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Post by Mike & Daisy on Feb 19, 2020 8:57:23 GMT -7
[Original subject line:Red Mini Dachshund - "Daisy" - 8-22-2018 - Conservative]
We rescued Daisy In Feb of 2018 from a lady that was going through a divorce. We were not informed of any prior back issues. The injury happened in August of same year.
☆ 1 - No pain. Still very perky.
☆ 2 - I think 12lbs. We dropped all her extra weight right after the injury.
A.. No current meds, but I just ordered Vetri Disc and PetHonestry Cranberry for UTI's
B.. We are way past the time of steroids
C.. Never had stomach issues
☆ 3 -- Eats and drinks well
-- Solid poop, but I'm not sure she can control when it comes out. Same with urine. She may be able to urinate, but I don't think she can fully empty her bladder and she can'r hold it long.
☆ 4 Red Mini Dach - "Daisy" - female. She was 5 when we rescued her in Feb 2018, from a friend going through a divorce. We were not informed of any prior back issues.
☆ 5 - Did X-rays at the ER and our Vet. 2 ruptured discs in lower spine. There is also a place where the spinal column is narrowing.
☆ 6 CONSERVATIVE
☆ 7 - Constant wet bedding. We use diapers, but that doesn't always help. We express her bladder 2x in the morning, but we both work out of town and can't do it again until probably 8 hours later.
☆ 8 - Can't walk. She can move her back legs, but will not even try to put weight on them on her own. Her paws ball up [knuckle under] when I try to stand her up. She can kick her legs. Has some feeling in them. Her tail wags some, but she was a full butt-wagger!
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 19, 2020 9:34:17 GMT -7
Mike, welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear you are worried, but good you are seeking solutions! I have some ideas that may be helpful to you. Has she been having UTIs periodically, recently? The best way to prevent a UTI is with regular expressing so that overflowing is stopped or greatly reduced. You can read more why cranberry will likely not help as a preventative here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/uti.htm Also Dr. Nancy Kay's article on managing UTI's: speakingforspot.com/blog/tag/methenamine/ is an informative read. Would it be possible to hire a person to come and express Daisy mid day? So there would be only 4 hrs between expressing? I trained my neighbor in expressing. My vet also offered anytime the neighbor might need an extra lesson, his vet tech could do that at his clinic. So this gave my neighbor confidence she needed. Would something like that work for you? While at work is she safely in a contained area? Such as an expen, pack N Play? A good sized area raised mesh bed may be a good choice, when you are at work. Daisy would not, of course, be able to hop up on to the mesh bed. That is the reason for it to be snuggly surrounded by the sides of an expen. Possibly a Pack N Play could also work? The larger the mesh bed, the more room for Daisy to move about if she wants to while you are at work. This way she will not have to wear a diaper., providing good air circulation. Diapers often contribute to urine scalds, same problem babies would have with diapers and the using of barrier creams (without zinc: Aquaphor regular Healing Ointment or Bayer's A+D® Original Ointment) by moms.  You can buy these mesh beds, there are many brands. Or do a no-sew make yourself if you are handy. Brand name "Coolaroo" mesh or "Phifertex Mesh Fabric" yardage or buy a pre-made replacement cover are choices for good drainage fabric for a home made frame. www.columbusdogconnection.com/elevated-dog-beds.html Tightly surround to enclose the elevated mesh bed with an ex-pen and a collection pan underneath. This would be for those times you are not at home. Tell me more about the tail wag. Does it happen specifically when you do some happy talk or she sees a treat coming? Tail, leg movement during potty time are likley to be reflex movements. How old is Daisy? Is she more laid back or quite active?
Do you express for poop as well? Not the health issue expressing for urine is, but more that Daisy does not have to deal with anxiety of finding poop where she sleeps. a video plus tips on expressing for poop and the same for expressing the bladder at this link: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htmWhat exercises do you do at home for the back legs? or do at a PT clinic? Any of these? Appropriate physical therapy can help maintain the muscles with lost nerve connection. Therapy keeps muscles in optimal condition while in wait to receive regenerating axon terminals. Post-op PT for the paralyzed IVDD dog or a dog off all meds and finished with conservative treatment:
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Post by Mike & Daisy on Feb 19, 2020 12:08:54 GMT -7
We have a Black coated wire dog crate that she sleeps in during the day and at night. It has a pull out tray at the bottom that we can disinfect if she leaks. When we are at home and it's nice outside, we will sit her out in the back yard on the grass and let her sun. At night she lays is a dog bed (her favorite place on the planet) with a diaper. I haven't noticed any urine scalds, but I will keep an eye out. I am taking her to the Vet Friday morning because I believe she might have a UTI.
Is the Coolaroo easy to clean? That might be a great option because she has a bed sore that comes and goes and I believe the diaper strap aggravates it.
Here tail will wag fast when I am expressing her. When she is sitting in the sun it will slowly wag back and forth. Not sure if she is controlling it. Lately, I've been seeing it move a little faster. I'll try to test it out and see if she wags it when she sees us.
I've not expressed poop before. I'll check out the information. I think she holds that a little better than her urine.
Exercises is something I wanted to ask about. I'll watch the video. She's not really cooperative that way.
Thank you for the help!
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Feb 19, 2020 14:37:34 GMT -7
I volunteer in a local animal shelter that uses beds like the Coolaroo. They clean it with the same water hose they clean the rest of the kennel with.
Any tail movement around elimination, like when you are expressing, is probably reflex. However, wagging when laying in the sun may be brain directed. I agree that you should watch her tail when she sees you or gets a treat. If she can wag her tail in response to this it means that the brain signals are able to reach the body through the spinal cord. This is a sign that it is possible for further healing to take place. Even though it has been some time since her initial episode, nerve healing is very slow and some dogs have recovered some function even years after the initial episode.
If you think Daisy might have a UTI see if you can drop off a urine sample at the vet's office to be tested for bacteria.
When my dog Frankie needed to be expressed during his IVDD episode my long time dog walker learned how to do it. He learned more quickly than I did. Instead of coming in at noon to walk Frankie, he came in and expressed him and hung out with him for a while. I know there are dog walkers and pet sitters on Rover that say they have experience with this. If you are interested in something like that check references carefully.
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Post by Mike & Daisy on Feb 20, 2020 8:33:28 GMT -7
Thank you.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 20, 2020 9:04:09 GMT -7
Mike, most dogs do really like massage, as it feels good! Hopefully she will allow most of the exercises in the video? Let us know how it's going. Other at home PT options: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/watertherapy.htmLet us know if she can do a happy tail wag if you specifically do some happy talk or she sees you about to give a treat. How old is Daisy? |
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Post by Mike & Daisy on Feb 21, 2020 9:03:17 GMT -7
Took her to the Vet this morning. 13.11lbs. I actually saw the Doctor that comes in once a week and sees patients and does chiropractic and acupuncture. Daisy has deep pain sensation in both feet (more on the right than left) and strong tail muscles. She can do a slow wag with with happy talk. It used to be a full butt-wag  . She does have a UTI and will be on ✙ antibiotics. We are going to start doing chiropractic/acupuncture 1x/mo. This Doctor also has some specialized herbals "pills" that she orders from a Chinese company. The are small and round and easy to sneak into a treat. They do help. She did not understand why we were still having the pee/poop issues with her having such good sensation in her lower extremities. Overall good report! |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Feb 21, 2020 9:47:58 GMT -7
Mike, not all vets know IVDD. This is the reason we emphasize being up to speed on this disease yourself...it is a means to protect Daisy from those who are well-intentioned but offer harmful advise. Being educated means you have the ability to recognize danger and and just say no thank you to it. Guide to "All Things IVDD" information contains info during a disc episode plus living with an IVDD dog with dentals, etc : www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htmChoose your style of learning about IVDD: 1) Quick overview summary www.dodgerslist.com/2) Video series: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/theater.htm3) Audio with text: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/4) Pictures www.dodgerslist.com/literature/ivddprimer1intro.htm5) Index to all things IVDD www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htmWhy no Chiro for an IVDD dog: Dr. Isaacs, DVM, ACVIM (Neurology) explains why chiropractic therapy is contradinated with a dog suspected of being born with IVDD or one known to have it such as Daisy: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htmFor the majority of dogs, nerve healing will happen in a predictable step by step return of neuro functions. Since Daisy does have the ability to do a happy tail wag, then by definition of course she would have to have deep pain sensation (DPS) in order to do the happy wag. Once the UTI is gone, then you should periodically take her outdoors to give her the "Sniff and Pee" test. The only way for humans to know if there is bladder control vs overflowing due to reflexes is with the “sniff and pee test.” Make sure the sling or your hands are not on the tummy area as that can press on the bladder. If she should show you bladder control is coming back by purposefully releases urine, still continue to do a quick express check to verify there is full voiding until you are certain it is consistently happening. Let us know what you observe. Expressing is the only way prevent UTIs.  When nerve healing begins, often it follows the reverse order of the nerve damage. No one will be able to tell you a time table when neuro function would return, just the typical order. 1. Deep pain sensation, the first neuro function to return. It is critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment. Only take the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) for this very tricky to identify neuro function. 2. √ Joyful tail wags after specifically seeing you return, some happy talk or getting a treat. 3. Bladder control begins to return verified with the "sniff and pee" test. 4. Small leg movements. Such as trying to use them to reposition when lying down. Trying to scratch and itch 5. Attempting to move up into a stand. 6. Wobbly weak walking 7. Paws knuckle under less and less 8. Stronger more steading walking 9 Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run More info: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htmQUESTIONS: Can you remember back when you first noticed she could do a happy wag? Recent weeks/months or __?
How old is Daisy?
What is the exact name of these herbal pills. What do they help with?
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