Misty's Saydee - 3/13 Conservative NECK

My Saydee lays on one side. She does not like to turn to other side or lay on tummy. So, since she is still peeing in her crate and mainly when we pick her up (like emptying her bladder at that time) she gets wet up to her front paws covering her entire side.  We clipped a lot of excess hair (shes long haired) yesterday on her hind legs, bottom and tail yesterday and rinsed her down on the kitchen counter of course making the biggest mess ever to make her fresh.  This morning she is soaked again, her entire side she is laying on needs to be washed.  I know minimal movement is our goal, so we do try and do everything we can when we already have her out.  But, could anyone suggest the best way to bathe/clean up with out much movement.  

Also, anyone else have a baby that strictly lays on their side and prefers one side to the other.  I am worried about bed sores and such?

Thank you,
Misty
Saydee's Momma

Misty, so glad to see you here with us in our new improved home. Your feedback that this format is more helpful in learning about disc disease care makes our hearts very warm!! Thank you.

I am very concerned still days later that you are writing about Saydee's pain. Her pain meds are not yet right. Neck discs are very painful and can often take more aggressive meds. So get with your vet to let them know she is guarding her neck movements (won't bend neck down, won't drink out of a bowl.)

Did you see what I wrote at the old List on 3/14?
It does not sound like pain is being controlled….meds should be adjusted. Does the hydrocone have acetaminophen as an ingredient? There is concern, however, about long-term acetaminophen consequences in dogs due to the fact that canines are not as efficient at metabolizing acetaminophen as people are. "It should be noted that both morphine and codeine appear to have poor oral bioavailability in dogs and cats, which makes their efficacy questionable." Anecdotal reports of pain relief exist, but the results tend to be inconsistent. www.vasg.org/chronic_pain_management.htm


REad here about the meds most vets are using with a disc episode. Tramadol is the key pain reliever along with a muscle relaxer such as methocarbamol. Scroll down to the blue highlighted box to read the typcial meds.
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htm

Discuss with your vet about Tramadol 3x a day instead of Hydrocondone and then adding Gabapentin in with the Robaxin (methocarbamol)

Do taker her to express in the clinic, then have the vet tech check your work. Get another hands on lesson. You will get to the level of proficiency you need with practice. Glad to hear you have trimmed her fur to make cleaning up easier. Try using a damp wash cloth or non scented babywipes instead of bathing.

Do you have her mattress set up this way? Mattress enclosed in trashbag and taped shut. Then layer this way: pee pad on top of mattress, a fleece bottom sheet tucked in all around. Fleece does not ravel just cut to sizes you need, fabric can be obtained at local fabric shops or fleece throws at Walmart to cut to size.

Thank you for all of your help.  I am a bit confused I guess - are you saying her pain isnt being controlled because of the medications she is on or something I am telling you that she is/is not doing that is a sign?

I dont feel she is in any pain, a couple of times when moving her she has whimpered and thats about it.  She seems to be resting comfortably and no whining, shaking, etc.  Although I will certainly ask her vet to change up her meds to the recommended, I am just concerned that something I am saying is making you think she is in pain?

We have been expressing her, but about every 4 hours....I didnt realize we needed to do every 2 while she is on prednisolone.  My husband and I have watched several videos and feel pretty confident we are emptying her bladder when we express.  We will still get a hands on lesson when we return to the vet though.  Should we limit her water as we get closer to bed time so that she stays dry or should we set an alarm every 2 hours to express?

I do have concerns about her wanting to just lay on one side...she will stand on her 2 front legs every now and then...she will just randomly stand up in her crate like when she hears our other dogs bark, etc. but lays back down quickly.  It is a concern because she is not able to eat/drink out of a bowl laying on her side at all...she not even interested in it.  BUT, when I hand feed her chicken/rice she eats like a champ and takes water from a syringe very well....she just wont do it herself and Im concerned about that.

On the "bathing" maybe I should use the words rinse off.  We have set up an expressing station on the kitchen counter at the sink.  So, after we express we have a soft towel on the counter and we lay her down gently on opposite side she lays on so we can expose the "soaked" side and "rinse" her with the pull out faucet and a tiny bit of puppy shampoo.  It makes a huge mess, which is fine because its easy clean up but we are not putting her down into a tub or sink to fully bathe her....just rinsing off with the faucet.  I just dont see how   letting her lay in her own urine that is soaking her almost all the way up to her front paws is better for her than rinsing her off each time we express.

Hopefully if we express every 2 hours she will stay dry but my other huge concern is during the day when we are back to work next week (this wk was spring break).  If she does not start drinking on her own we wont be here to give her water in a syringe or express....Im very worried about that. 

Thank you,
Misty