Martina's Daiquiri 7/30 Surgery RIP

Hi thanks for the detailed response. We just got back from the ER, I am a mess. It's really hard to make these decisions alone. They wanted to keep her, but I didn't have enough money.  So here I am still awake and will likely be all night.  I'm going back to my vet as soon as they open. The ER was really far from me and I didn't want her to be there anyway.  They wanted to keep her just to give fluid and monitor her neuro. They gave her a pain shot and sent me home with tramadol & a muscle relaxer. On the way home I almost took her back because she is acting weird.  I'm not sure though if it has to do with the pain injection.  She will not lay down, she just keeps sitting staring.  She keeps falling asleep sitting up and falling against the crate then sitting back up. She cries a little then just stares at me. I'm sitting on the floor by her crate.  I've set up a bed, but I can't sleep. I really wish my vet was open earlier, I'm so anxious and worried.  I've never seen her like this.  This is way worse than the last conservative time.  The vet said she thinks after monitoring her neuro for 24 hours if it doesn't improve then surgery is needed. My vet also said he thinks she might need the surgery this time. I'm just so worried, I'm really exhausted too. Sorry I probably did not respond to everything you said, but I will update more later.

I didn't get any sleep. She did get pain mess, she didn't sleep a bit either. We are headed to our regular vet now.

She is now in surgery, when we went back to the vet this morning she had lost deep pain sensation so we went straight to the specialist and they were absolutely amazing there. They were very nice, very thorough, they listened to me, let me ask tons of questions. They were very reassuring. The place was very clean and nice. Even though I was really nervous about the surgery, at least I left feeling ok about leaving her there. Of course I cried and they let me and didn't make me feel crazy for crying. Last night at the emergency vet I didn't have a great experience with their vet, this was much better. Of course my regular vet just happens to be on vacation this week. I should get a call any time now when the surgery is over. I left her around 1:30pm. I haven't slept for over 24 hours, I just finally ate something for the first time since yesterday at lunch. I'm still really anxious, I just want to hear that the surgery went fine and she is awake. She was in so much pain, I felt so bad. I have never seen her so uncomfortable.

The surgeon just called and said the surgery is done. She isn't awake yet, but at least the surgery part is over. He talked to me for a long time. He said the main issue was T10-11 and he was able to take care of that, but he said there was evidence of the old injuries around T12-13 and T13-L1 and he couldn't do anything with that because the way it was healed. He said he would say the prognosis is 60% that she will walk again and I will have to learn to express her bladder. I'm ok with all that, I will do anything for her. I'm just worried because I'm by myself and I work all day full time. I just hope I can take care of her on my own. I may have to look into teaching someone to express her bladder and coming mid day to take care of her. I'm not sure what I will do. I don't have anyone to help me. I'm crying a lot and still haven't slept since Sunday night. I'm about to go to sleep, will keep updating.

Hi Martina- my name is Lola & my pup Lulu is going on her 2 week of crate rest & her 1st episode of IVDD. We're so sorry to hear about Daiquiri & Lulu & I are sending loves & hugs to you both. XooX

I've been through 2 surgeries with Poppy. It is very traumatic for the Mama too! We understand and are here for you. Glad the specialist's office was helpful. Praying for Daquiri and you. Do you know specifically where they performed the surgery? In the thoracic (mid back) or lumbar (low back)?

Morning Martina!

We use a pet carrier to transport Tyler and pad it with rolled up towels on the sides in case of a rough ride.. If your other carrier is too small, you might need a size up. Tyler wasn't used to using a carrier in the car but once he got used to it, he went right in.. We bring it in, he backs up into it.. Not sure why he does it that way but he does.. He has enough room to go in turn around and lay down and stretch his paws out in front even with the rolled up towels in there.. The carrier comes in handy in case of Vet appointments and when we need to take him with us for some reason. 

Hope your boss lets you bring him to work, so your mind is at ease and Daiquiri can get her medications and other care on schedule.. 

Hope she is doing well today... 

Thanks everyone, I'm going to go to the pet store today to look at things and get stuff I will need. I have a small crate, but it's just hard to get her in there without her legs working. I am going to look for something that maybe has side access or top access to be able to sit her down in.

I went to see Daiquiri tonight. She was ok. She drank water from a bowl for me, but she still hasn't eaten anything. She seemed scared, but she very quietly whimpered when she saw me.  I sat there with her for a while. I took a few pictures but couldn't figure out how to post them on here. I still don't know if she is coming home tomorrow or Friday.

She is coming home later today! I will likely take tomorrow off work then I have 3 days to figure out a new routine and how I will manage when I'm at work. I'm definitely worried, but I know I can figure it out.

Hi Martina, I know this is all so overwhelming to you right now...It does get easier. It will take some time for you to find your "new" normal routine, but you CAN do this. We are here for you. I've been where you are and thought I would lose my mind, I was so scared...and worried that I was doing everything right. My biggest problem was getting mine to eat and take her meds, she only weighs 9# and is not a big eater to begin with, so trying to get her to eat on command to take her meds was very trying. Then the meds...OMGOSH...she KNEW they were in there, no matter how I tried to disguise them...only thing that worked was Cream Cheese. So we are here, and if you are on Facebook, we are there too. Praying for you and your FurBaby...and Many (((hugs))) too..

Peeeeeeee so much peeeeee!!! Pee & laundry that's been my life the past 2 days! She is doing ok I guess. She is eating and drinking tons. I really don't even have to express her bladder, she pees a lot and usually starts to pee with the slightest push on her belly.  Usually when I go to lift her out of the crate to clean her up and see if she needs to pee more she starts peeing as soon as I lift her up.  I have been putting some pumpkin in her food and so far she is not really constipated.  She has only pooped twice since we have been home, but she didn't eat too much the first evening.  She really started eating yesterday.  She is taking her meds well with peanut butter. She seems to be showing signs of her normal personality.  She attempted to bark at a noise in the hall, it was kind of muffled! She attempted to growl a little at her kitty brother which is very normal of her if he gets too close to her food. I have only left her once, I took yesterday off work.  When I left and came back I could tell she was thrilled with excitement even though she couldn't move or wag her tail, the top of her body was shaking in place of her tail.  She seems a little sad and maybe even ashamed when I take her out to clean her up. I've attempt the little range of motion exercises with her feet, but she doesn't seem to want me to do it. She doesn't want to lay on her side so I can do it, she is determined to keep her front feet down and her head up. I'm thinking I'll just keep attempting and maybe in a few days she will feel better about it. I can't wait for the steroid dose to drop.  I have to pay for laundry and I'm doing at least a load a day. I'm thinking I may cut some of my blankets in half so I have more options to lay her on without having to do so much laundry. She is peeing like almost every hour and definitely every 2 hours. I am going to have to leave her Monday for 4 hour chunks and I feel bad because I know she will pee way before I can get home. They told me if she started to look red that I could use diaper rash cream that you use on babies. So far she seems ok, she has a little red spot on her one leg, but nothing too alarming. I've been getting up 2-3 times a night to make sure she is dry.  The first night was exhausting, but last night was easier to get up. Any advice for easier ways to keep them dry or not do so much laundry would be helpful.  I don't want to just sit her on a pee pad because I don't know if that is comfortable so I have the memory foam, then garbage bag over it then pee pad, then blanket. I ordered some washable pee pads that are used in hospitals for humans because the way I've been going through the pee pads the last 2 days it will be cheaper to do laundry than to buy tons of pee pads. This is a lot of work, but I'd do anything for her. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Yes I got a hands on top of hands lesson. I took all the checklists and question lists with me to the discharge appointment. I take her out every 2 hours at least and express her and I almost always get a good stream of pee, and I even leave her out for like 15-20 minutes sitting on a pee pad and I sit with her and sometimes feed her or give medicine then try expressing a few more times and usually get more pee. She is still wet almost every time I take her out to do this. She is drinking really often. I have read every page on this site multiple times. I am following everything as closely as possible or as close as I know how. I could not get another lesson on expressing until Monday and I can't take more time off work to get another one. The place she had surgery is about an hour from us. I am almost sure I'm expressing her right because I'm doing what I was told and what I see in your information. I also do it more than once to make sure I get all that's possible before putting her back in the crate. She still pees some before I get her back out, sometimes it's not very much, just a tiny spot, but other times it's soaked. She has water available all the time and she definitely drinks it.

I am not expressing her for poop. They did not say I needed to. She was not eating while she was there. She has been eating at home and I have been giving her pumpkin in her food. I can usually tell when she needs to poop and so far she has only went once in her crate, otherwise she has went on the pee pad when I have had her out of the crate expressing her bladder.

She has a brand new, very nice memory foam bed which is in a trash bag covered by a pee pad, then a fleece blanket or whatever I have available that is not wet. She doesn't seem to mind being in the crate at all even though she has never been a crate trained dog and only been in a crate during her last conservative back injury recovery. She looks very peaceful and comfortable and doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. She just seems a little on the sad side, but her personality is definitely coming out. She has attempted to bark at a noise in the hall, which she doesn't have much of a voice, but I can tell she knows she is at her home and she still wants to protect it. I wish she would let me do the little physical therapy exercises, but she is not tolerating that too well so I am doing the best I can. I am not going to be able to express her on Monday every 2 hours. I have to work at least 4 hours then I can come home and go back for another 4 hours. I don't have any help or family. I live alone, it's just me and her and the cat. My boss is very nice and flexible, but I took time off almost every day last week. He may let me do half days Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday her Prednisone dose goes down to one time a day which will help a little. Really this week and the next will be the hardest. I will figure it out and we will get through this. I will do everything in my power to help her and do the best for her.

I will call and talk to the surgeon's assistant again about the bladder and see what they have to say. My regular vet's office also called and asked me to call Monday when our vet is back in town to let them know how she is doing so I can talk to them as well. Of course our regular vet just happened to be on vacation the week this happened! It figures. I'm still really happy with the place they referred me. I've never felt so comfortable and listened to at any vet place I've ever been. This place was exceptional and I felt completely comfortable leaving her with them. The surgeon called me as soon as it was over, a doctor called me every day to talk about her and told me multiple times they were available at any time and I have even called back since to ask questions and they got the doctor and answered all my questions. If anyone ever needs a place in MD I'd highly recommend them. Everyone I spoke to during the entire process treated me with respect and compassion. When I cried when they were taking her for surgery they didn't make me feel crazy. I've cried when I had to leave her at an emergency vet before and they made me feel like I was insane for crying and having to leave her with strangers. This place gave me time and said it was normal and were very kind about it. Considering the circumstances my experience was definitely easier and more comfortable because of the staff there. She looks nice and comfy right now! She is sound asleep in her crate.

The voice is post op. she is very loud. Barks anytime she hears a noise outside, loves to sing (howl)! I figured it was because she had a tube in her throat. I know that can cause humans to lose their voice after they've been intubated. She tried crying in joy when she saw me at the hospital but she couldn't get it out!

I will talk to them about her bladder! Thanks!