Welcome to Dodgerslist, Alisha. We are glad you’ve joined us all. We’ve got valuable information we’ve gleaned from the vets Dodgerslist consults with and our own experiences with IVDD since 2002 to share with you.
It is important to know that disc disease is not a death sentence! Struggling with quality of life questions for your dog? Re-think things:
The most important thing you can do now for your River is immediately start STRICT crate rest. 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.
STRICT means:
◼︎no laps
◼︎no couches
◼︎no baths
◼︎no sleeping with you
◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times.
◼︎no PT for conservative dogs during 8 weeks to heal disc
◼︎At home laser or acupuncture for severe neuro damage is best. 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.
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/River should not be scooting around on her butt at all. This could further damage the nerves.
Deep Pain Sensation is very difficult to determine. Only a specialist (ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho) can reliably determine DPS. DVMs may get this wrong.
IVDD is typically painful. You mention that she is showing no signs of pain currently. The signs of pain we look for are ☐shivering, trembling ☐yelping when picked up or moved ☐reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move ☐tight tense tummy ☐can’t find a comfortable position ☐Arched back ☐ Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight ☐head held high or nose to the ground ☐Not their normal perky selves?
If you see any of these signs of pain going forward let the vet know right away that pain meds are needed. Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way between doses when pain meds are right.
River does not have control of her bladder. This is common for dogs who are paralyzed. When a dog does not have bladder control we must help them empty the bladder by expressing. That means we put pressure on the bladder greater than the strength of the urinary sphincter. This will push the urine out. It is very important that you help River empty her bladder. Stale urine in the bladder can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs). The bladder can also become stretched out of shape causing problems in the future. The wet bedding and leaking you are seeing is caused by overflow. This is a reflex that causes the bladder to expel a little urine when it gets overfull.
Expressing is a skill and must be learned and practiced but it is important for River's overall health. The best way to start is by getting a hands-on lesson from your vet. Then practice. You will know you have it right when you get a steady stream and no longer find wet. You can also learn to express the bowels. We have information on expressing here.
www.dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/bedding.
All anti-inflammatories cause excess stomach acid which can lead to serious stomach damage. To decrease the chance of damage a stomach protector like Pepcid AC should be used. Ask the vet if River 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). Don't wait until signs of damage like not eating or diarrhea are seen.
The usual dose of Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound, 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours for as long as your dog is on the anti-inflammatory.
The best way to help River is to learn all you can about IVDD. Be in command of the 4 phases of healing, what to expect with pain, with swelling, disc and nerve healing. This will help you get up to speed:
- Two FRIDGE FLYERs to print out
a) Help all of your family recognize emergency signs and action to take.
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/emergency-fridge-flyer2.pdf b) Avoid dangerous detours with the Conservative Roadmap for your fridge:
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roadmap-for-Fridge.pdf- Excellent IVDD video playlist:
-4 At the MAIN WEBSITE, use the orange SEARCH bar feature to easily access the treasure trove of more IVDD information. You will feel so very empowered to help your dog!
Healing thoughts for River.
