Welcome to Dodgerslist. My name's Marjorie - what's yours?
Is this the Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center located in Farmington, MI? We have had many consults with Dr. Isaacs and Dr. Galle at Dogwood and greatly respect their opinion. Are these the vets you're referring to?
Unless there is something here that we're not aware of, ordinarily when a dog presents with a return of pain and loss of neuro function during the taper of Prednisone, that is an indication that there is still swelling pressing on the nerves of the spine and still a need for the original anti-inflammatory dosage of Prednisone and all pain meds for a bit longer. It can take 7-30 days for the swelling to resolve and until then, the anti-inflammatory dosage of Prednisone needs to be given.
If too much movement has been allowed at any time during the strict crate rest, that could also account for the return of pain and loss of neuro function and indicate a relapse. If that has occurred at any point, the 8 weeks of strict crate rest would need to start over and all meds would need to be again started at original dosages. More on strict crate rest below to be sure that we're on the same page regarding how that is done.
It will help us work together with you and avoid offering ideas that could cause harm or lead the discussion in the wrong direction delaying help for your dog — please share a bit more detail with us:
❖1
MEDSHow much does your dog weigh?
…A Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given.
…B What was the start date & dose of Prednisone?
❖2
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?
❖3
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.
Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more! —>
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/STRICT means: ◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches ◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you ◼︎no chiro therapy whys:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/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.
❖4
Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control – OR- do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted which are indication of an overflowing bladder and loss of bladder control?
Overflowing bladders need to be expressed to avoid UTIs. Review video then get a hands-on-top-of-your-hands expressing lesson.
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/?highlight=expressingDOGs 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!
❖5 Currently can your dog move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
Knowledge 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 conservative 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
The guest board is a temporary Guest courtesy to get immediate help until you can register. I encourage you to register and login. That way all the features of the Forum are available to you, making it faster to reply and get an email alert about replies. It also makes is far easier for us to track your dog and give the best assistance. Illustrated what to expect during registration:
www.dodgerslist.com/forumads/RegisterFORUM/register.htmHealing prayers for Oliver.
