Welcome! My name is Paula, what's yours?
Getting Pepcid AC on board with the carprofen is important.
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.pmlTell us more about the back legs. Can she move them at all? Do the back paws knuckle under or is she just slow to right them?
The single most important care is the 100% strict rest.
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:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/ PLUS further guidance on conservative treatment and the 4 phases of healing:
dodgerslist.com/category/healing-phases/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!
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For how many days is the RX for the carprofen?
How many times a day do you give 100 mgs gabapentin?
Is pain fully in control, round the clock right up to the next dose of gabapentin?
