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Post by stephw on Jul 27, 2013 16:04:42 GMT -7
My 8 year old mini-doxie may be having issues that could be more serious than my vet is telling me. She is not overweight (11 lbs) and not very active in relation to my other doxies. One day about 2 months ago she was crying when I picked her up. I took her to the vet and she said that Casey had a pulled muscle in her middle back. She put her on Metacam and muscle relaxers. All went fine for a about 1 1/2 weeks then I picked her up and she cried when she turned her head. So, I took her back to the vet and this time they did an xray. She didn't find anything obvious except for a calcified disc in her lumbar. So then she put her on steroids and muscle relaxers for about 2 1/2 weeks. She now seems pain free but I am not sure really. All she wants to do is stay in a dark quiet place. She doesn't seem to want to be around us or the other dogs. Do you think she is in pain? And, if she is what do I do?
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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 27, 2013 19:46:43 GMT -7
Steph, welcome to Dodgerslist. I believe that Casey IS still in pain as evidenced by reluctance to move, hides, is not her normal perky self. You have all the tools you need to fight this enemy and win…the tool at your disposal is reading. Without education, Casey has no one to advocate for her. !. Get her inside a recovery suite asap. Wire crate, ex-pen, baby crib, pack n play. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty for a full 8 weeks …. No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering, scooting or dragging around during potty times. No baths, no chiro (aka VOM). In other words do everything you can to limit the vertebrae in the back from moving and putting pressure on the bad disc. The purpose of crate rest is to act as a cast of sorts to let the disc heal… only limited movement of STRICT crate rest allows that to happen…there are no meds to heal a disc. Immediate neuro improvement may or may not come during the 8 weeks of crate rest… as nerves may take more than 8 weeks to heal. Details of doing crate rest to ensure the best recovery in this excellent document: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm 2. Get up to speed as soon as possible starting with the yellow button and moving on to the rest of the colors: www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm3. Help us out with a bit more information so we can best support you.: -- Today will be the first day of true conservative treatment….. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty. Let us know what you decide to use for a recovery suite. -- Are you also seeing any of these other signs of pain in addition to those you mentioned? - shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant to move much or slow to move, tight tense tummy? Casey needs help. Do you have a different vet in town to give a 2nd opinion diagnosis and who is more IVDD knowledgeable? -- What are the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and frequencies? Please include the all important stomach protector such as Pepcid AC if on meds. Phrase the question to your vet this particular way:" Is there a medical/health reason for my dog not 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 anti-inflammatory. -- Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you do some happy talk? -- Eating and drinking OK? -- Poops OK - normal color, firmness, no dark or bright red blood? We look forward to your answers so Casey can get on the right track to healing and getting pain free. |
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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 Jul 27, 2013 19:55:21 GMT -7
Hi, my name is Maureen, what's yours? Welcome to Dodgers List. Is Casey on Crate rest?? 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty for a full 8 weeks is the SINGLE most important thing you can do to help Casey-- it is the hallmark component of conservative treatment. …. No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering, scooting or dragging around during potty times. No baths, no chiro (aka VOM). In other words do everything you can to limit the vertebrae in the back from moving and putting pressure on the bad disc. The crate is the only surface that is firm, supportive for the spine, not inclining, always horizontal and keeps a dog from darting off at a TV doorbell and safe. The rest of the details of doing crate rest to ensure the best recovery in this excellent document: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmThe purpose of crate rest is to act as a cast of sorts to let the disc heal… only limited movement of STRICT crate rest allows that to happen…there are no meds to heal a disc. Immediate neuro improvement may or may not come during the 8 weeks of crate rest… as nerves may take more than 8 weeks to heal. Can you give us a list of all of her medications and dosages? This will help us to better help you. Some of the signs that you describe could very well indicate that she is still having some pain, and good pain control is necessary for healing. Here is a link for information on pain. On healing and pain www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpain.htmThis is a good place to start reading too www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htmThere is so much to learn about IVDD, to become the best advocate possible for our dogs. We are all in this together and will do anything that we can to help you through this journey! Keep us posted. Keeping you in thought and prayer  |
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Post by Nancy & Polly on Jul 27, 2013 20:05:44 GMT -7
Read, read, read. Getting a good understanding Of IVDD will help you in so many ways.
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Post by stephw on Jul 28, 2013 12:32:57 GMT -7
Thanks to everyone for your posts. My name is Stephanie and I am the proud mom of 4 mini-doxies. Casey is not currently on any medications. She is eating well (she's a chow hound!), drinks well, poops look good, doesn't wag her tail much unless there is food involved. She does not shiver, tremble etc. After she went through the medication treatment she stopped screaming when she was picked up or moved her head. She has never liked going for walks. And, that is the same now. Although she walks fine but has always walked very stiff legged. If you ask her if she wants to go for car ride she is all up for it. But, she spends ALL day in the closet except for eating time. Even before the recent episode of pains she has not been her normal self. We have been concerned for quite a while that she is in pain. We have taken her to the vet multiple times to see if there was something wrong. Never anything to help. I would say she has not been herself for about 2 years. When she was on the steroids she cried for food from 11am to the time she went to bed at night. She definitely was not in the closet then. She followed us everywhere asking for food. That was a highly stressful time for us as one can imagine. I tried to satisfy her with frozen green beans to no avail. And, she loves FGB! I can't imagine going through that again. For me or her! I truly wish that she could tell me what is wrong. She seems so unhappy. Just breaks my heart. We have recently moved so are going to another vet now so I will make an appointment with him tomorrow for a 2nd opinion. In the meantime, we start with the crate rest. Thanks again |
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Post by stephw on Jul 29, 2013 15:17:46 GMT -7
An update on Casey. We went to the dr. today. He does not feels that she is in pain. He manipulated her throughout and she did not scream out in pain. He has put her on muscle relaxers-
methocarbamol 500 mg 1/4 tablet every 12 hours.
He said to do this for a week. If that doesn't help then he wants to put her on anti-anxiety medication.
Does it mean she doesn't hurt just because she doesn't scream out in pain? I have chronic back pain and but wouldn't necessarily scream out in pain. I don't know what to think at this point.
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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 29, 2013 16:59:45 GMT -7
A muscle relaxer deals with one kind of pain often associated with a disc episode. Personally til you get a diagnosis that says this is not a disc problem but a diagnosis that explains why she is reluctant to move, hides…those are signs of pain, I'd crate. Pain can range from excruciating and having to vocalize (yelp) to it just hurts to move much or move in a certain way…reluctance to move.
You can always go for a 2nd opinion. As in all of life some professionals have more experience in one area than another. Perhaps a 2nd opinion vet will have more experience in doing a hands on neuro exam and identify better what they observe.
Let us know if the methocarbamol has her more interested in life around her, even if she is in her crate.
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Post by stephw on Jul 30, 2013 9:27:08 GMT -7
Thanks once again for the info. This actually was a second opinion but can certainly do a third. She is on crate rest now. So, we will see if she improves.
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