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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 17, 2020 23:24:13 GMT -7
Hi, it’s been a week since I last posted. Apollo is still on his meds and is slowly being tapered off of them. I now let him move around the computer area of my bedroom and his rest area with his cone off. He still wears [cone] it when he sleeps or if I have to go somewhere. He licks his feet a little but he’s no longer obsessively licking them (thanks to the gabapentin I think).
We’re still doing the water therapy massages and range of motions and we’re going to start seeing if he will swim or move his back legs while afloat (with a dog life jacket on). He now wiggles his toes a lot and curls his foot inward when tickling them and has pulled his leg back some while doing it also. He pooped outside today but I have yet to see him pee. He does sniff and I lower him down. I think he is uncomfortable with the sling holding him up alongside the harness. He is still making strides to stand up on his own and when sling walking I have seen his leg shake on it own. He is still dragging his legs but he will hop when he gets excited and try to use his legs but then they knuckle over. He has gone from barely twitching his toes to twitching and curling his feet in and also trying to move his leg back towards him. All within this last month. So he’s still showing good signs of progress it’s just he has no muscle mass in his butt and legs and I know that takes a while to improve. His nerves are healing slowly but for a months time I think he’s doing well In the progress that he’s shown.
We’re also going to start the laser treatments tomorrow at home and I will post an update on that as well. When he’s in the tub the water is less than chest deep and he has his butt up and feet on the tub ground. I bought a tub floor mat to make sure he doesn’t slip when he’s in there also. Yesterday when I took him out and was drying him off he was on his side (he likes to bite and play with the towel) and when I was drying off one of his legs he moved it back towards himself some. Thought I would add that.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Feb 18, 2020 8:19:37 GMT -7
Trent you're doing a wonderful job with Apollo. He sounds like he's making great strides in healing!! Awesome.😀
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,541
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 18, 2020 10:51:29 GMT -7
Trent, really like that you are doing the right thing PT-wise, cone-wise and patience-wise! Time is Apollo's friend when dealing with self repair of nerve damage. Let's just see how much more he can do! We always look forward to your updates.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 20, 2020 2:18:00 GMT -7
Hello again. I just have some more questions. I'm not sure if apollo has regained bladder control or not. He again was never fulled house trained. I wake up to find urine still in his bed, and sometimes poop. I'm just confused because he will not let me express him even if his stomach is full after eating and drinking a few hours prior. He doesnt really pee even with his stomach full when i pick him up, and he will sometimes poop shortly after i wake up or when i say "are you ready to go outside" he will pee some and often times poop. When i take him outside he will sniff a bunch of places and i lower him down to let him pee, but i dont know if he does or not. He has sniffed and attempted to lift his butt and leg up like to "hike" or whatever its called, but again i dont know if he pees or not. I have read that someones dog unfortunately passed away from i guess an infection about a month into their conservative rest, and im scared for apollo. He is not showing any signs of pain but hes still on his medications and hasnt been fully tapered off of them. His stomach feels full sometimes but its usually just after hes eaten or drank a bunch of water. He is not peeing all over his bedding or pee pads infront of it. He was peeing all over them and his bed at the start. Now he will only pee on one spot of his bed i notice when i wake up, and sometimes pee from excitement when i talk to him about going outside or if my mother comes into my room. So im just really confused. Should i keep trying to express him even though he tries to scoot away and get out of my hands, or do you think bladder function has returned and im just not taking him outside enough before i go to sleep and when i wake up?
Also most of the time it seems if he just poops at random or when he gets excited. He did poop outside the other day when i was sling walking him, and like i said he sniffs and tries to lower himself on the sling when i take him outside but its hard for me to hold him up and also look to see if hes peeing because he likes to do that and then move on to the next spot. He has always peed a little all over random spots in the backyard. If he needs expressing then i will express him im just confused on whether he needs it or not.
I forgot to add that his urine in his bed or puppy pads is not bloody or any weird color (it’s just yellow) and doesn’t have a strange scent. It just smells like urine the same as if before his ivdd he peed in my room. His poop is normal color (brown/yellow) and isn’t hard and isn’t liquid like or a weird color either.
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Marjorie
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Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
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Post by Marjorie on Feb 20, 2020 5:53:43 GMT -7
Hi, Trent. Is it only in the morning that you're finding pee/poop in his crate? Be sure to take him out as the very last thing you do before going to bed to help him get through the night. And hold off on giving him water a couple of hours before bed. The fact that he's going in only one spot on the pee pad sounds like he's going deliberately on that one spot. If his bladder was overflowing from loss of bladder control, it would overflow right where he was lying or it would leak out when he moved around in the crate, but wouldn't always be in only one spot. With loss of bladder control, you would also most likely find urine on him as the urine would just leak out onto his legs as he laid in the crate. And it's a good sign that he doesn't leak on you when you pick him up. Some dogs pee from excitement and that's not due to loss of bladder control.
Prednisone does cause increased thirst and urination so that may also be a cause for him needing to urinate during the night or more often.
When doing a sniff and pee test outside, try to kneel down next to him as you support his hind end by his thighs (not under his belly) and try to see underneath him to determine if he's going on his own. Or take him to a dry spot in the yard and then feel afterwards to see if it's wet after he's appeared to pee. Or you could try to put a small pan or container under him just as he looks like he's going to urinate. Or possibly someone else could come out with you to look underneath Apollo as you support him to determine if he's releasing urine on his own.
There are not always obvious signs when a dog has a urinary tract infection such as color or smell of urine. If you're concerned that he may have a UTI, you can take a urine sample in to the vet to have it tested.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 21, 2020 21:48:30 GMT -7
I may just be paranoid. At the start of all of this after a couple of days his pads in his bed and in front of it were always soaked and I had to change them multiple times a day. Now it’s usually just in his bed in one spot I think he has trouble holding it when he’s asleep, because unless I don’t take him outside it’s usually just there. He does pee on the puppy pads in front of his bed if he hasn’t been taken outside all day if I unfortunately have to be gone for something. I think his stomach was just really full from eating and drinking so much a couple of hours before. The doctor said with the gabapentin that his legs may be a bit more floppy or something, and I have noticed that his feet aren’t curling in like they were when I did the tickle test, only one does it now and the other still twitches and he definitely feels if I though his feet he will turn around and look at me. He still likes to hop around when he gets excited and will kinda flip his legs underneath him still. His one leg was twitching earlier after doing just that. The one where he chewed a toe off and had to have surgery on it. I’ve seen both legs twitch though. When I take him on the sling it does look like he tries to move his legs forward when he’s walking around. He still poops at random but it’s not a weird consistently or color. When I do his range of motions in the tub with the water I think I can feel some slight pull back now but I’m not 100% sure. He has an appointment with the vet on the 25th and hopefully she will okay him to be on once daily methocarbomal and tramadol now instead of twice daily, was 3 times daily until about a week ago when we saw her. His prednisone is still half a pill every other day until gone. I think she’s tapering him slowly because of how long he’s been on the meds as well as him chewing that toe and part of his foot off a month ago. He’s still trying to stand before knuckling over and when exited he will hop and try to walk a step or two before knuckling over. I get worried because he hops so much and will have his legs flipping all over the place and almost fall over sometimes. I’m going to purchase him a rear wheel chair cart from walkin wheels and see if he will adjust and like that. I’ve seen that they can help them remember to walk as well. I’ll also look into the diaper things or bladder ones they have, but hopefully once my sleep schedule is back and weather is cleared I can get him on a consistent potty schedule. I’m still doing the Roms and massaging and it does seem like he’s gained a little bit of muscle mass back. I will update after he sees the vet and what she says about meds being tapered further and stopped. I’ll update then unless a problem occurs or I need even more advice from you all. You all have been extremely helpful and encouraging so far, again thank you.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 21, 2020 21:57:41 GMT -7
His quality of life is still fine and he still hops around and acts very happy although he wines for a while when i leave my room but he has always done that. He has never like being alone, but i do cut my tv on for him and he will watch it, and has always eaten and drank fine as well. I've noticed he isnt drinking as much from the bottle but i think its because when im here and cone is off and hes allowed to move around my computer and lounge area he is able to drink water from his bowl and also prednisone is only half every two days so he is not as thirsty, but again still drinking well and eating well forgot to add that.
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Marjorie
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Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
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Post by Marjorie on Feb 22, 2020 6:33:50 GMT -7
It always was amazing to me how much better my Jeremy adjusted than I did, Trent. It's hard on us and we worry and our hearts break seeing our beloved dogs not being able to walk. But our dogs know how to live in the moment and enjoy the things they still have and we have much to learn from them. Apollo is a happy dog and he has your love and good food and a wonderful home. Try to take it one day at a time and not look too far into the future and just enjoy every minute with Apollo just the way he is now. Apollo has only been off of conservative care for a few weeks so it's very early days in his healing. Nerves are so very slow to heal. I saw improvements in my Jeremy for over a year and a half. A cart can be used for therapy. My Jeremy loves the mobility that his allows him. Keep in mind that the cart is only for outside use, not inside the house, and only for a couple of hours at a time. More info on features to look for and how to get a good fit here: www.dodgerslist.com/links/cart.htmYou might want to hold off on getting a cart for a couple of months though and put the money towards therapy such as an underwater treadmill, if that's available to you. Paula had previously shared a video with you. Many members have found this type of therapy to be very helpful. Here's the video again: Acupuncture can be very helpful in giving those nerves a jump start in healing: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingacupuncture.htmYou're doing a great job with Apollo, Trent, and it shows! Keep up the good work with him. And please continue to update us.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 25, 2020 6:17:08 GMT -7
Apollo has his appointment with the vet today. I’m going to see about tapering his methocarbomal and tramadol down to once a day now instead of twice and then when to stop it.
His feet have been shaking some mainly his foot that he lost a toe on. He’s still hopping around and his feet are more underneath him, but he still can’t walk yet nor stand by himself for more than a few seconds, but I know patience is key.
His stomach is still feeling full since the other day but it definitely goes down some after he has peed (which is usually in his bed) so I think it’s just regular from eating and drinking, my mom says it has always felt like that and I’m just worried about it. I’ll ask the vet today though lol. Even though his stomach is feeling full sometimes he doesn’t pee on me when I pick him up. Only if he gets super excited he may pee a few drops or poop. He pooped a few times yesterday randomly but hasn’t yet last night or today.
He is still licking his feet but also his front feet so i don’t think it’s from pain, and maybe it’s from the sores from scooting around. I’m going to also ask the vet about giving him full roam of my room again and not just the computer area. He tries to move more when I let him go around the room and hops and tries to stand before knuckling over. I think him being able to move more and attempt to use his legs will be good.
Since the at home hydrotherapy and massages in the water a couple of weeks ago I can definitely say he has gained a slight bit of muscle mass back in his legs and back area.
His wheelchair should be here in a few days and I’ll be sure to talk to the vet about that also. I’ve seen that it can help dogs remember to use there legs and walk I saw it helped two French bulldogs after about 6 months of using the wheelchair along with massaging and therapy so fingers crossed for my little guy still. I also ordered some “nzymes” and I’ve seen videos showing that they helped others who had paralyzed animals. Do any of you have any experience with them? I would love to hear if you do.
Also Marjorie there [underwater treadmill] isn’t anywhere remotely close to me that isn’t a few hours drive that has an underwater treadmill for therapy. Also Apollo gets anxious and barks and growls at people he doesn’t know. He does this with the vet and he’s seen her at least 6 times now so I don’t think it would be a good fit anyways him being stressed out. That’s why we’re doing the therapy at home.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,541
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 25, 2020 9:47:00 GMT -7
Trent, Let us know what the vet thinks about the paw shaking and the licking if neuropathic related and the need for gabapentin. Do ask your vet about the stomach feel full, see what he attributes that too. Always good to tell your observations as vets are best able to put 2 + 2 together and determine possibilities. Hope your guess is correct that full stomach area is related to a bladder full of urine. EnzymesThere is a lot of research being done with different enzymes as related to nerve damage. A lot of the research paper end with a conclusion— promising but additional research is needed. You would have to do some research on the particular name of the enzyme in the bottle you bought if it has any valid scientific research behind it or just a sales pitch to make money. Paw Protection when scooting or even with use of a wheelchairCaution: avoid too tightly securing booties on paw that would restrict blood circulation. One option is self-adhering bandages wrap tape from the grocery store. Again don't wrap too tightly. Goes by several names, here's one: ** Barbara Techel's glove boots idea:
Also see the "Footware" discussion on the GRADUATES board: dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/1564/footwear-harnesses-scooting-garments
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Feb 25, 2020 14:29:07 GMT -7
We’ve returned from the vet. Apollo has went from 23 pounds at the start, down to 18 when he chewed his two toes off and needed surgery to stitch his foot, back up to 20.8 pounds. So he’s put a little muscle back on which I can kinda tell.
Vet now wants him on once a day ▼tramadol for a couple of weeks, and then half a pill, until his is weened off of it safely.
Watching for signs of pain. His ▼muscle relaxer we are doing once a day for a few days, and then just any signs of muscle soreness from physical therapy.
She says he is definitely getting more reaction from his legs now even compared to two weeks ago. Prednisone he has 3 doses left (half a pill) and then he’s done with that.
She said to give it a week or so after that to fully leave his body and if he needs something else then we could try an nsaid.
Gabapentin he’s still on for his nerve pain until it hopefully heals.
[Moderator's Note. Please do not edit 20.8 lbs prednisone as 11/30: ?mgs 2x/day for 7 days, then a 12/7 test taper to reveal any: _pain / _neuro has been on taper doses since 12/7/2019 every other day dose since 1/11/2020 methocarbamol 250mgs ▼1x/day tramadol 50mgs ▼1x/day gabapentin for neuropathic pain Neuropathic foot surgery about Jan 9th??]
She said the sling walking was good therapy for him also, and I mentioned I bought him a wheelchair and that I’ll do range of motions with that sometimes as well and that would be good. Still going to do his water therapy and stuff at home. Also the laser my mom will do once the goggles come in.
She okay’d him to move more around my room now and not just the computer area and just watch for signs of pain and stuff. I didn’t get to ask about the full stomach because by the time we got there it was once again down. It probably is just because he’s full from eating and drinking. Also I told her that he no longer pees even with his stomach full when I pick him up and he usually pees in his bed when he’s asleep and she said it sounds like bladder control is definitely coming back and he may just have a hard time holding it while he’s sleeping.
Also she said the leg shaking could be signs of function returning and I mentioned it was usually after therapy or sometimes just randomly In my room and she said it could be some muscle soreness it’s just hard to tell exactly.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Feb 25, 2020 14:54:38 GMT -7
I am glad that Apollo got a good report from the vet. It is great that he is making progress in regaining bladder control.
When you start using the cart begin with Apollo's legs down and watch what he does. Many dogs use their carts as walkers. If Apollo is one of these, make sure that the cart is set at a weight-bearing stance, so he can feel his feet touching the ground and use them for traction. A cart can be a kind of PT. Sometimes when dogs get a cart, they re-learn how to walk when they are in it. Then they start getting stronger and began walking when they aren't in the cart
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 4, 2020 17:08:35 GMT -7
Just a quick update on Apollo. He is still trying to stand and his legs are underneath him all the time. I touched his foot and he pulled it completely back which is amazing. Very slow progress but he is still very much improving. He is only on tramadol and methocarbomal once a day. Gabapentin twice a day. He isn’t showing any signs of pain other than his foot that he had chewed those two toes off of. He is still licking it and stuff but not all the time. He actually tries to stand up now with his feet underneath him. Not just lifting his butt up. A lot of times his feet will be underneath him and he’s trying to stand up but his paws are knuckled. Hopefully soon the pain in his one foot will stop and we can stop him on the tramadol and methocarbomal. Each day it seems like he’s improving even if it is ever so slightly. I did start giving him the nzymes that I ordered when they came in a few days ago. He takes one tablet by mouth each day and no adverse side effects from it at all.
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
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Post by Marjorie on Mar 5, 2020 6:28:20 GMT -7
It's wonderful hearing how well Apollo is doing, Trent. Keep up the good work and please continue to keep us updated.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 8, 2020 1:44:54 GMT -7
Update on Apollo. He is back to chewing on that one foot of his. I saw it was bleeding on each side of one of the 3 remaining toes, but not deep enough to require stitches. I bandaged it up, and we will be returning to him twice a day ▲tramadol instead of once a day. We may start him back on twice a day methocarbomal instead of once a day. He’s still on the gabapentin twice a day also. He’s able to move his legs back away from me or just move them if I touch them and he’s trying so hard to walk and stand up. I can tell he’s healed so much
I just don’t know why that one foot is still bothering him. Back to wearing the cone during day and night and not just at night. I hate that he has to wear it all the time because it rubs his neck and leaves a red mark, but I refuse to let him chew off the remaining three toes on that foot. He’s making so much progress and I don’t understand why that foot is still hurting him when he can feel them and move them somewhat now.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Mar 8, 2020 4:49:56 GMT -7
Can the gabapentin dose be increased and also given 3x daily? Or you could ask your vet to try Lyrica.
Are you using a soft e-collar? That might help prevent the rubbing on skin.
The problem with neuropathy is it's caused by nerve damage that causes the burning and tingling that makes Apollo chew to try and stop it.
Talk to your vet ASAP about a more aggressive approach to treat the neuropathy.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,541
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 8, 2020 8:33:23 GMT -7
Trent, gabapentin or the stronger Lyrica (pregabalin) do not cure neuropathic pain. They help to prevent the painful sensations. Over time the hope is the body will naturally reset these abnormal nerve sensations and the pain will go away.
Gabapentin stays at an effective level in the body up to around an 8 hr period. That is why to go back to every 8 hr dosing for full coverage.
Apollo is so fortunate to have your dedication to watch over him and spot things right away.
Let us know when you updated the vet via a phone call, what the vet prescribed.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 10, 2020 21:14:41 GMT -7
Apollo is on his tramadol and methocarbomal twice daily. Gabapentin is 3 times daily now.
He’s developed a rash on his stomach and chest and the vet says it’s a staph infection and he’s now on an antibiotic as well.
One of his nails on his other foot started bleeding I think it got caught on the carpet, but it didn’t rip out or anything. It stopped bleeding and we used a thing for dogs nail bleeding as well. He’s wearing his cone back all day and night. Hopefully I will be able to start bathing him again soon after his foot and nail heals in a few days. I’ve been wiping him with dog wipes.
Any tips on protecting his feet would be greatly appreciated. He hates having his feet wrapped or anything on them and it makes it hard for him to reposition his legs which like I said he’s been trying to stand up and walk now but he’s not there yet, and I don’t want to hinder his ability to try to stand and walk. I bought him a new cone that has a soft part for his neck because his cone rubs his neck raw. I get worried about him being on his meds for so long. Mainly the tramadol and methocarbomal. Hopefully his pain will ease up some once those bites marks on his foot and that nail on his other foot heals up some, and we get this infection on his belly and chest under control.
He’s still eating and drinking just fine and wants to hop around and not be in his rest area, but I know he needs to be confined so his feet can heal safely and he’s not dragging them and making it worse. I think because he try’s to stand up and his toes just his toe and nails are knuckled under him it causes his nail to rip some, and it may have been snagged on the carpet. The only signs of pain or discomfort he’s shown is with his foot that he tries to chew on and now the other one where that nail was bleeding, other than that he is acting fine and joyful.
I also bought him 7 washable leak proof belly bands to wear when he sleeps. He somehow seems to wiggle out of them though. He still leaks slightly some when he’s sleeping but he mainly pees on his puppy pads and he doesn’t really poop at all in his bed anymore like he was. I mainly wake up and see that he has peed on his puppy pads and by the time I go to the bathroom and come back he usually goes poop on the puppy pad as well. I would take him outside but not while he has that infection and his feet are healing. I think the infection was caused by irritation from his peeing in his bed when he couldn’t really control his bladder much at all. I’m hoping now that he can for the most part and I’m keeping him cleaned with wipes when I wake up that it will go away also he’s on an antibiotic to help. I’m doing every thing I possibly can to keep him clean and pain free, and he was and is still showing so many signs of improvement in moving his legs and trying to stand and being able to move them back towards him some. I feel like it’s my fault he started chewing his feet again and now his nail that was bleeding for some reason, that he was tapered too quickly, or that he’s been on them for too long. I know he’s come a long way and a small bite mark and bleeding toe nail isn’t the worse thing that can happen at all, but it still gets me upset.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Mar 11, 2020 3:29:33 GMT -7
Are the belly bands the button kind or Velcro? I have had better luck with the Velcro.
Are they the right size, not too loose?
Try putting a baby onesie over the belly bands to help hold them in place.
You're a wonderful, dedicated, parent to Apollo.
Please don't feel badly about his difficulties.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 11, 2020 3:47:57 GMT -7
Theyre the velcro kind. I ordered some new ones that have a big square patch of velcro so maybe those will do better.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,541
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 11, 2020 18:43:05 GMT -7
Trent, you are doing a nice job in caring for Apollo. Next time you are at the vet with him, ask the vet to show you how you might protect his paws. Perhaps some vetwrap alone lightly wrapped would give a bit a protection yet not restrict his trying to use his legs/paws?? At night while sleeping, inexpensive onsie from the baby department or thifrt shops can help as Julie mentioned to also keep a belly band in place. In addition talk with your mom about puchasing some feminine pads to insert into the belly band to sop up all urine, wicking it away from his skin/fur. Urine against the skin causes urine scalds/burns. The concern always is the disruption to the skin will invite staph infection. Since Apollo will NOT be using a diaper, no need to expand the back leg opening to accomodate a diaper. Likely you can use the onsie just as it comes from the store.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Mar 12, 2020 3:16:12 GMT -7
Forgot to add that I use human incontinence pads in my Perry's male wraps and, as Paula said, they do a great job of soaking up urine and keeping his skin dry.
I order them in two packs of 60 each off of Amazon. I get Poise pads.
Also I get unscented baby wipes to wash up in between.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 14, 2020 8:35:29 GMT -7
Okay a little update. The nail that he kinda tore and is cracked on the side (I can kinda see the quick maybe) hasn’t bled since the other day when he snagged it on the carpet. The two bite marks from him starting to chew on his feet again are healing fine I guess. It’s been about 6 days and one side is dry and looks like it’s soon to scab but the other side the inside of his toe is still red and pink and healing. I took his bandages off of his feet last night to just see if it would help the wound to heal a bit better and scab up. He’s still trying to scratch at it with his front feet kinda pushing on it, but there’s not pus or any swelling so I think it’s healing just fine. It wasn’t a tear or super deep puncture mark because thankfully I had caught him chewing on it pretty quick. The staph infection is under control and is clearing up. The redness and sores or going away. I gave him his first bath in a bit today also since his feet look like they’re healing and not infected.
He’s on simplicef for the staph infection so hopefully that would help with any infection on those chew marks as well. He doesn’t seem to be in pain really so I’m back to
once a day tramadol and methocarbomal, and gabapentin I’m doing back down to twice a day as well.
I think the 3 times a day and the twice a day trqamadol is just too much for him bc he was acting not as lively as he was. I’m thinking maybe with the neuropathy and then the staph infection is what caused him to start chewing his feet again. I’m going to keep on eye on him and see how everything goes though. As far as good news goes though when I stand him up to put his belly band on I can definitely now feel not friction but movement in his legs like they would just dangle but now he can push back against me when I move them. I’m not sure how to explain it other than I can kinda feel his muscles moving his legs I guess. Every week it seems he’s still improving even if it is slightly and there’s some set back like the chewing and nail cracking. Once his foot is healed and the other toe on the other foot I want to start back doing his water therapy at home because I do believe it was definitely helping him. I’ve also seen him stand for a few seconds by himself during the day before he starts dragging his legs. I just hope to get him off of all these dang meds soon bc it’s been almost 4 months now, but I also don’t want him to chew his foot off so the struggle is real. His new cone that has a soft velvet material around the neck should be here today so no more raw neck from the cone hopefully.
I forgot to add that hes still drinking and eating normally. Drinking maybe a little bit more than normal because of the antibiotic hes on i think. Hes been whining but its his normal i want food or i want attention whine that hes always had. No blood or weird colors in his stool. My goal is to start doing the therapies again once his feet heal, taper him off all of the meds hes on other than the gabapentin and see if he will not chew his feet, and continue to let his nerves heal and see just how far he will go with that.
My only real hope is that the neuropathy in his feet will eventually go away or not be so bad that he feels the need to try to chew his toes off so he will no longer have to wear a cone.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 16, 2020 15:23:53 GMT -7
Apollo is doing fine. He has gained back muscle in those legs and he’s definitely went from a grade 4 to a grade 3. He can feel his legs and move them some, and try to stand, but isn’t able to walk just yet. His wounds are healing fine. I think the vet will probably have to remove that nail at his next appointment though.
In the water he is able to move around and try to walk now and move his legs so he’s still showing healing and progress. He’s enjoying his new cone because it’s soft and the spot on his neck is clearing up. Staph infection looks like it’s pretty much gone. Belly bands are working great. It’s been a rough 3 and a half months, but he’s still showing signs of nerve healing and function returning. Forever grateful for this forum and everything I’ve learned for everyone.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Mar 16, 2020 15:47:29 GMT -7
Awesome that Apollo is doing so well. You've worked hard Trent to get him to this point. Kudos!!
Organic coconut oil is great for skin issues. It's also fine if taken internally.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Mar 31, 2020 23:31:30 GMT -7
Thought I would share that Apollo is doing well. He moves his legs some in the tub and outside of it now. He’s trying to stand even more and walk more every day it seems. He can stand for a few seconds by himself with his legs properly underneath him.
He’s still on gabapentin twice a day, methocarbomal a half of a half once a day, and tramadol twice a day just while his toe nail that ripped off heals then back to once a day and hopefully off of it. It amazes me that I still see progress over 4 months later of him going down.
This was a few days ago after his bath. You can see he’s definitely trying to use his legs even more now. Also please ignore my dirty room.
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Post by Julie & Perry on Apr 1, 2020 3:20:25 GMT -7
That's awesome Trent!!! Apollo looks so happy and he sure is able to move quickly.
Isn't it amazing how determined and persistant our fur babies can be?
Thanks for offering support and encouragement to Michelle and Max!
Keep up the good work.😀
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Apr 1, 2020 4:40:30 GMT -7
Look at that little guy go!! Thanks so much for sharing this very encouraging video with us. And keep up the good work with Apollo - he's doing great!
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Apr 11, 2020 14:31:59 GMT -7
Hey guys so Apollo has been having soft stool which I’ve been calling diarrhea for over a week now. I thought it was his treats because it had happened before but stopped giving treats and he’s eating his same food so I have no idea what’s causing it. It’s like a milkshake kind of consistency, and sometime he doesn’t even realize he’s pooping. There hasn’t been any blood in it and it hasn’t been a weird color so I wasn’t too worried about it, until this morning there was a little bit of blood but I don’t know if that’s from it coming out or from his rubbing his butt raw trying to get to his legs which is something he did the other day until it was scabbed up. I haven’t seen any blood in it other than that last night/ this morning. I bought some Pepcid ac (10 mg) tablets, and was wondering if that would help or would it just make it worse? He doesn’t have an appointment with the vet until she’s available Tuesday morning. He weighed 23 pounds last time he was at the vet. He’s still eating and drinking fine so I don’t know what’s causing the diarrhea. He’s still on tramadol once a day and gabapentin twice a day. Still showing slight improvement with legs each week it seems, and other than the diarrhea and occasional feet pain he seems completely fine. Any suggestions? He has a cleft in his mouth so chicken and rice isn’t something he can eat. Strict dog food and water. I bought pedialite to mix with his water as well.
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Post by Trent & Apollo on Apr 11, 2020 14:35:09 GMT -7
Also he butt is red but that’s from when he’s dragging his butt back trying to get to his legs because the redness goes away after he stops later.
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