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Post by kwright600 on Jul 23, 2013 10:46:27 GMT -7
Help!! My name is Kathy. I have a four year old dapple dachshund male named Charlie. He had surgery June 2 and he still isn't walking. He went down with his back and wasn't able to walk and we rushed him to the vet immediatley. They did surgery the very next day. He had 3 ruptured disks. I already have a 14 year old dachshund male who had surgery 2 years ago for the same thing. He recovered pretty quickly and was able to walk again. I didn't work at the time so I took care of him all the time. He has gotten shaky and slow with age but he still gets around. What is bothering me about Charlie so much is that I have been off for the summer because I am a teaching assistant with Head Start but I have to go back to work August 7th for 4 days of 8 hours a day training and then start back to school regularly on the 20th. On my normal days I only have to leave my house for 5 1/2 hours. I am just really upset about leaving Charlie and if I don't get someone to stay wth him on the long training days I can't leave him that long. My husband is trying to get those days off from work so he can take care of him. I do Charlie's PT everyday 3 times a day and he has made very slow improvement. He would only move his legs if I tickled his paws. It was mostly a reflex thing. Now today he extended each leg on his own when I just touched his foot. When I stand him up though he goes down really fast. It has been over 7 weeks now. Is there still hope that he will walk again? Does anyone who has a paralyzed dog have to leave for work and what do you do about that? When I go out, which has been a very few times, I always leave him in his pack and play pen. I have spent most of my summer vacation in the house taking care of Charlie. It has been stressfull for me. I don't mind taking care of him because he is the sweetest little dog you could ever have but I feel really closed off from the rest of the world. It has rained here so much in WV that I can't even take the dogs outside very often. I really have no one to talk to about this other than my husband so I am desperate for some advice.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 23, 2013 16:03:30 GMT -7
Kathy, welcome to Dodgerslist. Can you give us a bit more information so we can better support you. -- Currently can Charlie move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you do some happy talk? -- Do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted up showing he does not have bladder control and the need to express his bladder every 6-8 hours. OR does he have bladder control as proved by the sniff and pee test. Carry outdoors, set on an old pee spot to sniff it. See if urine is then released. Make sure the sling or your hands are not on the tummy area as that can press on the bladder. If urine comes out after sniffing, bladder control is returning. You should do a quick express check to verify there is full voiding until you are certain it is consistently happening. Let us know. Nerve healing should be thought of more in terms of month as they can be the slowest part of the body to heal. Laser light therapy, acupuncture and electroacupuncture which sends a microcurrent of electricity to and from acupuncture points (which are really big nerve bundles), can be very beneficial at helping to re-establish the nerve connections in the body. Any one of these therapies can be started right away if in your budget... they not only help relieve pain and inflammation but will kick start nerves to begin regeneration. Find a holistic vet here: ahvma.org/Widgets/FindVet.htmlwww.serenityvetacupuncture.com/index.php/faq_/ [one vet's overview/prices] Chiropractic is never recommended for IVDD dogs. Look forward to your answers! |
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Post by kwright600 on Jul 23, 2013 18:48:11 GMT -7
Charlie does not have bladder control and I have to express his bladder. I have tried the outside test and so far he still doesn't go on his own. He doesn't really move his legs or wag his tail. He has a kicking reflex when I tickle his paw. Today when I did his exercises he pushed back with both legs. Im hoping that is a good sign. I do worry about leaving him because of his lack of bladder and bowel control. A few times I have left him home with my grown up son and he texted me that Charlie was flipping out and jumping up and down in his pen. When he does that he leaks and usually has a bowel movement. I will look into the other therapies that you suggested. Thank you for replying!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 24, 2013 12:56:16 GMT -7
That jumping with his front legs can cause pressure on the bladder and activates the bowel's reflexes…so it is kinda like expressing pressure and will cause overflowing urine and poop to plop out. Does your son know how to express…that would be helpful. If he is agitated you my try to help him relax while you are gone. Using any oral calmer in combination with a Pheromone diffuser seems to work best. It takes several days for these to start working - it isn't immediate but they are a much better option if you can avoid heavy duty prescription sedatives. Of course always keep your vet in the loop on all things you give your dog. Farnum's Comfort Zone with D.A.P. www.petcomfortzone.com/dogs.html [pheromone diffuser] with one oral calmer from below: Oral calmers: 1) ANXITANE® S chewable tabs contain 50 mg L-Theanine, an amino acid that acts neurologically to help keep dogs calm, relaxed www.virbacvet.com/products/detail/anxitane-l-theanine-chewable-tablets/behavioral-health 2) Composure Soft Chews are colostrum based like calming mother's milk and contain 21 mg of L-Theanine. www.vetriscience.com/composure-soft-dogs-MD-LD.php [Composure] 3) Rescue Remedy is a liquid herb combo to help with relaxation www.bachrescueremedypet.com Other brands may be available in your area… just shop by the active ingredient(s) on the label. A blanket on the top of the crate and extending just above Charlie's eyes may keep him from that hopping thing. As when he hops up he can't see anything. |
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