Welcome to Dodgerslist. 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. I am sorry that Clarita is having another disc episode.
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:
To refresh your memory, 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.
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no chiro therapy - no dragging or meandering at potty times
Along with the strict crate rest an anti-inflammatory is prescribed to reduce the swelling in the spinal cord which causes the pain and neuro deficits.
Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given.
If Clarita was prescibed a steroid….what was the start date & dose? Date of steroid taper?
If she is on a NSAID, for how many days has it been prescribed for?
You mention Clarita's symptoms are progressing. If you haven't already, let the vet know right away. The vet may want to adjust the medication. Once nerves are damaged they may take a long time to heal.
Gabapentin is often prescribed for IVDD pain, but Gabapentin alone is often not enough. There are different sources for IVDD pain and the combination of medications we have seen work best is:
Methocarbamol for painful muscle contractions.
Tramadol Rx'd 3x/day as the general pain reliever
Gabapentin for nerve pain also Rx'd 3x/day.
These are the signs of pain we look for; ☐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?
Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way between doses. If you are seeing any of these signs of pain, let the vet know right away so that Clarita's medication can be adjusted. Discuss adding tramadol and Methocarbamol to the gabapentin.
We are not vets and do not know the specifics of each dog's health. We are making this suggestion based on what we've seen qualified vets prescribe in the past and only as a basis for discussion with your vet.
Clarita may have lost bladder control. The way we know that a dog has bladder control is by the "sniff and pee" test. Carry her to a usual potty spot. If she can sniff and then pee there she has bladder control. While she is pottying allow the minimum amount of footsteps.
If she does not have bladder control she must be expressed. Did she need to be expressed during any of her other disc episodes? We have information on expressing here:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/All dogs taking an anti-inflammatory are at risk of stomach damage caused by excess stomach acid. To reduce the chance of damage a stomach protector like Pepcid AC is very important.
Ask the vet if Clarita 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).
The usual dose of epcid 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.
Is Clarita showing any signs of GI Tract problems? —Eating and drinking OK? No nausea/not eating, no vomit? —Poops OK? Normal firmness & color -no dark black or bright red blood indicating bleeding ulcers? No diarrhea?
We encourage you to register and become a member of the Forum. That way it will be easier for you to reply and make it easier for us to track your dog and give the best of comments and support.
You can refresh your knowledge of IVDD by reading some of the information we have here:
At the MAIN WEBSITE,
dodgerslist.com/
