Welcome to Dodgerslist, Sylvia. So 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. Know more about us and how we team up with veterinarians:
dodgerslist.com/about-team-dodgerslist/Disc disease is not a death sentence! Struggling with quality of life questions? Re-think things:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/18/hope-quality-life/Does Pio still have deep pain sensation? Although surgery is not an option at this time,
conservative care is a viable option for Pio.
8 weeks of very strict crate rest can allow the damaged disc to heal and form scar tissue. Time can heal damaged nerves. All is not lost!
Deep pain sensation, the last neuro function, is a critical indicator for surgery. There is a window of 12-24 hours from losing DPS after a dog has lost bladder control, happy tail wag that surgery to decompress the cord could STILL be successful--even after that time surgery is often successful. The spinal cord is very fragile, the more hours that pass with continued pressure to the cord, the less chance for nerves to regenerate and/or the longer it can take to self repair nerves if the damage is not so severe to be irreparable.
The fact that Pio's hind legs are paralyzed does not mean that he has also lost bladder control. That needs to be determined by the vet. If he has in fact lost bladder control, the vet's office will need to manually express Pio's bladder and you will need a lesson on expressing when Pio is released to come home. Please review this page so you have a good understanding of how to express before your demonstration by the vet.
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/Is Pio's pain completely under control at the vet's office? Please find out from the vet exactly what meds Pio is on and the mgs and frequency given. Name of the steroid? What pain meds is he on? He should also be on a stomach protector such as Famotidine since he is taking a steroid. Please let us know what the vet says about pain and meds.
Once Pio's pain is brought completely under control, he can be released to come home with oral meds. At this time, you can be preparing his recovery suite. Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more! —>
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/Neuropathic pain is not common but you should be aware of it for when Pio comes home. This kind of pain is abnormal, phantom pain sensations with severe spinal cord damage. Signs are obsessive licking of paw, leg, genitals, tail. Escalates to biting, life-threatening chewing off parts. Immediately put on an e-collar (or lengthwise folded towel around neck and duct taped closed) to prevent access to lower body. Contact vet immediately for Gabapentin or stronger Lyrica (pregabalin) for neuropathic pain. More info:
dodgerslist.com/2020/06/10/neuropathy/?highlight=neuropathicPlease review this information on conservative care in preparation for Pio's return home: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 chiro therapy whys:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/?highlight=chiropractic◼︎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.
DOGs with BLADDER CONTROL: Carry to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a 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 a 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!
i.ibb.co/K7HNj10/slingwalk.jpgIf there is great pain or severe neuro diminishment, acupuncture or laser light therapy can be be started right away as an adjunct to pain meds and to kick start nerve cell energy production. Options: Acupuncture vet who does home visits to avoid back moving during transports. For transport to necessary visits, pad out the recovery suite extra space with a rolled up towel/blanket to prevent body shifts during braking or cornering.
CAUTIONS: ~~ Laser light therapy is contra-indicated with tumors which are detected via x-ray.
~~ During conservative treatment, anytime out of the recovery suite is a dangerous time for the healing disc. Movement of the back can increase a disc tear and escape of disc material into the spinal cord . For an animal with very mild neuro deficits, the risk of transporting to therapy has to be carefully weighed against what benefit is to be gained.
www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/~~ Why Chiropractic is not recommended for IVDD dogs:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/?highlight=chiropracticKnowledge is the power to fight the IVDD enemy and win!! The very best thing you can do for YOU, the caregiver, and for your dog is to get up to speed on IVDD soonest possible. Owner understanding ensures proper conservaitve treatment principals:
▶︎ 4 phases of healing, what it takes to heal each phase: dodgerslist.com/healing-the-disc/
▶︎ Roadmap for your fridge so the whole family is on board. Stay the course, avoid dangerous detours for the healing disc: dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roadmap-for-Fridge.pdf
Healing prayers for Pio. Please keep us updated.