Ella's Z 2/24 Conservative— NECK? - Hound Mix

Welcome to Dodgerslist, Ella. I love holistic treatment myself but when my Jeremy has a problem with his spine, I get the big gun meds on board. Please don't take any chances with Z's spine. Without the right treatment, he can become paralyzed. With his head being held high, he could very well be having a neck disc episode and that could lead to all four legs becoming paralyzed as well as loss of bladder/bowel control. He needs to see a vet ASAP. He's in pain and he needs pain meds. They need to bring a stretcher/gurney out to him so he doesn't have to walk in to the office. He needs an anti-inflammatory such as a steroid or NSAID (only until swelling resolves which takes 7-30 days), pain meds 3x/day - Tramadol as a general pain med, Methocarbamol for the pain of muscle spasms and Gabapentin for nerve pain - and a stomach protector such as Pepcid AC (Famotidine) to protect against the side effects of the anti-inflammatory.

Plus you need a vet exam to get a diagnosis. We’ve learned that this term in large breed dogs may relate to a larger list of disorders, the treatment of which may be different. A number of disorders which present similarly can be cervical certebral instability (Wobblers), spondylosis/spondylopathy, degenerative myelopathy, Hansen’s II and Type III IVDD (ANNPE, Missile Disc.)

Until you have a definite diagnosis, all suspected disc herniation cases should be treated with crate rest and especially indicated when there is neuro diminishment involved. It is prudent to always err on the side of caution until advanced imaging (MRI or CT/myelogram) has confirmed a non-compressive disc herniation.

It’s important to know what your dog has, as the appropriate treatment may be different than the standard care of STRICT rest meds. We suggest when possible, seeing a neuro (ACVIM) or orth (ACVS) specialist.

Disc disease is not a death sentence! Struggling with quality of life questions? Re-think things:
dodgerslist.com/2020/04/18/hope-quality-life/

There are a few other things you'll need to do in case this is a neck problem, such as softening hard kibble, raising food/water dishes so he doesn't need to bed head - more tips here:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/cervical-care-tips/

Transport involves risk of too much movement of the spine, especially with such a large dog that you can't carry to and from the car, so benefits of alternative treatments such as acupuncture need to be weighed against the risk of transport. Once Z's pain is completely under control, hopefully today, and the proper pains are on board, acupuncture will no longer be needed.

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.

With smaller dogs, we recommend carrying to and from potty with only a very few steps at potty time.
With a large dog, you'll need to work out how to best limit movement of the spine. Try a pee pad right outside the crate. Add caster wheels to a wire crate and wheel down ramp over steps to outside. Place crate near door or hear sliding glass door to go out on patio. Using a sling if Z is wobbly (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!



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/in-the-right-place
▶︎ 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 Z. Please keep us updated and let us know the diagnosis and the names of any meds prescribed, dosage in mgs and frequency given.

Finding a way to mitigate the risks of inadvertent mishandling should allow Z to get the diagnosis and medication that he needs. One thing you could do is let the vet know before the visit that you are very concerned about keeping Z's back straight. My dog Frankie was over 60 lbs during his disc episode. Once the vet realized it was a suspected spinal injury they brought the gurney out and two techs lifted him on to it. They knew to keep his back straight.

I believe that the benefit of having Z diagnosed and treated is worth the risk here. Especially if you have spoken to the vet about your concerns beforehand.