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Post by Emily & Zeus on Aug 22, 2017 5:17:17 GMT -7
Today we celebrate our 2nd week and today is the last day of Jazzy's meds so send positive vibes our way that she won't show any signs of pain. I don't want her on meds unless she absolutely has to have them but there haven't been any indications that she needs them anymore so I am hopeful.
She still loves her green tea bath once or twice a week and she is standing up in her kennel and getting comfy a lot easier. She still, of course, needs the sling outside.
We are still trying to make her drink as much as possible. This dog can go hours and hours without peeing or showing signs of an overfilled bladder - idk how she does it and I don't like when she does it. That's the only thing I can really complain about right now because theoretically she isn't supposed to be taking more than a few steps outside but honestly we walk her around the yard on her harness with her sling and just hope that she goes. I don't mind a mess in the kennel (though we have only had that happen once during conservative treatment and that was in the very beginning) - Jazzy is the one that gets upset. She is so traumatized by her early memories of being neglected and laying in her own filth. The one time she went in her kennel about two weeks ago, she started crying and freaking out. It was awful and heartbreaking and that is what I am trying to prevent.
Thursday 8/22 is my first day back to classes which means I won't be working full time and I will be home with her a little more than I have been - she will like laying in her kennel on our couch next to me doing homework. I can't wait!
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Marjorie
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Post by Marjorie on Aug 22, 2017 5:39:52 GMT -7
Hi, Emily. Yes, positive vibes are most definitely being sent your way that Jazzy will have a pain-free taper off of all meds. When you say that she loves her green tea "bath" once or twice a week, I do hope you mean that you're wiping her belly and legs with green tea and not that you're giving her a full bath. Please clarify so we don't worry! If she's not wetting her bedding and getting urine on her, she really should not have any type of cleaning for the 8 weeks of crate rest. The less movement, the better. And I do understand that you're trying to prevent Jazzy from messing in her kennel because of her upset about it, but protecting the spine from further damage really must be your priority right now. Too much movement of the spine and the not-yet-healed disc can tear more or rupture, resulting in nerve damage such as loss of bladder/bowel control and/or paralysis. If she has a relapse like that, she would have to start crate rest over from the beginning. So please do keep her steps to a very few minimum. Enjoy your extra time home with Jazzy.
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Aug 22, 2017 5:48:36 GMT -7
Yes that is what I meant - her "green tea [sponge] bath" consists of her sitting on an extra memory foam mattress with a garbage bag on it and I make sure she sits very still while I wipe her down. I have done it the past two weekends and so that gives us a chance to change out her kennel bed clothes too. Unfortunately she does stink before the weekend because if it rains and the grass is wet, she smells like wet dog and if she takes a nap for a long time and gets too warm under her blanket she begins to mildly sweat which seems to leave a smell as well. If we prevent her from only walking in a very small area she won't even attempt to go potty we've tried and we've been outside with her for so long. She won't move. She will try to sit down and everything. We've only had luck by walking her a little and even then it is hit or miss on if she will go. I don't feel like she should be holding her bladder for 11 hours which she sometimes does. It's frustrating and we don't want to mess anything up. I guess I don't know what to do
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Aug 22, 2017 6:51:30 GMT -7
Emily, have you set up about a 6 foot diameter fenced area in the grass with an ex-pen or some of that poke in the ground garden wire garden edging fence. The physical and the visual of that fence lets her know there will be no sniff festing, no walking around. You carry her out to the fenced area and set her down. Use a sling if she is still wobbly to keep her butt from tipping over. Give her 3-5 mins to pee/poop. If nothing, then try again in an hour.
Where exactly is Jazzy with her wobbly ability. Her back legs ARE moving in walking motions? Do her back paws knuckle under? Do her back legs sometime cross?
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Aug 22, 2017 7:00:04 GMT -7
Alright sounds like we need to go to Lowe's to get something like that. She IS using her legs - putting weight on them and doing walking motions. Her back claws ARE NOT knuckling like they were - they aren't doing that at all. I haven't seen her back legs cross that I know of. I know that I took her out on concrete just for a moment without the sling and she could walk but her back legs tried to slip from under her a couple of times so we are still doing the sling. She is standing up and turning around in her kennel and putting weight on her legs when she needs to though we strongly discourage her from doing that unless it is potty time (and then, she has the sling to help).
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Aug 22, 2017 7:28:22 GMT -7
Emily, what a fab report on the really good path of nerve healing so early in the game. So then she is able to get in enough joint activity and muscle circulation herself with the limited movement you allow. These wire panels are the cheapest stuff I found. Then I can move it easily so one part of the lawn is not getting constant urine burn. Avoid pushing liquids. Keep her bowl filled in the suite and let Jazzy choose when to drink. Keep the water freshen by refilling 2-3 times a day. Dr. Jon @ PetPlace.com says about how much a dog should drink: "There is no steadfast rule. In general, animals should take in two and a half times more water than food. Another useful guideline for dogs weighing 20 pounds or less is that they need about 1 cup (8 ounces) of water for every 5 pounds of body weight. So, a healthy 15-pound dog would need 3 cups of water a day." Dogs mainly cool themselves by panting. They can only actually sweat from the few sweat glands in their paws. There can't be a rule about exactly how much water because water intake is a combo of moisture in food plus lapping water. The weather, how hot, how much panting is going on. Level of activity such as running around a lot. Jazzy is in the cool house and has little activity. So she may only need about 1.5- 2 cups of water (food moisture + drinking). Best is to let her drink what she wants. If she is on a dry kibble, and concerned about water intake not being enough, then soak each kibble meal with equal part liquid in the fridge. Serve slightly warmed in microwave.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Aug 22, 2017 20:41:40 GMT -7
My Nala needs to be expressed and wasn't drinking enough water to pee.
I started adding water to her kibble and warming it for 15 seconds in the microwave and it worked like a charm!!
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Aug 23, 2017 5:45:23 GMT -7
Jazzy is drinking enough she is just being stubborn. We tried to give her food this morning without water in it (we've been doing that for two weeks) and she wouldn't touch it until we added water to it. LOL.
We've ordered that folding garden fence thing and we are just waiting on Lowe's to send a confirmation to pick it up from the store. Our store has 4 of them so if I knew they would be taking so long to go to the garden section and take them to the customer service area then I would have simply gone in to get it myself - I thought I was saving time if they just took it up front and told us when it was ready.
She seems to be drinking enough. I don't know. We are so frustrated because we know that we're cutting some corners and risking her hurting her back again but we're trying. This is so stressful.
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Post by Rob & Oliver on Aug 23, 2017 10:20:28 GMT -7
I always add a decent amount of warm water to Oliver's Stella and Chewy meals to ensure he gets a nice amount of water daily. But he also drinks from his water bowl as well
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Aug 29, 2017 5:00:52 GMT -7
We celebrate 3 weeks of crate rest today and she is still doing great. We are in the midst of a HUGE bathroom remodel and I have been keeping her in a dark room with two sound machines but I hate that she can't be in the middle of it all.
Still no messes in her kennel. She isn't showing signs of pain now that she isn't on her medication. She is still stubborn and won't go in the little fenced in area we have for her but everything else is going great!
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Aug 29, 2017 9:21:03 GMT -7
Emily, terrific news no pain, no meds. Now remains the rest of the 8 weeks to form secure disc scar tissue. You are doing a good job in you care for Jazzy!!!
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 5, 2017 3:44:59 GMT -7
Today we've reached the 4 week mark - we are halfway through!!! That went quicker than I expected. Jazzy is still doing about as same as when I last posted. I feel so bad for her because we watched my moms dogs all Labor Day weekend and so we've had 6 short hair black doxies in our house all weekend. Jazzy has been sad because even though she is in the same room with all of us, she really wants to get out and play. My mom just recused a new doxie and Jazzy hasn't gotten the chance to officially meet him yet - I wish she could.
Another side note that is relevant and irrelevant at the same time - I just scheduled mine and my fiancé's engagement photo session yesterday and we wanted our doggies to be in some of them. They're planned for Oct. 15 and Jazzy should be all healed up at that point! I love when timing works perfectly, as we all know it seldom does.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Sept 5, 2017 7:16:52 GMT -7
Emily, very pleased to hear Jazzy is continuing to heal her disc and no regression with being off all meds...that is how it is supposed to go! How nice that Jazzy will not be missing out in attending the photo shoot... it IS wonderful when a plan comes together!
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Post by Rocco & Sophie on Sept 5, 2017 12:58:09 GMT -7
Great news! And congratulations!
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 19, 2017 5:03:05 GMT -7
Today is our 6 week mark - this is going so fast! Jazzy is still doing great but I am a little uneasy. As the 8 week mark approaches, I am fearful that she will have an episode as soon as recovery ends. Are there any tips/advice about transitioning from crate rest back to normal? I can't wait for snuggles. Just two more weeks to go.
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Marjorie
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Post by Marjorie on Sept 19, 2017 5:28:42 GMT -7
Wonderful to hear that Jazzy is doing well, Emily. Once the full 8 weeks of crate rest are finished, Emily will need to be very gradually reintroduced to movement again. That needs to be done slowly to help build up muscle strength and stamina. You can start reviewing how to do that here but again, that's only to be started once the 8 weeks are finished. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmYou can also start to make your home back friendly to help prevent future incidents: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htmEmily will have some restrictions to help protect her spine. No more stairs. Use ramps over steps/stairs. No more jumping up or down. You'll see a list of never-again activities and back friendly activities on the after crate rest link above. You'll both get used to living with IVDD and it will get easier not to worry. Keep up the good work with Jazzy!
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Post by Rob & Oliver on Sept 19, 2017 12:31:29 GMT -7
Hi Emily. I know exactly how you feel. Oliver just finished his crate rest about 10'days ago and I still look at him like a fragile egg. So what I'm doing is just everything I can basically. Following all of the After Crate rest suggestions, keeping things low key and slowly reintroducing him to the outside and to walking again, a bit at a time. But With each day that passes, and Oliver seems well and no problems arise, I'm gaining some personal assurance and hoping for the best. In other words, the compulsive worrying is getting less and less. Congrats on 6 weeks. That is awesome!!!
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 24, 2017 9:06:08 GMT -7
I'm getting so excited you guys! We have a tad over a week to go! I just bought a ramp for our couch for $30 on eBay (but my mom and I have to create a cover for it because it is just the foam insert) and Jazzy is getting so ready! Chloe misses her sister so bad - they try to play through the bars and so I'm sure there will be wrestling going on once crate rest finishes. I know I am supposed to prevent them from doing that so that Jazzy doesn't have another episode and I will jump in if things get too rough but that's one of Jazzy's joys in life. No more tug-of-was or jumping off of furniture but there are some things that, by depriving her, will bring her less joy than I can bear.
We don't have the money for wood right now but my fiancé and I are thinking of ways we can build a small deck on our back porch (because there are two steps that lead directly to the door with no landing - making it impossible to put a ramp out there) and as soon as we can, we will be fixing it to make it better for Jazzy. We have become more mindful of doing things to help all three of our doxies, just in case. But it is hard when you are a young couple on your own so we have to make changes slowly. The last thing we can do is get a wedge (one of those that makes it easier for wheelchairs to get up on a small ledge) for our laundry room/kitchen area but I think Jazzy would just disregard it and jump across it anyway. She really doesn't have any reason to be going into the laundry room but I am just brainstorming ideas. I'll post photos of our 3 "problem" areas that need to be addressed for Jazzy's sake.
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 24, 2017 9:15:16 GMT -7
Okay I am attaching photos of our 3 "problem" areas - sorry for the mess, our bathroom is still being remodeled so we have stuff everywhere. I am getting a wedge (it is ordered) to replace the dog stairs leading to the couch. The small little area in between the kitchen/laundry is not quite a step high so I am certain that if I spent money on a nice little transition ramp, she would just jump over it anyway. There's nothing I can do about the porch steps as of right now but we are talking about building our own little deck area with a ramp on the side.
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Post by Jean & Mimi on Sept 24, 2017 9:24:34 GMT -7
We built a ramp ourselves for our back yard as well. We built two...one off a step and one off the patio. We trained her to use the ramps and she does great! I think you could do something small for that transition area and maybe just carry your dog out into the yard until you get something built there?
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 24, 2017 9:50:32 GMT -7
Oh yes, that's what we plan on doing for the time being. Could you share a photo of the ramp you have off your back steps?
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Marjorie
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Post by Marjorie on Sept 25, 2017 5:34:56 GMT -7
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Sept 26, 2017 6:35:26 GMT -7
7 weeks!!!
Unfortunately that kind of ramp won't work. The laundry room is super small so that king of longer ramp would probably make people trip and not only that but our water heater is behind a door right to the right of that step - we would have to be able to open and close it. I am not sure if a transition ramp would even allow that door to be opened so I would probably need a ramp that can be easily moved out of the way. I'll see how it goes. I really don't think she will go into the laundry room - that's how you get to the back door but we don't intend on allowing her to go down the back steps by herself until we build a ramp out there.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Sept 26, 2017 13:23:30 GMT -7
Almost there at 7 weeks! Is the picture with the mat saying go away the one by the laundry room? If so, that seems to me like a very small step that she should be able to do without any real pressure on her back.
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Oct 3, 2017 5:13:32 GMT -7
Today is the best day ever! It's my 21st birthday and the day that Jazzy has graduated from crate rest - she is now onto bigger things like recovering!!! I let her walk around the house on carpet before I left for school and she is so happy. We will be doing physical therapy ourselves and I am hoping and praying she continues to fight as hard as she has been!
Our foam ramp for $30 (off eBay) came in last weekend and it is perfect, our other two dogs love it and I know Jazzy is going to love it even more!
8 weeks ago...I wouldn't have even thought I'd be so happy around this time - I was guilt ridden that we could not afford surgery for her and I never thought she would walk again. I cried non-stop every single day over it. It was a rough beginning. This, of course, doesn't mean she will never have another episode but I think having this experience will absolutely make it a little easier. Thank you so so so much Dodgerslist. You saved Jazzy - I didn't have the education about IVDD and neither did my vet but you guys did. I cannot ever thank you all enough for the love and support you've shown for Jazzy. We will still be around on the forum, if that's okay.
www.dodgerslist.com/forumads/Graduate.jpg
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Marjorie
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Post by Marjorie on Oct 3, 2017 5:51:10 GMT -7
Happy birthday to you, Emily! And happy graduation day to Jazzy! Congratulations to both of you for completing the full 8 weeks of crate rest. Take it nice and easy with Jazzy for the next few weeks. Re-introduction to movement needs to be done very slowly to gradually build up muscle strength and stamina. Here's more information on how to do that with a good suggested schedule: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/AfterCrateRest.htmWe'd love for you to stick around the forum, Emily! You've learned a lot about IVDD during the last two months and you're in a good position to help others who are going through their own journey with IVDD. We invite you to hop on to our educational bandwagon team in any way that makes you happy. 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.
--- You've been there, and are doing it....if you see another member on the Forum needing support or information share what you know to be true or point them to one of our many IVDD articles. The "search box" on each page makes quick work to find the right helpful link: www.dodgerslist.com/-- "Share" our FB/twitter/ posts to widen the reach of IVDD knowledge www.facebook.com/Dodgerslist twitter.com/DodgersList-- Hand carry our literature and introduce us to your vet. When in conversation at the grocery store line or wherever you meet breeds most prone to IVDD (Dachshunds, Beagles, Poodles, Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas) to give out our little cards. Ask Linda to send you our free packet: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/litorder.htm
-- We have a store where you might find something you absolutely need! Our earnings go to paying for our webpage and literature to hand out. www.dodgerslist.com/store.htm-- Don't forget to add a photo to the gallery and 1-2 sentences. Give inspiration to others just starting a scary IVDD journey. Directions to u/l here: dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/2262/put-dodgerslist-photo-gallery-calendarPrayers for many happy years ahead for you and Jazzy with no further disc problems.
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Post by Rocco & Sophie on Oct 3, 2017 7:31:57 GMT -7
Happy Birthday and congrats to Jazzy! It's very overwhelming at first but you did a great job!
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 3, 2017 7:59:14 GMT -7
Emily, what a wonderful present for your birthday and congrats on seeing Jazzy through all 8 weeks of crate rest. You did a wonderful job in caring for her and an outstanding job in learning about IVDD and advocating for what she needed. We sure do hope you will have time to see where you can help another with your personal insights so fresh in your mind.
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Post by Emily & Zeus on Dec 1, 2017 16:30:33 GMT -7
Hi everyone! Jazzy and I are back with a question. Jazzy graduated conservative treatment in October but ever since then we have been wiping her female area with non scented baby wipes because she doesn’t squat high enough - she is basically sitting in her pee when she goes outside. Is there anyway we can help her not to do this? Has anyone else had this happen after a IVDD episode? Thanks! adding a photo from our engagement shoot - Jazzy is pictured on the right ❤️
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Dec 1, 2017 19:46:34 GMT -7
What a beautiful photo!
I'm having the same problems with my girl. I don't have an answer other than I keep a roll of toilet paper handy. TP does a good job of absorbing all from the skin and fur. RoxsieToes is a long hair and I try to aways to get her to pee on grass or snow where urine is more likely to soak in faster rather than a paved surface where it is a messy puddle. RosieToes needs a butt rinse several times a month, something I never had to do with my short hair.
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