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Post by sophiesdad on Jul 17, 2013 10:41:35 GMT -7
Hi all! I just joined your forum and Facebook page.
My 3 year old Sophie went down with two herniated disks on March 17th ( exactly 4 months ago)
She had surgery, and is doing ok now...still not walking, but otherwise healthy and happy.
She is VERRRRY slowly making progress, we feel. She have feeling, and strong muscle movement in her rear legs. She has a wheelchair and can scoot around. We are doing everyhting we can think of for her.
The problem is that about a month ago, she began to lick her toes furiously... one foot only--she ignores the other one.
One night, she began to nibble at it and the resulting injury required sticthes. Since , we have kept a small boot on the foot to prevent her form getting to it. * the vet insisted on a collar, but she gets around it, hates it, and I can't see her living 24/7 with that thing on her.
But the boot was working fine for a while. Last night, I left the room for a few minutes thinking she was asleep, and she ripped thorugh the boot and bit her toes again...not too serious. I cleaned and bandgaged the cut. No trip to the emergency clininc required...THIS TIME. But our nerves are shot. She needs constant watching.
We have her on Gabapentin, but it doesn't seem to be having any affect at all. Has anyone else experienced this, post op? We have come this far and we all still have hope that she may walk again someday. It would be terrible if she lost a foot or toes at this point. ANY suggestions would be great!! Thanks,
Tony
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,598
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 17, 2013 11:32:51 GMT -7
Tony, welcome to Dodgerslist. I'm sorry to hear Sophia is suffering from neuropathic pains that can follow a spinal cord injury.
Everyone has experienced numbness or pins and needles tingling in your legs when sitting in a bad position for too long a time. Your dog can be feeling abnormal nerve sensations that are mild pins and needles to quite painful burning, on-fire feeling that makes them bite to stop the pain. These are abnormal signals explaining why a paralyzed dog can feel this neuropathic pain.
Gabapentin is used for this type of pain as well as an e-collar when you are not there to keep your eyes on what she is doing. Gabapentin does not cure the neuropathy. Usually with some time it goes away.
What dose in mg and how often was Gabapentin prescribed for?
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Post by sophiesdad on Jul 17, 2013 13:40:39 GMT -7
Thanks Paula,
She is on [gabapentin] 25 MG , twice daily but it does'nt seem to be helping much .
Very frustrating....very scary. As soon as that boot is off she goes right to the foot and licks it incessantly. It's obvious that it feels very weird to her and she yanks it away and just looks at it... It's breaking my heart.
I just don't want her to bite the toe off...the first time this happened, it needed stitches. I'm afraid to wrap it too tightly and cut off circulation...the velcro on the boot is ok, but if she has enough time she will yank that boot off.
Vet keeps insisting on collars but I can't see her wearing that thing all the time. Someone is always home, so we rarely have to leave her alone, but if we do, we can crate her with the boot AND the nylon 'drag bag'.
She really flips out when collar is on and hates it. We tried the soft and plastic kinds. It's hard to watch. Not sure what to do. She was making such good ( yet slow) strides...If you hold her back leg, and touch her pads, she can yank it right out of your hand. So there IS muscle strength and sensation there. But if she loses a foot or toes, that will be tragic.
Cheers,
Tony
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,598
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 17, 2013 17:02:36 GMT -7
Did you get with the vet and advocate for a more aggressive Rx on the gabapentin?
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Post by sophiesdad on Jul 17, 2013 18:27:25 GMT -7
Yep..seeing him tomorrow. We may try a different med altogether or simply increase the Gabapentin.. I've also been getting a lot of great comments and advice from friends who have gone through similar ordeals. One suggested BITTER APPLE spray on the booty and after the cut heals, directly on her foot.
I think that , between the booty and her 'drag' bag' it will be very tough for her to get at her foot. But the drag bag is another hting that is a little uncomfortable for her and I don't want to keep her in it all the time. She used to be a maniac around the house...so it's hard for her ( and me) to adjust to crates, collars, and nylon pouches. THe boot was working really well, but just recently she began to pay more attention to it for some reason..perhaps the feeling is differnet or the tingling is worse...
I also got advice to wrap the foot in guaze and self-sticking medical tape...and THEN do the boot. I think that is a good idea, but my concern is that the wrap will be too tight and I would cut off circulation. Thre vet cautioned me about wrapping a dog's leg improperly, so now I'm as bit paranoid.
Anyway, thank yu so much for taking the time. I truly appreciate it. We'll just have to be a littlem ore dillligent. Fortnualty, someone is always home with her..so we watch her closely. and she sleeps right next to my head, lol....so the slightlest movement wakes me up.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,598
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 18, 2013 10:07:03 GMT -7
I agree you have to be very careful to not cut off circulation with the vet wrap. Best of course is to get the right combo of meds on board. What did your vet prescribe today?
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Post by sophiesdad on Oct 27, 2013 1:30:37 GMT -7
My little buddy, Sophie, is now 7 months post surgery. She has very good motor function in her hind legs, and seems to have pain sensation, and knows when she has to urinate and have bowel movements. But she is still not able to stand for more than a few seconds. I've read that 9 months is about as long as it can go for the spine to heal ....Is there any chance she may regain SOME ability to walk ..even a little bit?
Whatever happens, she is the love of my life. She has a 'Cadillac' from Eddie's Wheels..and she will have a great life...but for her sake, I'm hoping she can get up and get around again.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,598
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 27, 2013 9:59:50 GMT -7
Tony, there is not a time limit on nerve healing. We have had even a few 3 years from injury having functions return. Are you saying she can sniff an old spot in the grass and then release urine? That is the proof of bladder control. If yes, then it appears Sophia is moving along nicely with nerve healing. Have patience her body is working on this. Nerves heal typically in the reverse order of the damage to the spinal cord: 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. Acupuncture, Laser light therapy can stimulate the nerve endings to regenerate. Have you or are you doing any of those therapies? Underwater tread mill is an outstanding therapy to help the legs get moving in a walking motion. So I would check into that if you have a rehab clinic in your area. If not this article shows how you can do water therapy at home: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/watertherapy.htm Are you also doing daily PT with her rear legs to keep her joints flexible and from freezing up and maintain muscle circulation? This is a good article on that: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/massagepassiveexercises.htmHave you ordered some of our free literature to help spread the word about IVDD. We'd like all members to tell their vet about this Forum and share how Dodgerslist has helped you care for your dog. Our brochure for your vet would make an excellent addition to his toolbox for educating future clients. Don't leave the house w/o the small cards… you never know when you meet an owner of breeds prone to disc disease (Dachshunds, Beagles, Poodles, Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas are most affected) order here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/litorder.htmHighly recommended is adding this comprehensive "must-have" $3 DVD on IVDD to your arsenal of educational resources. Friends, family and those who will be caring for your dog should also watch this DVD; plus don't forget to order one DVD for your vet www.dodgerslist.com/literature/litorder.htm |
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Post by sophiesdad on Oct 27, 2013 13:26:27 GMT -7
Thank you so much Paula!!!!! I will keep you posted on her progress.. Looking to get her into therapy clinic this week.
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