Jen's Benji 8/7 Conservative Bichon Poo 9 years

-- What was the date you started the all important 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty …. No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering, scooting or dragging around during potty times. No baths, no chiro (aka VOM)? This is very important Becca, get Bonnie into a crate and resting ASAP so her disc can begin the healing process and not be further injured. www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm

I suppose I still haven't started strict crate rest as I allowed him on my lap this evening. I guess we have to start tomorrow.

-- Is there still currently pain - shivering, shaking, crying when picked up or moved? Yes to all.

-- What are the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and frequencies? Please include the all important stomach protector such as Pepcid AC.

Not currently on Pepcid.
Tramadol 25mg 3x per day
Dexamethasone 25mg 2x per day
Methocarbamol 125 mg 3x per day
Miratzipine 7.5 mg 1x per day



-- Can your dog move the legs at all or wag the tail due when you do some happy talk?
Yes, is currently able to walk with a wobble. Is not knuckling at the walk, but when placed in the knuckle position, paw does not return to normal position. He does still wag his tail sometimes.

-- Do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted up? Helpful videos with tips on expressing both urine and poop: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm He has had a few accidents, but does not leak.

-- Eating and drinking OK? Drinking ok, eating very little.

-- Poops OK - normal color and firmness no dark or bright red blood? Small amount of stools, no blood, normal.

Welcome to Dodgerslist Jen! Please let Benji know with your utmost confidence that things are going to be ok…because they will. With this disease self education is critical not just so you make sure the right things are being done for the best recovery but for your own emotions. The unknown is simply a scary place. Get ready to fight this disease now and in the future by knowing all things IVDD. There is no better place to start than on our main web page with "Overview: the essentials" and then read all you can as soon as possible. Here's the link www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm

The best tool for healing short of when surgery is indicated is – Crate rest— 100% STRICT crate rest for 8 weeks. That means 24/7 in the crate except for potty breaks. It's lack of movement that heals..and with Benji in so much pain, he needs that spine protected from further injury..

No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering, scooting or dragging around during potty times. No baths, no Chiro, no VOM. The rest of the details of doing crate rest:
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm

Do everything possible to preserve the spinal cord with good crate rest principals! The true success with IVDD is measured by the most important goal of returning your dog to a pain free, happy and full-of-love quality of life after crate rest. Should paralysis occur, please know that dogs do not view the lack of ability to walk as a minus as humans do. Dogs adjust to what is and then get on with the business of fully enjoying all that life has to offer until nerves repair!

Tell your Vet that Benji is still in pain and see if some adjustments can be made to his pain medications.. Very important, as long as there is pain, healing can't begin.. Once he is pain free, you will start to see Benji's personality come back..
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpain.htm

Please do ask your vet if there is any medical reason why Benji can't be on Pepcid AC. He is taking Dexamethasone which is the strongest of the steroids which can cause major GI problems, a real danger to his unprotected stomach.  He may not be eating because stomach problems are developing.. Ask about Pepcid and also a second stomach protector  Sucralfate that works in a different way to coat the irritated stomach lining.. Sucralfate is given on an empty stomach, an hour before eating.  Pepcid 30 minutes before the Dex..

Take care and know we are here to help..

Can you specifically tell us if he pain is currently under control and has it been dose to dose of the pain meds (Tramadol and Methocarbamol)? Signs of pain are shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant/slow to move head or body, tight hard tummy.

If he is still reluctant to eat, please also call in and ask for an RX for sucralfate in additiion to the Pepcid AC. Dex is well known in the medical community to cause severe GI track problems. The first red flag signs to take seriously are: not eating, vomit, loose stools. Read up on Sucralfate so you are are as educated about this med as you are each of his other meds: www.marvistavet.com/html/sucralfate.html

What is "doxy"?

Why was the anti-depressent Miratzipine prescribed?

Can you confirm you ARE now doing 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 only out to potty for a full 8 weeks? …. No laps, no couch, no sleeping in bed with you, no meandering around during potty times. No baths, no chiro (aka VOM). In other words do everything you can to limit the vertebrae in the back from moving and putting pressure on the bad disc

I'm glad you are seeing another vet, a 2nd opinion… hopefully a vet that feels more comfortable in treating a disc episode. The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7. Without crate rest, the disc does not heal, and a vicious cycle you have reported of pain, neuro diminishment, vet bills, more meds happens.

Panting can be due to Tramadol and due to steroids. Try placing a fan near his crate but not pointed at him to help gently circulate the air a bit.

Be aware you might be inadvertently training for unwanted behavior. To dogs rewards are: food, looking at them, talking to them, eye contact, approaching the crate, petting. So anytime you see unwanted behavior of whinning ignore it, turn your back, leave the room if you have to. Anytime your Benji is sitting or lying down quietly, give a reward. Soon he will learn which of the behaviors receive reward.

Dex is notorious for adverse side effects to the stomach. The answer is not stimulating the appetite, but to protect the stomach from damage. Miratzipine could have some pretty serious side effects. Do Google and read up on it.

What were the symptoms she observed that led her to believe an infection was going on leading to the prescription of Doxycycline?

She wanted the doxy since I was concerned he wasn't showing signs of improvement. The vet last night did not seem to think that was a good idea. So we opted not to give it [Doxycycline] to him.

The acupuncture seemed to help a little and we were also given some homeopathic remedies as well. He is eating little bits of people food - ground pork cooked in coconut oil as long as we hand feed it to him. Might tried scrambled egg later today. I feel better knowing he is at least getting something in his belly. I might skip the miratzipine as well today and see if he continues eating.

He is still panting a lot, and was a little tender this morning (which is probably because it was about 10 hours between tramadol doses. He is on the Pepcid now, just got his second dose. He held is urine overnight and had a long pee this morning. No stools yet. He is not really quick about righting his paw position was placed in a knuckling position, but 2 days ago, he didn't right the position at all. He is a little wobbly still on his back end, but it is not getting worse.

Will keep you all updated! I'm so glad I found you. I feel so relieved to know that there are so many of you out there to support!

He won't go near kibble....and people food is only occasional as to whether he eats it or not. I will ask again for sucralfate. He goes in to vet #1 for laser again tonight...iThe tramadol being stretched was my fault. He was comfy overnight and I actually got a full night sleep for a change and slept past the 8 hours....

He is actually resting comfortably right now, no panting. We moved he crate into my daughters room overnight ( he usually sleeps in bed with her) and he was much more comfy it seemed.

I am concerned about what will happen when I go back to work in less than 2 weeks....he will be home alone for 11 hour stretches every day.

We stopped the mirazipine yesterday, and he is still eating. So that's good news. He isn't eating kibble, but did eat chicken for breakfast and pork for dinner. And he pooped tonight, which is great news.

He is still very wobbly on his back end, but doesn't fall over.

Hoping to see more progress over the next several days with more laser and acupuncture scheduled.

No luck with the sucralfate from with either vet. Good new though, Benji ate his kibble this morning with a little chicken mixed in. His walking is a ton better and he only wobbled when he decided to lift his leg to pee. We moved his crate outside for a bit today while we were out and he seemed to really like that. He's resting comfortably, very little panting. Just some whimpering because he wants out of the crate.
He is still on tramadol, every 8 hours on the dot, as well as methacarbamol. Pepcid 2x a day before his dexamethasone.
Hoping he continues to eat his kibble, but today, for the first time since this episode started, I feel he will make. A full recovery. We are planning on rearranging some things to keep him safe in the future.

It sounds as though Benji really is doing very good indeed! Righting his knuckled paw is a very good sign. And no more wobbling - wonderful!

You would only give the Pepcid 30 mins before the Dexamethasone, so if you're cutting the Dex back to once a day, then you would only give the Pepcid once a day. When you start weaning a dog off of an anti-inflammatory, you also should stop the pain medication. The only way you'll be able to tell if Benji still has pain when the anti-inflammatory is decreased is if his pain is not masked by a pain pill.

This is what Dodgerslist says about weaning on their website: "The tapering off of a steroid is a health necessity that also allows a peek into the status of swelling. If pain returns, your vet needs to know and likely more time on the steroid would be prescribed. No signs of pain means the steroid has done the job."
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingsweling.htm

So if pain medication is still being given, you would have no idea as to whether or not the pain has returned when the steroid is decreased. I think you should contact your vet with that question. Please let us know what he says.

I just wanted to update all of you who have been so helpful to me. Benji is doing very well. He is not confined overnight and when we are at work or away. But we do let him out supervised when we are home. He has been off all meds for a few weeks now. We have stopped laser and accupuncture, due to our work schedules. We started him on Vetri-Disc to help support his back at the recommendation of the acupuncture doc.
I'm so grateful that you all had such great advice to help us along the way! He isn't exactly 100% yet, but he is well on his way!