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Post by Star on Jun 20, 2020 7:29:56 GMT -7
[Original subject line: Stassie's 5/26 Surgery ]
ibb.co/ZxJ7CqM Hello! I have been reading the threads on here for a few weeks now and decided to post my own. I have a three and a half year old french bulldog named Stassie who recently had surgery for a herniated disk. On Sunday, 5/24, we noticed that she was not eating and was very restless the previous night so I took her to the emergency vet. She has always seemed to have previous stomach issues such as regurgitation and occasionally had a lack of appetite, so the vet said this was just a stomach problem and diagnosed her medicine for it. Her bloodwork was fine when she went in. Later that day, she started developing the wobbly walk, and we had no previous knowledge of IVDD so we immediate took her back to the emergency vet. They kept her for two days and we picked her up on Tuesday, due to the holiday weekend. When we picked her up, she was way worse that when we dropped her off. We immediate drove two hours to a surgeon who could help. By this point, she had already lost deep pain perception. Since the emergency clinic did not tell us when she stopped walking completely, the surgeon gave her a 50% chance of ever walking again and he performed the surgery. We struggled expressing her bladder but eventually got the hang of it. Her two week follow up went great and she does have feeling in her legs now. At this appointment, the surgeon told us she can be taken off Tramadol. She is healing up nicely, besides her getting a UTI after her follow up appointment. The main issue we are facing now is expressing her while her feeling comes back. We will take her outside and sling walk her for a few minutes and she will squat and pee like normal, except she does not get as much out like she used to. She will squat and pee 2 to 3 times when we go outside. She sniffs all over the ground, so it is hard to tell if she is passing the "sniff and pee" test. When we try to express her, she bends her legs up (like the squatting position) and it makes it extremely difficult to not lose the bladder. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on this? I am worried about her getting another UTI if we do not fully empty her bladder and I do not think she is doing it on her own. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! ☆ 1 Is there still currently pain? No pain noticed ☆ 2 How much does your dog weigh? 22 lbsA. Medicine - Currently, she is off all medication besides Zeniquin for UTI. 37.5 mgs every 24 hours (1.5 tablets at 25 mgs each) ☆ 3 Yes, eating fine -- Poops OK Yes, normal ☆ 4 French bulldog. Her name is Stassie and my name is Star ☆ 5 She had a herniated disk. Her surgean was a ACVS who specialized in this procedure. ☆ 6 First visited the vet on 5/24, surgery was 5/26 post-op rest? 6 weeks, then will determine if she needs more crate rest after her 6 week follow up -- PT? passive range of motion, "bicycle leg movements"☆ 7 We think it is a mix of both. When we brought her home we had to strictly express her, but has now started squatting. We still express her to try and empty her bladder, but she squats and pees first. ☆ 8 No wobbly walk and she does not have a tail so we can't tell.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 20, 2020 8:54:34 GMT -7
The ACVS surgeon said she had deep pain sensation at last visit on 6/29? Have you seen any butt wriggles, or the tail stump move when you specifically do some happy talk or show her a yummy treat? I think if you try expressing as her body is positioned on your thigh you can be more successful in doing that quick express check after she is thru peeing on her own without the legs pulling up to cause you to loose grip of the bladder. -- Sit on a chair/a stool outdoors or squat on the lawn and position her butt on your thigh. Watch how this owner does the same idea of the dog's position but over the toilet. Let us how this idea works for you and if you are expressing for poop. Skip to 4:48 min to view Tips on expressing both the bladder and for poop if you need them: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm OF NOTE: When a dog is starting regain bladder function, they may no longer easily accept being expressed because t hey can do it on their own. Still you must do an express check until you are satisfied they are fully emptying the bladder. Otherwise UTIs will occur as the remaining urine becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. I hope you will register and login so we can better assist you and Stassie. You will also have all the features of the Forum open to you (some are: making it faster to reply and get an email alert about replies). The guest board is a temporary Guest courtesy to get immediate help until you can register. Illustrated "what to expect during registration": www.dodgerslist.com/forumads/RegisterFORUM/register.htmWould you consider helping another trying to make decisions… We have a directory where you can share surgical info. Here is where you can share your dog's info: dodgerslist.boards.net/board/13/member-reported-surgery-costs-recommendationsState: Hospital: Address: Cost: Date of surgery: What was included in cost (MRI?, days stay, ER? PT? meds for home, sling, etc.) Comments:
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 20, 2020 9:29:02 GMT -7
I have registered Sorry for the confusion, we had her two week follow up appointment on 6/10 and at that appointment the vet said that she has her deep pain sensation back. We have not noticed any butt wiggles, the only thing similar is when she gets excited she attempts to stand, as in lifts her butt off the ground then sits back down. Thank you for the tips on expressing her! We have not tried expressing her for poop, but will consider it if she never regains control. When I express her for pee, we have been doing the method where she lays on her side because it seemed like when she was standing she would get distracted and try to move. However, now that she has started squatting, it is extremely difficult for us but I will definitely try the method you suggested. Also, when we put her on all fours she will stand for a few seconds, but has no balance. We have not considered physical therapy at our local clinic yet due to the number of expenses we have already occurred, so we are trying the passive range of movements and very little sling walking in our backyard. She has her 6 week follow up appointment on 7/8.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 20, 2020 9:49:17 GMT -7
Which kind of vet identified deep pain sensation (DPS)?. Only the word of a the surgeon can be trusted with this very tricky to correctly identify neuro function. Family DVM vets often get DPS wrong. Was the "vet" your ACVS surgeon vet?
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS about neuro status Have you seen any butt wriggles, or the tail stump move when you specifically do some happy talk or show her a yummy treat?
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 20, 2020 9:57:24 GMT -7
The vet that identified her deep pain sensation was the ACVS surgeon who performed the operation. No, we have not seem any butt wriggles or movement in the tail stump. When she gets excited she tries to stand, but I have not noted any specific movements in her tail stump.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 20, 2020 10:04:51 GMT -7
Then with correct ID of DPS it is very likely she does have bladder control returning. So do let her pee on her own. Then continue to do a quick express check to verify she is consistently voiding all the urine.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 20, 2020 10:09:00 GMT -7
Which kind of vet identified deep pain sensation (DPS)?. Only the word of a the surgeon can be trusted with this very tricky to correctly identify neuro function. Family DVM vets often get DPS wrong. Was the "vet" your ACVS surgeon vet? IMPORTANT QUESTIONS about neuro status Have you seen any butt wriggles, or the tail stump move when you specifically do some happy talk or show her a yummy treat? Verify when you can start these exercises with your ACVS surgeon vet. 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:
Underwater Treadmill The movement of the hip joints and muscles and the changes in pressure on the paws from the underwater treadmill triggers spinal cord communication with the brain. Water bouyancy makes it easier than leg movements against gravity. There is not only the potential to regrow damaged neuronal pathyways but also for neuron to muscle re-education to learn the art of walking again. Water Therapy at home Use the same principals in changing water depth in the above Underwater treadmill video with water therapy at home. Won't be exactly the same but can be pretty beneficial Check with your ACVS surgeon vet when ok to start at home: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/watertherapy.htmBookmark a thread to receive an email alert when someone has replied
Go to the CONSERVATIVE Board where Staccie's thread will be moved to. 1. Look for your dog's thread and checkmark it. 2. Look for the white ACTIONS button towards top. 3. Select “Notification Options" from the pull down menu — check mark “NEW POST” change from never to INSTANT email — press the SAVE button. Click the “x” to close the window 4. Next choose the “Bookmark” See the tiny book symbol now!
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 26, 2020 6:18:24 GMT -7
NEW DISC EPISODE JUNE 25? - conservative treatment Thank you for all of your help! Stassie seemed to be doing great, but has recently [date? 6/25] had an episode with her neck. We have called the surgeon and he said to give her ✙ Tramadol and ✙ Gabapentin, which is what I had on hand. [Moderator's Note. Please do not edit tramadol ?mg ?x/day gabapentin ?mg ?x/day ]She seems to be shaking around her neck and more reluctant to move. She can still move her head and front legs fine, she just doesn't want to. She is eating and drinking like normal. Doctor thinks she slept wrong and messed her neck up, but I am worried it is more serious. Stassie is still on crate rest where the only time we take her out of her crate is to potty. I don't see how anything else could have gone wrong, but I was wondering if this is common and if anyone else has gone through it? The surgeon said it was very unlikely it is another disc issue with her being on crate rest, I just know that something is clearly making her uncomfortable.
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PaulaM
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 26, 2020 6:43:12 GMT -7
Are you taking Stassie in to be seen and examined by your vet?, your surgeon?
Or are you continuing crating and observing the neck thing?
What are the doses of tramadol and gabapentin in mgs you give? and how often
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 26, 2020 6:47:28 GMT -7
I was told to continue crating her and watching to make sure nothing worsens. If she does not get better over the weekend we will take her to the vet on Monday. The place she had surgery is over two hours away and it is difficult for me to get off with such short notice. I will have to check the doses when I get home.
Is this something you have heard of before? I can't imagine going through another disc episode while still being on crate rest.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 26, 2020 6:50:31 GMT -7
Star, in case this would turn out to be a neck disc episode, then the STRICT rest for a conservatively treated dog is more strict than for a post-op patient. Here are the extra things you can do at home to help with a neck disc: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cervical.htm
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 26, 2020 6:58:51 GMT -7
Star, with the disease, IVDD, all discs are prematurely aging. The last straw point of a disc being so degenerated is the disc can no longer act as a flexible jelly filled cushion. Instead of bouncing back into shape when the vertebrae move, the disc starts to have cracks on the surface and at some point those cracks can become a tear.
Your Stassie is young. Dogs born with disc disease begin with discs already deteriorating at age 1. My one year old dachsie had a surgery at age 1, not very common at such an early age. Most owners can't point to an activity that "caused" the last straw for the disc episode. It could be a simple as running and abruptly coming to a stop that put too much pressure on the prematurely aging disc. Or it could be turning the head so the back leg could reach to scratch an ear.
Got my fingers crossed that its simply a stiff neck from sleeping funny. Please keep us updated.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 26, 2020 12:54:11 GMT -7
I am hoping for the best as well and trying to think positive. I have talked to both the surgeon and our regular vet, and neither want us to bring her into the office because of Stassie's high anxiety. They are worried that she will hurt herself more if she came in. Instead, they prescribe another pain medicine but still told me not to give her prednisone due to her having a UTI. Thanks again for all your help, I will keep you updated if anything changes.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 26, 2020 13:15:09 GMT -7
Does the vet think it is IVDD? With IVDD, it is important to have an anti-inflammatory working on the swelling in the spinal cord which causes the pain and any neuro deficits. If the vet thinks it is something else an anti-inflammatory may not be necessary.
Dogs can usually take pred even with a UTI. Dogs on pred drink more and therefore need to pee more. Has she regained bladder control as of now? If she has you would need to take her out as often as every 2-3 hours on pred. If she has not yet regained control and you are still expressing her you may need to express more often if she takes pred.
UTI's are fairly common with dogs needing to be expressed despite our best efforts. Is she on an antibiotic now?
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 26, 2020 13:59:01 GMT -7
Hi Romy,
The vet thinks it is just a crick in her neck from sleeping on the wrong side. I don't see this as very possible because the way she is trembling makes me think she is in a lot of pain, although her pain medications have helped. He said it is very unlikely that it could be another disc episode with her being on crate rest. I think the vets would better understand if I brought her in and they looked at her, but it seems like they are ruling out another disc episode before seeing her.
She is peeing some on her own but we are also doing a quick express to make sure her bladder is empty. She is on Zeniquin for her UTI. I have prednisone on hand but the surgeon mentioned that I would not want to give that to her with a UTI. I'm not exactly sure why.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 26, 2020 14:24:31 GMT -7
If Stassie is in any pain at all, let the vet know right away. Then advocate for her pain meds to be adjusted. Whether it is IVDD or not a dog should not be in pain.
Can you please let us know about the pain meds you are currently giving, what the dose is and how often she takes the med.
We don't know if it is IVDD or not. If it is IVDD, no anti-inflammatory means that the nerves will continue to be swollen. I am concerned that this can eventually lead to worsening of her condition.
I think it is important that Stassie be seen by a vet. If you have already advocated very strongly for her to be seen and you cannot convince your vet to see her, a consult with another vet may be in order.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jun 30, 2020 6:49:51 GMT -7
Here is her current medications:
✙Zeniquin - 37.5 mgs every 24 hours (For UTI) ✙Carprofen - 25 mgs every 12 hours Tramadol - 25 mgs every 8 hours Sucralfate - .5 g every 8 hours
[Moderator's Note. Please do not edit 22 lbs surgery 5/26 conservative 6/25; GRAD 8/20 Carprofen as of date?: 25mgs 2x/day for ? days, then test stop: _pain/_neuro tramadol 25mg 3x/day gabapentin ?mg ?x/day ✙ Zeniquin antibiotic- 37.5 mgs 1x/day sucralfate 1000mg tab: ?mgs 3x/day ]
She does not seem to be in pain and is back to acting like her old self. We have put her on strict crate rest and eliminated her sling walks and most pt. I try to let her pee standing up, but still express her afterwards to fully empty her bladder. After speaking with her surgeon again a few nights ago, he said it was very possible for her to have herniated another disc, although it is rare.
He mentioned that we should medically manage her pain before bringing her in because they do not do MRIs unless it worsens and she has very bad anxiety. She has her 6 week [surgery] follow up appointment with her surgeon next week.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 30, 2020 13:30:18 GMT -7
I am happy to hear that your Stassie is pain free and back to her old self.
Since the vet sees it as a possible herniated disc, treating it with Strict crate rest and an anti-inflammatory is very prudent.
If you are continuing to treat her conservatively, an MRI would not really be necessary. An MRI is expensive and requires general anesthesia which can be risky for an IVDD dog. An MRI is usually done right before surgery so the surgeon can see exactly where the problem is and know where to operate. With conservative treatment of strict crate rest, all discs are treated at the same time. An MRI would be used if the vet thinks there might be another cause for the spinal cord pain.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jul 9, 2020 12:59:16 GMT -7
Stassie had her 6 week surgery follow up appointment yesterday, 7/8. The surgeon checked again for deep pain sensation and he said she can definitely feel her legs. He also gave her a stronger antibiotic and did a re-culture to make sure this will fight off her UTI. He said we can take her off carprofen and we have reduced her tramadol. The surgeon also mentioned that she seems to have some orthopedic issues causing her knees to pop. Also, we noticed last night she is starting to get pressure sores on her back legs from laying down. Does anyone have any tips on preventing this? It feels like we cannot catch a break. The surgeon did not say much about her neck issues since he did not see her go through it. He said crate rest after this is up to me, but I am continuing it because I believe her neck pain was from a disc. She is still doing ok and not in pain. She has started trying to move around more and we are thinking we may need to upgrade her recovery suite to keep her in one spot. We currently are using a baby pool with orthopedic crate mats and blankets, but will probably switch to a taller, round gate with a thicker orthopedic bed in it. The good news is that her surgeon seems to now truly believe that she will walk again. Her back legs are still very weak, and this neck issue has caused me to reduce her physical therapy so I am worried about how that will affect her walking in the future. Here are her current medications - Zeniquin - 37.5 mgs 1x a day (These will be stopped on 7/12) Clavamox - 125mg 2x a day Tramadol - 25 mgs 2x a day Sucralfate - .5 g 3x a day (This is continued due to her vomiting on 7/7, she has been fine since, but the vet told us to continue giving this to her for a couple more days to make sure her stomach recovers)
Thank you all for your help and support the past few weeks!
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 9, 2020 13:22:46 GMT -7
Moderator Romy is preparing a response
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 9, 2020 14:07:48 GMT -7
Good news that Stassie can feel her legs.
You mention that Stassie is not in pain but Stassie is still on tramadol. Because of continued use of a pain med it is difficult to know if she is in pain from a neck issue or not.
Stopping crate rest is dependent on whether Stassie's neck pain is/was caused by IVDD. If the vet thinks it is not IVDD than six weeks post-surgery many surgeon's release the dog from crate rest. However, if the neck pain is IVDD than Strict crate rest for 8 weeks is needed to allow the disc to heal. It sounds like the surgeon does not think it is IVDD and therefore not recommending crate rest. But it is important for the surgeon or your regular vet to give you a diagnosis so you will know how to proceed. Continue crate rest or slowly move back to activity including PT.
When our dogs feel better they do want to move around more. However, until you get a diagnosis of a neck disc issue or something else causing the pain movement should be minimized. For a dog on conservative treatment the crate size should only be large enough to stand up, turn around and fully stretch out the legs when lying down. A higher crate that she can not get out of is important either way. When dogs are no longer on crate rest they are slowly re-introduced to activity. So, in the beginning, Stassie should be in a crate when you are not supervising.
Pressure sores can occur when a dog is paralyzed and they are not able to change position. If this is the case with Stassie, she will need to be moved from one side to another to avoid constant pressure on one area. Consider a mattress made of egg-crate foam that can help distributes her weight evenly across the mattress. PT can also help keep pressure sores from developing.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jul 9, 2020 14:30:01 GMT -7
She will be completely off tramadol in the next few days so then I will be able to tell if she is completely pain-free off medications. The only reason I am waiting is because I would like to be home when we take her off so I can monitor that she is not in any pain. I would hate to take her off tramadol completely and her be in pain while I am at work. She is still in her recovery suite when we are home and is completely crated when we are gone.
In regards to her neck pain, I never got the answers I was looking for. Neither her DVM or ACVS thought it was a good idea to bring her in due to her history of her anxiety causing breathing issues when she goes in. They both said that we should medically manage her pain and the trembling went away almost instantly after taking medicine. When she went to her 6 week follow up, the ACVS surgeon said he cannot give us an answer on what was going on with her neck since he did not see her at the time. He mentioned that she seemed to be doing well to him, and her crate rest from her surgery should be over now.
In my opinion, the symptoms she had with her neck were too similar to when she had a herniated disc in her back. It is hard for me to ignore this issue without getting an answer from a vet. But, I may just be paranoid. Should I have her seen by another vet? I am not sure what they would do now since she seems be acting normal, but I will certainly take her somewhere else if that is needed.
The pressure sore seemed to come out of no where. We are not 100% sure that is what it is, we are just assuming it is that due to how she lays. It is not anything major or extremely concerning I just do not want it to get worse. Her bed now is made out of that egg-shaped foam, but they are getting pretty flat so maybe we need to purchase new ones. She seems to move enough to not get them, so I am not sure why she has one now.
Thanks again for all of your help
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 9, 2020 15:12:13 GMT -7
I certainly understand you wanting to stop the tramadol when you can be home to monitor her. It is difficult to know what to do when you get such little guidance from the vet. Certainly if Stassie shows signs of pain once you stop the tramadol, a vet would be able to give you an opinion, but without pain or any signs of weakness it may be impossible to tell. There is probably no need to bring her to another vet unless she again shows symptoms.
There are some considerations either way. If it is not another disc issue, then post-op crate rest is over and it would be important to start returning her to activity and PT so she can regain muscle strength. This is a secondary consideration when a disc is damaged, but important if there is no disc issue. Moving around would also benefit her pressure sores.
If it is another disc, too much movement can result in pain, weakness and other neuro deficits.
I think purchasing a new egg shaped mattress may be benefit her pressure sores. They do flatten over time.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,493
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 9, 2020 17:47:58 GMT -7
Star, I would add maybe look for memory foam. It is what hospitals use for people to prevent pressure soars. You can find bed toppers at the big box stores, K-mart, etc. One for a baby crib or twin size could be cut with scissors or a serrated knife into 2 or more pieces to fit the suite. Enclose it in a duct tape sealed trash bag to protect from liquids. I've had my several conservative and surgery rest periods over the year. It works the same as when I got I got it new.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jul 14, 2020 13:32:54 GMT -7
Stassie has been taken off all medications besides clavamox for her UTI. Fingers crossed this actually helps and she does not become resistant to this antibiotic. She is pain-free and seems to be very happy. It is hard finding a balance between wanting to keep her on crate rest and making sure her muscles are able to regain strength. When she gets excited she has started standing, but I cannot tell if she is doing this on purpose or if her legs are locking up and causing her to stand. Questions - When we take her outside to try and let her pee on her own, she squats and dribbles, but it is not a controlled stream like when I express her. I do not think she is leaking because she never does throughout the day and is always dry. Our vet wants us to go a day or two without expressing her and seeing if she pees on her own, but I am scared that will make this UTI worse since she has had it for so long. Does anyone know about how long it takes to regain bladder control after they have feeling back? I know every dog is different, but I wasn't sure if there is an average time or not. Thanks again for all of your help and support! You guys are lifesavers!
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 14, 2020 15:36:34 GMT -7
I am very glad that Sassi is off all IVDD meds and is pain free.
Good news that she is standing. Even if she can only maintain that position for a few seconds it is a step forward in her healing.
When my dog was regaining bladder control, he would stop to pee, pee some and continue walking peeing as he went. He did this for a long time. When Sassie starts to pee are you supporting her in place long enough for her to stop and maybe start up again? I would also be concerned about not expressing her if she can not yet fully empty the bladder by herself. Maybe give her extra time to pee in case it does not come in one steady stream but in several smaller ones and then continue to express check her afterwards.
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Post by Star & Stassie on Jul 24, 2020 13:47:12 GMT -7
Although we still do not know for sure if her neck issue was another herniated disc, we are slowly allowing her more freedom and trying more PT because the surgeon made it sound like Stassie needed to regain her strength. I am still constantly worried that she will hurt herself again, but she has officially started trying to walk! She has even stood up and stepped over her bed to lay down! I am so proud of how far she has come especially with her low prognosis after her surgery. We still are not allowing her on furniture, outside without a sling, or to roam around the house when we are not supervising her. Our surgeon wants to have another follow up appointment on August 26th. ** I think her bladder/bowel control is slowly coming back, but with this never ending UTI its hard to tell. It does seem like her UTI is starting to clear up. We have had two cultures so far and will have to have a third in a few weeks. In terms of bladder/bowel control, the past two days she has indicated she wanted to go outside by looking at the door and scooting closer, and when we take her out she poops. Still can't really tell if she passes the "sniff and pee" test though.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 24, 2020 14:13:26 GMT -7
It is great news that Stassie is trying to walk and starting to recover bowel control. Your surgeon did not think she had a neck disc issue and wants to build up Stassie's strength. That makes sense to me and so she should slowly be increasing her activity. If you begin to see signs of a neck disc issue crate immediately and call your vet.
IVDD dogs can mostly go back to the usual activity when the crate rest is over. There are a few things that should be avoided forever.
No more stairs or steps. Use ramps indoors. We have some info on ramps here: No more jumping up or down, those activities increase impact on the spine. No tug-o-war, pulling games. No shaking toys. No zig zag running. No rambunctious playing with other dogs. Teach your dog to not pull on the leash No sitting up or standing on back legs. Teach your dog to sit down rather than jump AND keep all four feet on the ground
If Stassie is scooting around the house now consider using a protective garment to reduce friction burn. This may also keep bacteria from entering the bladder. We have some info on different types of garments here:
We have some reading about persistant UTIs here:
Since Stassie is showing signs of regaining control, keep trying sniff and pee. Bladder and bowel control usually return around the same time, but not always.
She is definitely making progress.
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,493
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 25, 2020 19:32:35 GMT -7
Star it appears that Stassie had graduated! What very good news on trying to walk and UTI clearing up! Wow! Check out our after graduation page for lot's of ideas for furniture blockers, easing back in to family activities and many more tips and ideas for living with IVDD: dodgerslist.com/living-with-ivdd-tips/
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Post by Star & Stassie on Aug 21, 2020 13:07:23 GMT -7
Hi again! Stassie is doing great - her last culture showed that her UTI was gone and she is getting better at walking every day! She has a very wobbly walk and has a hard time balancing, and although she is slowly improving, I was wondering the average time it takes for them to become 100% back to normal. She started taking steps about a month ago and has definitely improved but it is a very slow process. She will also not let us walk her around the yard with her sling anymore. When we put the sling under her stomach she just stands there and will not move, so I am not sure how to help her balance without it. Also, does anyone have any tips on helping Stassie walk on different textures/surfaces? She does great on carpet and dry grass, but will not walk on hardwood, tile, or wet grass. Lastly, we built a carpeted ramp for her to use in the house but we are not sure when to start training her on it. Should we wait until she can walk back to normal or is it ok to train her to use it while she is still wobbly walking? Thanks for all your help throughout this process!
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