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Post by Stefanie & Alf on Jun 25, 2020 11:41:10 GMT -7
NEW DISC EPISODE on 6/23? Just in the past 2 days,
Alf is showing signs of having trouble with going up the stairs. Going down he is fine, but he comes up very slowly and one step at a time and sometimes wobbles. there is no whining or neurological deficits, you can just tell that he is struggling to go up the stairs. I know from reading all this material that there should not be stairs allowed, unfortunately there is no choice in the matter of where we live. So I’m going to break down what our day-to-day life is like and has been like for the past 7 years. We wake up in the morning, me, my boyfriend, and Alf in bed. The bed is about 3 feet off the ground and I’m currently assessing our current situation of how we can gradually change what he has been used to for the past 7 years. Our bedroom is on the second floor. We live in a duplex so there are no bedrooms on the first floor or the basement. The stairs getting up to our bedroom are carpeted. The stairs going from the inside of our house to the backyard, are unfortunately wood and that’s where I believe some of the current problems are starting again. So Alf wakes up, jumps off the bed, goes down the carpeted stairs, then goes down the wooden stairs to go to the bathroom. Comes back up the wooden stairs and usually takes his spot in the living room either on his bed on the floor, or on his spot on the couch which is about 2 feet up. This is usually where he will spend the day while me and my boyfriend are at work. Fortunately I have a very flexible job and I’m able to come home several times a day if not stay home. I recently installed a camera and found that he likes to go back up to the bedroom and sleep on the bed while we are gone. When we get home, he likes to go out several times a day to take numerous potty breaks. Not because he has a bladder problem or anything of that sort, he just likes to go in and out all day like a normal dog. But that unfortunately is what i believe is putting strain on him, is repetitively going up and down the wooden stairs. We have a front door that goes into a front yard that I am considering fencing in, there are only two steps there and I’m considering building a ramp if necessary. So my solution to a lot of these issues is to first off, put in a gate at the end of our carpeted stairs so he cannot access the bedroom while we are gone. But to also put a gate at the top of the stairs and only allow him upstairs once during the day and that is for when we go to bed. Also he is afraid of the ramp that I bought, so I purchased extra wide stairs and was going to see if maybe he would use those to get into the bed, or put a new bed for him on the floor in the bedroom and see if he would sleep there. I do not believe after 7 years that it is going to fly that he will sleep in a crate or stay downstairs. Then when we wake up I’ll assist him down the stairs even though he doesn’t need it, and latch the gate at the bottom so he will be restricted to the living room while we are at work. In the meantime, with him struggling to go up the stairs, is this something I should be concerned about? Should I put him on rest and give him gabapentin for now because clearly he strained some thing? Should I bring him to the vet and have him reevaluated, or should I bring him to a spinal specialist and maybe speak to them about it? He is only 7 years old and this dog is my life. I want him to be around as long as possible. I know changes need to be made, but the things that make him happy in life are the things I’m going to have to change. He loves going for rides in the car, so I’m thinking of a way to park my jeep next to my front stairs deck so he could just walk into the jeep instead of having us lift him in, he loves to sleep with us, he loves to lay on the couch with my boyfriend. I feel like if I take all these things away from him I’m taking away what makes him happy in life. His favorite game is tug of war, I’m sure I’m gonna be told next that he cannot play that game anymore. The article that you sent me, put a whole other perspective on things, but it also makes me realize that I will be changing what makes him happy. I don’t know what to do. |
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 25, 2020 14:16:25 GMT -7
Alf might be having another episode. That could be the cause of trouble going up the stairs and wobbly walking. A visit to the regular vet would confirm IVDD or something else. If you suspect a disc episode crating him would be the safest thing to do until you see the vet. You should see the vet as soon as possible so that Alf can get on the right meds for a disc episode. It is best not to self prescribe until you see the vet. Self prescribing, particularly with an anti-inflammatory may limit the vets options going forward.
Tug of war is to be avoided for IVDD dogs. I know this is hard but other games can be substituted. I played with my dog using nose work after his IVDD episode. He loved it. Have you had a chance to watch the video on nose work Paula mentioned? It's a good one.
If the vet diagnoses a disc issue it is very important to avoid all stairs during the 8 weeks of crate rest. A IVDD dog should avoid going up and down the stairs multiple times even when not having a current episode. The best thing for him would be to avoid all stair climbing and sleep downstairs if a ramp here is not possible. This would do the most to protect his back. Putting a gate at the stairs and not allowing him to walk up or down will at least minimize his stair climbing. A ramp on the front steps is also helpful. Sometimes dogs are afraid of ramps and reluctant to use them. They can be taught to be more comfortable with them. We have information on that here: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/ramptrain.htmRamps can be used to get on the couch also. After my dog's disc episode he used a ramp to get in and out of the car. Jumping up and down would put too much pressure on the back. If Alf is not having a current disc episode he can take car rides as long as he uses a ramp. During crate rest he should not be taking car rides unless visiting the vet or some other crucial trip.
The ramps I am speaking of are not for dogs having a current disc episode but only after the 8 weeks of crate rest.
We don't make these suggestions to make Alf unhappy. We make them to maximize the chance of Alf having a healthy life. He has you to care for him and when you play with him it will make him happy, even if it is not tug of war. |
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Post by Stefanie & Alf on Jun 25, 2020 14:43:28 GMT -7
Thank you so much for the quick response, and yes I have watched the videos and will definitely be partaking in those games in the future! Alf has an appointment with his vet on Sunday at 4 PM.
She told me to give him gabapentin every 8 to 12 hours and the carprofen twice a day until she sees him Sunday. I sent her a video of him walking up the stairs, I just had him walk up the stairs so she could see the way he was doing so. She said strict crate rest and meds until Sunday. So that’s what we will do. I can’t thank you enough for this forum and your advice. I will be updating as soon as we know what’s going on. I can’t thank you enough.
[Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
weight? 8 years old
Carprofen as of 6/23: 2x/day for ? days then a test stop for: _pain / _neuro
gabapentin ? mgs 3x/day
needs GI tract protector, Pepcid AC, on board w/Carprofen! ]
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Post by Stefanie & Alf on Jun 28, 2020 17:21:39 GMT -7
Carprofen since [6/23?] Tuesday twice a day,
Gabapenton 3 times a day every 8 hours.
They took an x-ray and can see that one or maybe two discs are herniated in his spine. She is suggesting either long-term medication, or since he is still young, Possibly surgery. We had blood work done to check his organ functions because of the medications, but she believes he is in perfect health otherwise. Strict crate rest for four weeks.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,540
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 28, 2020 19:17:51 GMT -7
Stefanie, if the diagnosis is that a damaged disc is involved as of June 23, then it takes 8 weeks of STRICT rest for the cartilage type tissue to mend. Kinda like us if we sprain or pull a cartilage type of ligament in our ankle, if we stay off of it, it will self heal. Because discs have practically no source of rich blood to aid in that mending, it takes longer than a broken bone to heal.... 8 weeks to heal a disc with limited movement. QUESTIONS 1 Did the vet give a diagnosis that that top disease was most likely disc disease episode?
Or was the diagnosis for something different?
2 How much does Alf weigh?
3 For how many days is he to take Carprofen?
4 Gabapentin, how many mgs does he take 3x/day?
5 Let us know you are on the same page about crate rest.
The centerpiece of "DISC disease" treatment is the healing of the disc via limited movement of the back via a recovery suite. Crate rest is not your dog in a cage. It's a "recovery suite" with room service!
100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for 8 weeks provides limited movement to allow good strong disc scar tissue to form.
Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm
PLUS further guidance on conservative treatment on our "All Things IVDD page: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingpage.htm www.dodgerslist.com/healingindex.htm
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no chiro therapy - no dragging or meandering at potty times.
Carry your dog to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a very, very few limited footsteps.
Using a sling (long winter scarf, ace bandage, belt) will save your back and help to keep a wobbly dog's back aligned and butt from tipping over. A harness and 6 foot leash is to control speed and keep footsteps to minimum as you stand in one spot. An ex-pen in the grass is an excellent alternative to minimizing footsteps with the physical and visual to indicate there will be no sniff festing going on!  6 What is the stumbling block to getting Pepcid AC on board for the duration of Carprofen?Proactive vets don’t wait til there is lip licking of nausea, not eating, vomit, diarrhea leading to serious bleeding ulcers, red or black blood in stool due to the extra stomach acids anti-inflammatory drugs cause. Pepcid AC (famotidine) blocks the production of acid. The usual dose of Pepcid AC (famotidine) with a disc episode is 0.44mg mg per pound every 12 hours. Pepcid AC has a very limited potential for side effects. Ask if your dog has any health issues to prevent use of Pepcid AC (famotidine)? (doesn’t need it, we wait til there is problem…are NOT answers to your question!) If you get a “no health” issues answer, then go to the grocery store to purchase over the counter Pepcid AC containing one single active ingredient (famotidine). HEALTH ISSUES: “Mar Vista Vet reports: Pepcid AC has a very limited potential for side effects, the reason of release to over-the-counter status. The dose of famotidine may require reduction in patients with liver or kidney disease as these diseases tend to prolong drug activities. There have been some reports of exacerbating heart rhythm problems in patients who already have heart rhythm problems so it may be prudent to choose another means of stomach acid control in heart patients.” marvistavet.com/famotidine.pml |
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