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Post by Nancy & Griswold on Dec 10, 2020 10:06:05 GMT -7
Hi everyone, I’ve heard this is the place for IVDD support. Here for any tips/advice. We want to help our little guy all we can! ⭐️ Griswold, 3 years old, very active, fit, 10 lbs. adopted, but guessing Jack Russell/chihuahua mix ⭐️ Back story - No prior back, leg, mobility issues. Friday evening, Dec 4: Shaking, but walking normally. Sat morning, Dec 5: mild incoordination, slower walking, took him to vet ASAP. They suspected IVDD and gave him steroid and anti inflammatory shots. We began our own research immediately and drove to UC Davis following the vet. Sat evening, Dec 5: He got into UC Davis & assessed, pain meds and anti anxiety meds, some leg movement, lots of trouble walking, urine leaking out right before we got to UC Davis that evening. Sun morning, Dec 6: MRI and surgery, Grade 1 IVDD. Surgeon said herniated disc at T-11 to T-12, no spinal cord death, some blood clots around site of injury (we still don’t know how he was injured). Surgeon expects him to make a good recovery. He was discharged and we brought him home December 9. Surgeon said he has gained some function, can move feet a little more, and bear weight. His pain seems under control. He is comfortable and resting for the most part. But having trouble adjusting of course. ⭐️ Meds - He is on Rimadyl 75 mg 1/8 tab every 12 hrs He is on Trazadone HCL 50 mg 1/4-1/2 tab every 8-12 hrs for anxiety. ⭐️Eating rice/baby food chicken and some plan boiled chicken well. Drinking lots. Peeing lots but needs some help with pushing on his belly. Leaking when sleeping & once when picked up. I washed his back legs and tummy today (Kept incision dry), didn’t want him to have urine residue irritate his skin. ⭐️ Vet said he needs 4-6 week strict crate rest. She feels he’ll recover 80-90% of functioning, but it’s hard to watch. Last night, first night was rough. He whimpered to get out of the crate but we persevered and he slept in it on and off during the night. ⭐️ He has a follow up at UC Davis in 4-6 weeks. ⭐️Hardest part as a doggie parent so far is seeing him struggle with moving - turning in the crate, trying to get a comfortable laying position, etc. and also not be able to control his bladder. We will keep him on strict crate and safe, but any tips on how to deal with this? I am always worried he’s uncomfortable, or his hind legs are too outstretched, etc. I’m sure this is normal, but so hard to see. He went from a young little active guy to looking confused why his legs aren’t working like he would want.  |
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on Dec 10, 2020 10:38:09 GMT -7
Nancy, welcome to the Dodgerslist Forum! We are glad you are here. Caring for Griswold while his body takes the time need to self repair his nerve functions can be disconcerting for a pet parent. Still so so very early in the nerve healing department.... better to think in terms of months rather than days/weeks for this slowest department of the body to heal in. Did you get a lesson in expressing the bladder and for poop? dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/ How often do you express? OR did the surgeon indicate that Gris has bladder control to pee all by himself? I believe you will get many, many answers to your care questions and more that you did not think yet to ask about here: dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/and here: No need to reinvent the wheel with at home nursing care during a disc episode: dodgerslist.com/nursing-care-during-the-disc-episode ◽️Lots of member tips ◽️Useful supplies ◽️Review on bladder expressing ◽️Cervical (neck) disc care and more. |
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Post by Nancy & Griswold on Dec 10, 2020 11:02:29 GMT -7
Hi Paula,
Thank you so much. We watched a video on bladder expression but not yet poop. We do it about every 3 hrs. The surgeon said he was able to let his pee out, so I’m guessing she meant he wasn’t retaining it. She said he had peed when stood on a pee pad after surgery. He is very easy to express.
I will read over the rest recovery process. Thank you for creating & maintaining this forum!
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Dec 10, 2020 14:38:51 GMT -7
I would like to add my welcome to Paula's. It is hard to see our dogs struggle with IVDD especially when it is so sudden. I remember after my dog Frankie's surgery how hard it was to see him unable to move his back end. Nerves are slow to heal but heal they can. It is very early on in Griswold's recovery and there is a lot of healing that will still take place.
I am not quite clear as to what the vet meant when he said Griswold was able to let his pee out.
The way we can tell if a dog has bladder control is through the "sniff and pee" test.
You can carry Griswold to an old pee spot, if he sniffs and immediately releases urine he has bladder control and does not need to be expressed. If he cannot do this and you find wet bedding, or leaks when lifted he does not yet have bladder control and you will need to continue expressing him. You will know that you are expressing correctly when you get a steady stream and there is no wet bedding or leaking between expressing sessions. Even if Griswold cannot yet "sniff and pee" try bringing him out to try this regularly.
Can he wag his tail in response to a treat or happy talk?
All anti-inflammatories, like Rimadyl, cause excess stomach acid which can lead to serious stomach damage. To decrease the chance of any damage, a stomach protector like Pepcid AC should be used. Ask your vet if Griswold 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 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. For Griswold .44 x 10 is 4.4. You can round this up to 5mg. A 10mg tablet can be split in half with a pill splitter.
At our MAIN WEBSITE, use the orange SEARCH bar feature to easily access the treasure trove of more IVDD information.
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Post by Nancy & Griswold on Dec 10, 2020 16:31:41 GMT -7
Thank you! It was so sudden. She called us today to check on him and she said he was able to hold his pee and wait to go when they presented him with a pee pad. She thinks we were expressing him too often and suggested we do it every 4-6 hours to make sure he has a full bladder before trying to pee. She said if he doesn’t, then it may be tougher for him to get the urge to go. We were trying [expressing] every 2 hrs or less because I was worried about skin irritation. So we’re trying more along those lines today. I will definitely ask about the famotidine! Thank you for that info! I don’t want him to have any more things to deal with that he already has.
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Dec 11, 2020 7:15:06 GMT -7
Do try a sniff and pee test as Romy recommended in her last post. That's a good test to confirm bladder control. Sometimes when a dog has lost bladder control, they don't get complete control back right away. If he can release urine on his own (being able to hold urine until making a conscious decision to release urine - after sniffing an old pee spot, upon being placed on a pee pad), you should still do a quick express after he's gone on his own to be sure he's completely emptied the bladder.
If you're finding wet bedding or Griswold leaks on you when picked up, that indicates that the bladder is overflowing. That isn't healthy for the bladder and manual expressing is needed. Sometimes when first leaning how to express, we aren't always aware if we're completely emptying the bladder. Urine that lies for too long in the bladder can lead to UTIs so it's important to express often enough. The goal is for Griswold to stay dry between expressing times.
Green tea neutralizes the acidity of urine, helps prevent urine scald and leaves a nice fresh scent. Brew up a pot of decaf green tea, let it cool, dampen a sponge or cloth and gently wipe Griswold's belly and legs. Leftover tea can be refrigerated and heated up.
Please continue to keep us updated. Healing prayers for Griswold.
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Post by Ann Brittain on Dec 13, 2020 8:02:40 GMT -7
When I expressed Buster, especially right after his surgery, I would do it once, let his muscles relax for a minute or so and then try again. With our boy, it seemed like he was resisting the process a bit and usually on the second try we were able to empty his bladder. After that, we didn't have issues with leaking in between expressions.
You also have to be aware of how much liquid Griswold is consuming which will be a factor when you consider how often to express him. When his 'belly' area seems full and taught his bladder is full. I would never argue with a vet about how often to express, but leaking and an over filled bladder can lead to other issues like skin irritation and UTI's (Urinary tract infections). Use your judgement and be observant when considering when to express.
I know how hard these first few days are. It's shocking and upsetting to see your dog healthy and happy one day and struggling to recover the next. Believe me, it gets easier and each improvement will help you understand that healing is a process that takes time. Griswold wants to heal. I know our Buster amazed us with his desire to resume his normal life. Good luck to you!
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