Juli's Roxi 8/10 Surgery

I'm so sorry to hear about your little one!! I'm very new at this myself as my Sophie just had surgery on Wednesday August 7th! I know it just helps to connect with someone who gets it and you've certainly come to the right place! I brought Sophie home today and really the only advice I can give is that you need to have everything in order for when she comes home. You can certainly find everything you will need here! You won't lose her you just may need to adapt to a new normal at least for a while! Hang in there and absorb all the information you can from here!! I think I've read everything 2-3 times and it really helps!! There are so many success stories out there! I have just decided that even if my Sophie does not regain use of her legs she will still be the same sweet baby shes always been just with some hot new wheels!! Either way I'm happy as long as shes with me and pain free!! My thoughts and prayers are with you!!! Best of luck!!

Hi julibug, my name is Maureen, what's yours and your little girl's too. I have moved your thread to the Surgery side of the board so that the best information and help can be provided to you.
As hard as it is, try not to worry too much, and believe in the power of healing. No one, not even a surgeon can tell whether she will walk again. Some dogs stand up a week after surgery, and others, require a much longer time. Each dog recovers at a different rate and to a different degree. Nobody can predict how much function a dog will regain, not even a surgeon. It will take at least 2 weeks for the post operative swelling to subside. After the swelling is down there is still the healing of the surgical area and then the nerves themselves - and nerves can take along time, weeks to months.
www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htm
Marjorie and Sabrina have given you some great advice and links to important information. You have lots of reading to do and a recovery suite or crate to prepare while you wait for your little girl to be discharged from the hospital. It is a great idea to print out the list of discharge questions to take with you, it also gives you a place to write down the answers that they give you. If she cannot pee or poop on her own yet make sure to ask for a hands on lesson on how to express her bladder - and we have information here to help you with that too www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm
I know haw overwhelming this all can be - but remember that we are all here for you, and you aren't facing this alone. Everyone here has gone through, or is currently going through IVDD with their dogs. Keep your chin up, cry when you have to and present your most sunny and positive face to your little girl. You CAN do this and we can help. Keep us posted (((hugs)))

Dr had this am and said no neuro change that it takes time and each dog is different.

My mom and sis n law went to see her around lunch and she sat there , laid her head on their leg and turned her body to make sure she got love

I went this afternoon and she looked good. The tech brought in some dry food and she was not interested because she wanted the chicken she had brought in too. She scooted her little booty about 6 inches and gobbled up the chicken. She was trying to move around, but just couldn't get it going. I was messing with her back rt leg, pinching the pad between the "toes" and the 1st time she slowly pulled it back. I made my sis n law (she went with me too, 1st visit definitely needed a support system) watch the 2nd time and it took a few seconds but again she pulled it back a little. Then she was laying on the mat and looked as if she was lifting the back left leg. It went up and then back down. And then the tech came to take her back to her cage because she was tired, and being very dramatic about it, that's my girl....anyway he picked her up and all of sudden she peed ALL over him. Poor thing, his scrubs were soaked...it was ALOT!!!

I was encouraged by all of these signs and took them as improvements. Am I just being hopeful or are these legit improvement/encouraging signs??

Ok...thank you. Was hoping today was a sign of good hope

I am preparing to bring my sweet girl home soon, hopefully on the 5th day. I have read where to give the vitamin c, glucosamine.....what else? How many mg? How often? I have her crate (pack n play) set up and ready to go.....she will be on crate rest in style!

Saw her today and she laid down and rolled over on her side. Then the door opened and she sat up on her own, back legs under her. We were happy to see this, as we were not sure this would be possible. The Associate Dr we are dealing with gave us no hope, but did let it slip that a tech mentioned that he thought he saw her move her tail. The Dr of course brushed it off....he is determined that she will never walk, well my family is dedicated to sweet Roxi and are going to do everything we can to move his lil man self wrong.

She will get to come home tomorrrow, granted my dad can express her bladder. My mom and I tried today and had difficulties, we were afraid that we were going to hurt her. The poor baby had not been expressed since last night.

According to the supplement link it says to wait the supplements until after crate rest? I know she is coming home with meds, I believe the one that starts with a T....not sure what else though. Can I get more clarification on the supplements? And tips for expressing the bladder, it's not as easy as you tube shows

Lots to report on Roxi.....She came home on Thursday.  She was VERY excited!  When I first brought her in, the other doxies were very excited to see her.  I sat her down and she started scooting to keep up with them.  We contained her and let the all the sniffing progress.  We then put her in her crate, which is a pack n play and she rested for a while.  We had some more luck expressing the bladder and got some out!

Friday: Day 6 -- Today she went potty for the first time on her own.  My mom took her out with the other 2 doxies around lunch time.  She was in her sling and walked around outside, raised her tail and pottied.  Mom thought it might have been an accident....well at 2:30 she went back out with the others and pooped.  At 4:45, she again went out with the others and she pottied again! I was here to celebrate this one!  We called the Dr, and he said this was a VERY good sign and that we no longer had to express her bladder anymore, unless she went 8 hours without going.  During a therapy session on this day she put some weight on one of her back legs. And we thought we saw a horizontal tail wag, just 2 back and forths!

Saturday: Day 7 -- Well Miss Roxi has pottied outside on her own (with the sling of course) several times today. We take her out with the other 2, tell her to go potty and she goes.  We get her out of her crate, put her sling on and once its Velcro'd and buckled we tell her let's go potty and she heads to the backdoor.  She waddles out there and takes care of her business like a champ.  She is very fast in her sling and has NO idea that her back legs aren't working.  Although, during one potty break today she put weight on a back leg and squatted a little bit.  This last potty break she came in and walked all the way to the kitchen to get her a drink of water from the big water bowl....she then walked back to her crate and waited for us to put her in it. 

It looks like some of the swelling from surgery could be going away, her sling is starting to get real loose.  She is still on pain meds, Tramadol (sp?) every 8 hours and another pill that starts with a P once a day.  

She is in her crate the majority of the day, except for her potty breaks and 3-4 therapy/massage sessions, which last about 15-20 minutes.  And of course, she is getting the walking from her potty breaks, in and out!


How many therapy/massage sessions should she be getting at this stage of recovery? 

Hi Juli! How exciting that Roxi is showing improvement so soon, that's very encouraging and you must be feeling a lot of relief right now. Its m giving me hope for my Cookie who had surgery on 8/15, she's still in the hospital and has had no deep pain yet, but its only been three days.

Juli, Previcox is an anti-inflammatory…. a non-steroid anti-inflammatory. Please ask the vet in this particular way: Is there a medical/health reason for my dog not to take Pepcid?" If there is no reason, we follow vets who are proactive in stomach protection by giving doxies 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the NSAID and there after every 12 hours.  The FDA and manufacturer pkg insert indicate gastrointestinal problems are side effects of using NSAIDs. The natural defenses of the stomach to shield against stomach acid is hindered when taking NSAIDs. Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation, can occur at any time, with or without warning symptoms.  This directory is in alpha order a good place to look up all meds your dog is on:
www.marvistavet.com/html/pharmacy_center.htm

We have not heard that the incision needed to be cleaned everyday.  Can you tell us how you clean it, did the surgeon tell you clean it?

Is her pain controlled with her at home meds?  No shivering, yelping?

Give her time…her nerves ARE healing ... bladder control is back and she is attempting to squat, I would not be surprised to hear of leg movements next.

Roxi update.....Roxi is a mess! She is ready to run and play and does not realize her back legs do not work. Today she has wet her bed a time or two but we are not sure if that is excitement potties as she has always done this, or if it is just part of getting the potty control back. She still goes when we take her outside. When doing Roxi's therapy....anytime I mess with the pads on her left back foot...she pulls against me. If I rub between her paw and the first joint on either leg she pulls the leg like it tickles. When I quit rubbing it...she will straighten it back out. When I rub it again she moves it again. Her right back leg is still real weak but it seems to be getting stronger. She will move the foot if I touch in between her toes and that just started yesterday. We have also seen a few tail wags....mainly when going potty but, hey....it's a start!

I have been paying very close attention to Roxi today at potty time. I am taking her out every two - two and 1/2 hours and that seems to help. She RUNS outside (sling of course) and sniffs around and then assumes the squat position....really cute and goes potty. No wet bed today. She has always been one to have a mind of her own and to do HER own thing.....she pulls the back right leg away from me during her PT time....and yesterday for the first time did the same with the back right leg. We now have some resistance on the right side....reflexes or whatever....we will take it. Each day it seems something is changing. We still have a LONG way to go but one day at a time!

Opps, the back left leg is her stronger leg and she does not think it needs PT but I beg to differ..... The right one is still very weak but she is starting to pull it away and stiffen it up sometimes too. And when we started all of this....it was pretty limp...so we will take whatever is going on.

Julie you may find that setting up an ex-pen in the grass or some of that poke-in-the-ground garden edging fence will give Roxi visual and physical cues that there is not going to be any running around at potty times. Set up the fenced potty place to be about 6 foot in diameter. If that is not possible are you using a harness and 6foot leash with the sling to help control her speed?

Julie, wagging her tail with joy to see you or to get a treat would be a very good neuro function and an indicator for even more healing to take place. Sounds like Roxie going in a very good direction….we look forward to your next update!