited to see you.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 11, 2013 14:05:23 GMT -7
Katie is in the house! I have her crate sitting in chair facing me, so she can watch me while I telecommute. She is happy to be home and the other five members of our doxie pack were happy to see her. They were all lined up at kitchen gate watching as we brought into the den. I'll post more details later tonight.
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 11, 2013 20:08:30 GMT -7
Hi Jane!
Welcome home Katie! Sounds like she is settling in nicely and it's great she can see you while you work on your computer. What did the Vet say when you picked her up? What medications was she sent home with/
Healing wishes over the miles!
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 11, 2013 21:07:35 GMT -7
Katie had surgery to remove ruptured disc C5-6. Her prognosis is Good and notes show making good recovery. Said she is slow to empty bladder, but she seemed to do fine when we took her in the yard. We do need to find a good chest harness to keep her in check, not an issue at the moment, but will be as she improves. She is moving pretty good though slowly and a little unsteady. Softened her food and she cleaned her bowl. Katie is the most stubborn of our six doxies and our worse pill taker. We were able to get afternoon meds in without a problem, but her bedtime dose was challenging. Finally succeeded on second try.
Meds: Simplicef - 100 mg 1/2 tablet 1 x a day Robaxin - 500 mg 1/4 tablet 2 x a day ( every 12 hrs) Tramadol - 50 mg 1/4 tablet 2 x a day (every 12 hrs) Previcox - 57 mg 1 tablet 1 every other day
Diet - Normal (weighs 10.5 lbs)
Exercise - confine (4' x 4') leash walk with chest harness 4 x day to urinate and deficate. No free/playful activity for 6 weeks
Comments - make sure urinates
Sutures/evaluation in 2 weeks and 6 weeks
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 11, 2013 21:18:00 GMT -7
Does Katie's pain seem under control? Pain signals are: shivering, yelping, reluctance to move, tight hard tummy. back arching? .
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,611
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 12, 2013 9:29:20 GMT -7
While on Previcox, do give serious consideration to protecting the stomach lining with Pepcid AC. The FDA and manufacturer pkg insert indicate gastrointestinal problems are side effects of using NSAIDs. The natural defenses of the stomach to shield against stomach acid is hindered when taking NSAIDs. Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation, can occur at any time, with or without warning symptoms. Phrase the question to your vet this particular way:" Is there a medical/health reason for my dog not to take Pepcid?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in stomach protection by giving doxies 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the NSAID. This drug directory is in alpha order… easy to look up all of Katie's meds: www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htm
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 16, 2013 17:37:54 GMT -7
Sorry for not updating more often. Had big project go in this weekend and had to work extra. Katie seems to have good days and bad days. Sometimes there isn't a problem getting her out of the crate to go potty. Other times you have to reach in and get her out of the crate and she just refuses to walk and lays down. We have been carrying her outside in her plastic crate. Unfortunately, I also have a bad back and it's difficult for me to lug the crate back and forth. We have six grandkids age 1-7 yrs., so we have two play yards. We really only need one, so we decided to repurpose the inexpensive one into a recovery suite for Katie. She seems to like it and it will make it easier for us to pick her up and carry her outside. Also, there is room to place her water and food bowl stand on one end so we don't have to move her to eat. We are feeding her several small meals and adding things like chicken to tempt her to eat. The med taking is challenging. If she even suspects you are trying o give her a pill, she flat refuses to take it. It's really hard to tell how much some of this is her stubbornness or whether she doesn't feel good. My husband is going to call surgeons office tomorrow to see if there is more we should be trying to do with her.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 17, 2013 9:33:48 GMT -7
After call to surgeon's office they asked us to bring Katie back. Husband drove back to B'ham and met with vet. They are going to keep her, change her meds, be sure she is urinating and get her back on her feet. So Katie could be there a day or two or longer. I'll keep you posted on her progress. Of course, my husband said she stood for them in exam room. So I suspect some of the problem is her extreme stubbornness.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,611
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 17, 2013 13:34:14 GMT -7
Let us know when she is back home and what the vet said…I know this all has been a challenge for you both when things do not go smoothly.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 22, 2013 19:10:03 GMT -7
Katie is still as the surgical center in B'ham. Tom talked with them today and it sounds like the change of meds is finally working. Dr Milton will be back from vacation tomorrow and should remove her staples an re-evaluate Katie. So we are hoping we will get to bring her home early next week.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,611
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 22, 2013 20:03:56 GMT -7
The important thing is the pain is under control now…so glad to hear that. Keep the reports coming…what meds did they change to?
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 25, 2013 17:19:53 GMT -7
Just got off the phone with Dr Milton. He plans to watch Katie's for another couple of days at the surgical center. She is having good days and then bad days where they can't control the pain. He is not happy with her progress at this point. She was walking much better after surgery than she is now. If she continues this way, he would like to do another myelogram to see if some disc material was missed. If that is the case, Katie would be looking at another surgery. Dr Milton will continue to watch Katie closely and talk with us further before decision is made for another surgery.
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Post by Pauliana on Jun 25, 2013 21:13:48 GMT -7
Sorry to hear Katie is still at the surgical center and may have to have another surgery. Thanks for keeping us posted.. We all will be praying for her and for you and family!
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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 Jun 26, 2013 8:01:07 GMT -7
Prayers and healing thoughts for Katie (((hugs)))
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,611
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 27, 2013 18:11:51 GMT -7
How's Katie doing… did she need a surgery? We are all thinking about you and Katie.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jun 28, 2013 7:20:31 GMT -7
My husband talked with tech yesterday.He was told they could see signs of improvement. So sounds like dr is not considering surgery after all. They will watch her over the weekend and if she continues to show signs of improvement hopefully we can go pick her up. He did say they put her back on prednisone. We were so excited. The thought of putting her through back to back neck surgeries and the additional pain and recovery time was not something we were looking forward to.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers for our sweet Katie!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,611
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 28, 2013 12:24:25 GMT -7
Good news then that she can go the conservative treatment route. Do let us know all the details on her meds she is sent home with (dose in mg, frequency) What did the surgeon think the cause of the pain was…another disc, the same disc, or was not able at surgery to get all the disc pieces removed?
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jul 5, 2013 16:27:53 GMT -7
Great news! Katie is finally back home. My husband drove up to Birmingham and picked her up this morning. You could tell she was glad to be home after her extended stay at the surgery center. She seems to be moving pretty good. She is to stay on crate rest and only go out to do her business four times a day. The dr has her on Prednisone 1/2 5 mg tablet every other day and Gabopentin 1 capsule 100 mg every 8-12 hours.
So far she has cleaned her food bowl, is drinking water and is eliminating without difficulty. As I've mentioned before Katie does not like to take pills and is very suspicious of treats when she thinks you are trying to trick her. I gather the staff at the surgery center had to get creative to be sure she took all her meds. We were able to get her afternoon meds in her on second try by slipping in a slice of a hotdog. We have stocked up on hot dogs, Velveeta, pill pockets and some canned dog food. Hopefully, if we change up the pill taking method often enough we can sneak meds in her. Katie goes back in two weeks for what was originally her six week checkup after surgery.
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jul 7, 2013 17:10:25 GMT -7
Katie had a good day yesterday. No problems with eliminating, eating or with pill taking (hot dogs are doing the trick). She is still moving pretty good and can even shake her head without pain. She did wake up during the night barking, but we did hear another of our dogs moving around in kitchen. We are keeping her crated in our den separate from our other dogs. Before we could get up to check on her she settled down.
Today she has been doing pretty good. She is not always eliminating when taking her out, but she doesn't like rain and it has been raining off and on for days. We will see how she does tonight. So far we are very pleased with her progress. We had been real concerned when she had relapse and had to go back to the surgical center.
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Post by Pauliana on Jul 7, 2013 20:00:26 GMT -7
Hi Jane! Very glad to hear that Katie didn't need to have the second surgery. What a relief for all of you and for us too! Does her pain seem to be under control now that she is home?
Thanks for keeping us posted on how she is doing!
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jul 7, 2013 20:46:01 GMT -7
Pauliana,
Yes, so far giving her the pain meds every 12 hours is keeping the pain under control. Today she was even acting playful. She did fine tonight when I took her out. Can't say I did though. Hard to dodge the doggie-doo in the dark. I had laid her nightly treat on crate before I took her out, so when I went to put Miss Nosy in the crate she raised up to eye it. Besides being one of our most stubborn doxies, she has always been greedy and quick to jump in and grab a treat when we are handing out to all the pack. Beginning to see her personality come back out so you can tell she is beginning to feel her old self.
It sure was looking for a few days that a second neck surgery was the next option, so glad she turned the corner without it. Hopefully, Katie will now continue to progress and make a full recovery.
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Post by Pauliana on Jul 7, 2013 21:18:47 GMT -7
Seeing her personality come back is a great sign of her recovery progress too!
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jul 9, 2013 20:36:30 GMT -7
Katie had a good day yesterday and today. She is still moving good, eating well with no problems eliminating. She still is on crate rest going outside four times daily. We are sticking with the hotdog slices to hide medicine, because it is working so well. So I guess the block of Velveeta we bought for another option will make us some nice nachos this weekend.
You can tell she is feeling much better. She is getting a little playful when you take her out of crate and is beginning to show some reluctance to return quickly to crate. When the other dogs bark she is joining in. She was one of our biggest barkers next to our Mikey. Tonight when I was letting our other five out she barked loudly to let me know she didn't like being left out and having to wait her turn.
We are real pleased with her progress. We had our doubts with the earlier issues we had after her surgery that she would make a full recovery. The way she is acting now we are expecting a full recovery. We are real anxious though on how she will be once she comes off the pain meds. If she continues at this rate she is at we will call the vet and see if we should begin to taper her pain meds down.
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Post by natureluva on Jul 10, 2013 5:31:23 GMT -7
Hi Jane! Sounds like Katie is doing very well!! Her personality returning shows that her pain is well-controlled. When your vet gives the OK to start tapering the meds, keep a keen eye on her for signs of pain (reluctance to move, yelping, panting, shivering/trembling, a tight-feeling tummy). Report any of those signs to your vet, and he may advise you to continue the course of meds for another round. My fingers are crossed that the taper goes well - please let us know! You're doing such a great job with Katie. Best wishes, ~Lisa
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Post by Jane's Katie on Jul 10, 2013 20:50:19 GMT -7
Katie continues to improve. You open her crate to let her out and she is ready to go. When taking her out her four times a day on the leash you are actually having to use the leash to keep her in check. You can tell she is eager to get loose and explore the yard. She is not only walking without difficulty you can tell if you let her loose she would be trying to run. It's just amazing that a week ago she was doing so poorly after her surgery on 06/05 and relapse that the surgeon was contemplating another myelogram and possibly another surgery to see what was missed. She even shakes her head and flaps her ears without problems so she is definitely not in any pain. Today is five weeks post surgery and only six days after her second release from the surgical center,
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