Questions to help us know more about Sky
Thanks for taking time to fill us ing and very much looking forward to your answers! It will help us work together with you and avoid offering ideas that could cause harm or lead the discussion in the wrong direction delaying help for your dog.
Are these the SIGNS OF PAIN you see when you visit Sky at the vet? Let us know which you are seeing
◻︎ shivering-trembling ◻︎ yelping when picked up or moved
◻︎ slow to move ◻︎ tight tense tummy
◻︎ arched back, ears pinned back ◻︎ head held high or nose to the ground.
◻︎ restless, can't find a comfortable position
◻︎ slow or reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions
◻︎ not their normal perky interested in life selves
Did the vet say where the disc was— in the back or the neck?+ pain from neck disc:
◻︎ looks up with just eyes and does not move head and neck easily.
◻︎ not eating due to painful chewing or in too much overall pain
◻︎ holds front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
❖4
What date will Sky come home? The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the very STRICT crate rest part (no PT, little movement). With little blood supply discs are much slower to form good scar tissue than it takes a blood rich broken bone to heal. Those weeks of a cast for a broken arm to heal is similar to the recovery suite being a kind of cast for the disc. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for 8 weeks provides limited movement to allow good strong scar tissue to form.
Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more! —>
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htmSTRICT means:
◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches
◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you
◼︎no chiro therapy "whys": __
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/chiropractic.htm ◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times.
◼︎no PT for conservative dogs during 8 weeks to heal disc
◼︎laser or acupuncture for severe neuro damage is best at home via a mobile vet.
Transports are always a risk to the disc of too much movement. Vet visits must be weighed risk vs. benefit for dogs with little to mild neuro diminishment.
❖5
Does the vet say he has bladder control? Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control – OR- do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted which are indication of an overflowing bladder and loss of bladder control?
Overflowing bladders need to be expressed to avoid UTIs. Review video then get a hands-on-top-of-your-hands expressing lesson.
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm❖6 Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
Let us know where in the list Sky is with his neuro functions at this point in time.
As damage to the spinal cord increases, there is a predictable stepwise deterioration of functions. When nerve healing begins, often it follows the reverse order.
1. Pain caused by the tearing disc & inflammation in the spinal cord
2. Wobbly walking, legs cross
3. Nails/toes scuffing floor
4. Paws knuckle under
5. Weak/little leg movement, can't move up into a stand
6. Legs do not work at all (paralysis, dog is down)
7. Bladder control is lost. Leaks on you when lifted. Can no longer sniff and then pee on that old urine spot outdoors.
8. Tail wagging with joy is lost
9. Deep pain sensation, the last neuro function, a critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment.
If surgery is not an option (for whatever reason) then the best option is conservative therapy. Surgery can still be successful in a window of 12-24 hours after loss of deep pain sensation. Trust only the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) surgeon about DPS. Too many DVMs get this tricky to identify neuro function wrong.
A quick overview of conservative treatment vs. a surgery:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsurgery.htm#surgeryVSconservative
