Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Apr 12, 2021 14:38:37 GMT -7
We are almost at 6 weeks post op- level 5 IVDD, Hanson Type 1. Still no deep pain sensation.
☆ 1 currently pain?NO
☆ 2 She was 26KG [57.32lbs], not sure now.
☆ 3 -- Eating and drinking OK? No Isses, switched to Raw diet, never a big drinker still does not like to drik.
☆ 4 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver, her name is Luna, she is 4 years old, my name is Monica
☆ 5 diagnosis of IVDD? YES
☆ 6 SURGERY? March 3rd - saw the vet and surgery happened
-- How many weeks did your surgeon direct for post-op rest? NOTHING really,
-- What did your surgeon direct for clinic or at home PT? Also PROM's
☆ 7 No bladder control expressing 4-5 times a day currently
☆ 8 No movement in the back or tail movement
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on Apr 12, 2021 16:49:14 GMT -7
Monica, welcome to the Forum. Six weeks after surgery, is not a long time when it concerns the slowest part of the body to heal— nerves. But is sure seems a long time for us humans awaiting things to happen. Often we need to think more in terms of months rather than days/week to see how much neuro function can come back. When is the date Luna saw the surgeon?
What did the surgeo say about Luna having deep pain sensation (DPS)?6 weeks is often the amount of time the surgeon wants for rest, to allow the surgical sites to heal. Then a slow incremental introduction back to family life at home can begin. Can you tell us a bit more about what the surgeon wanted for post op rest? Did he say 4 weeks, 6 weeks or ??? IF it was 6 weeks, then we can give you an idea how to begin Luna's transition from resting to family life. What kind of surgeon? An ortho surgeon DVM, ACVS? or .... A neuro surgeon DVM, ACVIM? Did the disc episode affect front legs in any way?
Does she has the ability to scoot on her butt?
Does she scoot with legs to the front like a frog or to the back like a seal?Have you specifically done some happy talk or shown a yummy treat to see if there is any observation of attempt at a happy wag?
How are you doing with expressing.
Does she stay dry between expressing sessions?Do you use a back end harness to make moving Luna easier, to help with sling walks for her back legs PT? Something like the Help Em Up Harness. Help ’Em Up Harness: helpemup.com/features/ Walkabout: www.walkaboutharnesses.com/collections/walkabout-harnesses/products/walkabout-back-harnessDo you have someone at home or a nearby friend who can help with lifting if necessary? Is this the general type of Range of motion (ROM) and massage you are doing at home for the back legs to maintain the muscles with lost nerve connection and keep the joints flexing? Post-op PT for the paralyzed IVDD dog:
What are your top at-home nursing care concerns you'd like us to comment on?Nerves heal typically in the reverse order of the damage to the spinal cord: 1. Deep Pain Sensation: the first neuro function to return. DPS is the critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment. Trust only the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) surgeon about this very tricky to correctly idenfiy neuro function.
2. Tail wagging with joy at seeing you or getting a treat or meal. Anyone can correctly identify this neuro function!
3. Bladder and bowel control verified with the "sniff and pee" test.
4. Leg Movement, and then ability to move up into a standing position, and then wobbly walking.
5. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly place the feet.
6. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run.
More info: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htmOften when bladder control has returned, there will begin some degree of leg movement. Early leg movement on land is quite difficult having to fight against gravity. You might consider, even though bladder control is not yet back, if getting some exercise for 26kg Luna via an underwater treadmill is doable. At least to give it a try. There have been some dogs where leg movement came back before bladder control. The movement of the hip joints and muscles and the changes in pressure on the paws from the underwater treadmill triggers spinal cord communication with the brain. Water bouyancy makes it easier than leg movements against gravity. There is not only the potential to regrow damaged neuronal pathyways but also for neuron to muscle re-education to learn the art of walking again.We look forward to learning more about Luna and where to zero in on working with you. |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Apr 13, 2021 14:45:23 GMT -7
Hello Paula and thank you for much for this incredible resource! This has been so difficult as we went from healthy to paralysis in a matter of hours. We are committed to our girl and inspired by all of the other pet owners who do so much for their beloved dogs. I so appreciate your kindness and encouragement on this, there is a lot to try and digest and quite the learning curve. Reminding me that this is about months is important. COVID has made it that much more difficult to focus on anything else. Luna last saw the surgeon on March 16th for a recheck ( 2 weeks post op) , at that time there was no deep pain sensation and they were not hopeful that there would be any. There was no clear recommendation for post op rest to be honest the focus was on bedding expression and medications. If I would guess I would say 6 weeks.  There really was a 'realistic picture" painted with respect of the challenges of a disabled dog, not much about the care through this period except the basics. We have been very ginger with her but have started to let her walk (backyard and main floor of the house - just from one room to another with Help em harness support.Our surgeon was a neuro surgeon DVM, DES, MSC, DIP ACVIM The disc episode did not effect the front legsShe hasn't done much scooting but the few times she's "made a run for it" it was definitely more of a seal approach. She likes to side saddle!We have tried a few things to see if her tail is going, no success yet. We have been expressing with her laying down on the side. By far the thing we have been most stressed out about because she came home with a UTI due to the catheter. The urine analysis done in the hospital was inconclusive so as soon as the medication was done, the UTI came back, we went back to the ER, got another antibiotic and the same thing happened, - 2 days after that course was done it came back. We are now on a 3rd round of antibiotics and hoping this will take. We have her on cranididn as well and started to use urine test strips showing that her urine is still not at the right ph level (at an 8). Any advice around this would be great. Our other challenge with this is that she is not a big drinker of water. We put water into her food (raw) to at least get something into her body, we have also tried chicken stock and ice cubes to mixed reviews. I have a question about overnight bladder expressions. We always express her before bed but sometimes her bladder seems empty or we can not seem to express it- do we leave it or wake up periodically at night so she doesn't goo too long without being expressed or let it go until the morning? My husband and kids help to lift her when necessary ( ie up the stairs to bed, using the harness) I have been leveraging a rehab specialist in the UK: therehabvet.com/category/ivdd/ and she has been teaching us with learning massages, postures and other movements which we do throughout the day. We have started to see little things like recoiling of her feet when pinching the webbing between her toes. This just started yesterday. We are happy with any and all progress! Luna has been fitted for a wheelchair and we hope this will help her as well. I would love to hear any advice around managing urine for a a dog that doesn't drink or ways to have her go outside standing up (should we make toilet area with stand and sling?) I am open to ideas to help her live her best life! Thank you for any and all advice! Monica |
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Apr 13, 2021 15:41:04 GMT -7
It is still very early in the recovery process and a lot of healing can still take place. When my dog Frankie had his surgery, at the one-month post-op checkup he was as paralyzed as he was prior to surgery. There was no improvement at all.
I agree with Paula that water therapy can be very helpful. I got the okay to do water therapy on an underwater treadmill with Frankie right after the post-op checkup. I sling walked Frankie into the rehab facility. His back legs were a dead weight. He could not stand on his own. In the tank, the buoyancy of the water held him up. The therapist helped him move his legs and position his feet in a walking motion. Fast-forward several months, after his last session Frankie walked out of the rehab facility on his own 4 legs. He needed no support. I do not think Frankie would have recovered nearly as quickly without this therapy. If this therapy is available to you, please consider it. Usually this type of therapy can start right after the stitches/staples are removed but check with rehab specialist or surgeon. Bladder and/or bowel control should not be needed for this type of therapy.
Despite our best efforts, UTIs are fairly common in dogs that must be expressed. We have some information about recurrent UTIs here: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/09/recurrent-utiMaybe a homemade beef broth would be more appealing to her. Try boiling up a hamburger patty or a bone with meat on it in about a cup of water, cool & toss the fat disc, trash all cooked bones.
Usually dogs produce less urine overnight, so I don't think it is necessary to wake her (and yourself) up at night. You might have to rethink this if there is overflow, shown by wet bedding, overnight.
I think taking her outside to potty with her sling is a good idea. This will give you the opportunity to see if she can sniff and pee. If, at some point, she can do this you will know bladder control is returning.
It is not necessary to pinch between her toes. This can sometimes lead to too much movement. Instead, look for the happy tail wag in response to treats or happy talk. This is usually the first sign of neuro function returning that can be easily seen by the pet parent. |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Apr 20, 2021 6:20:28 GMT -7
Just a quick note as I see you are tagging and highlighting Paula - We are not in the UK we live in Canada but found this person online with a lot of IVDD info that was very helpful to us and she does video calls, support teaching us how to move her. It's been very helpful during COVID.
Thank you for all your suggestions. Just a general question. Is this where I post questions, I have so many! Luna I "think" is over her UTI and now we find it very hard to express her, she has also started doing 1 pee a day on her own (?) outside. We just introduced a cart this weekend and she took to it which is wonderful. She wants to move around the house but we are just not sure the best way to help her get around and explore without her hurting herself. Any suggestions on how to support her to moving in the house (ie dragging ) without injuring herself?
Thank you so much, this group and all the info has been incredible. I'm just a bit overwhelmed at the moment trying to figure out how to keep her safe but support her mobility. Any suggestions are welcome!
Thank you
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Marjorie
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Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Apr 20, 2021 7:54:58 GMT -7
Is the vet planning on doing a follow-up urinalysis to make sure that the UTI has resolved? The difficulty that you're encountering in expressing Luna may be due to the fact that the UTI has not resolved or it may be that her bladder control is returning. When you say that Luna has started doing one pee on her own, you included a question mark. The only way to prove that she has bladder control is take her outside, support her hind end with a sling, allow her to sniff a spot where she or another dog has peed before and see if she can release urine on her own. That sniffing and then peeing indicates that there is nerve connection between the brain and the bladder. If she cannot sniff and pee, then you need to express her bladder. It would be best if you could try to express her even after she's gone on her own until you're sure that she can completely empty her bladder on her own. Please let us know more about what you're observing. Glad to hear that she took to her cart well. That will help her mobility outside. The cart is not meant for inside use and should only be used outside for an hour or two. She can be allowed to drag herself if she is now off of post-op crate rest. But do take it slow, with a gradual increase in time out of the crate, as she'll need to gradually build up her strength and stamina. There's a suggested schedule on this page that will help you in doing that. dodgerslist.com/2020/06/15/back-friendly/ link fixed: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/15/back-friendlyI think this webpage will have all of the information you'll need to care for Luna in the future, including garments to block bacteria and prevent rug burns, how to make your home back friendly and some fun back friendly activities. dodgerslist.com/living-with-ivdd-tips/ What has the surgeon/hospital recommended for physical therapy? Here's our page on post-op therapy but be sure to run any exercises by the surgeon before starting them. Be sure to click on the links included on that page for more info, too. dodgerslist.com/2020/05/27/surgery-dog-pt |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Apr 21, 2021 17:01:46 GMT -7
Thank you so much for your thoughtful questions and wonderful resources and encouragement. This board has been a godsend and everyone has been so incredibly helpful and responsive.
I have logged every pee, pooh, meal and med since getting Luna home. So I decided to look at through the log to try and answer your question. To be honest I have been watching for the sniff pee and just have not been sure. We have only been going in our backyard and as she has been going potty inside in a diaper for weeks there are few scents out there.
But this morning I took her out to the front where dogs pass by and she did do the sniff and pee. I just took her again just now and same thing, she sniffed and peed!!!! Is this a good sign? I am speechless!!
Here is the the log from the last week (mainly in our own backyard)
April 13- 7 pm after expressing her on the lawn, we walked a bit and she peed on the grass
April 14- expressed at 5 pm and then outside at 7:45 and she peed on the lawn
April 15 - Expressed at 4 pm, 5:30 she went outside and peed
April 16 - expressed at 3:20, at 7:30 she went outside and peed
April 18 - 8:30 pm first time outside in her wheel chair in the front yard and she peed
April 19 - 6 pm she peed outside when she saw a friend out of excitement and then again 5 minutes later
April 20 - expressed at 9:30 am, at 11:15 she was whining, I took her outside and peed, spent the rest of the day trying to express and nothing, then took her outside at 5:00 pm and she peed in the front lawn .
I feel like she is trying to communicate to us when she needs to go, but not sure. Please let me know what else I should be looking for, what this could mean and any other advice!
Thank you so much!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on Apr 21, 2021 17:35:45 GMT -7
Go Luna! She's following classic textbook order of nerve healing! Nerves heal typically in the reverse order of the damage to the spinal cord: 1. YES!Deep Pain Sensation: the first neuro function to return. DPS is the critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment. Trust only the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) surgeon about this very tricky to correctly idenfiy neuro function. 2. YES! Tail wagging with joy at seeing you or getting a treat or meal. Anyone can correctly identify this neuro function! 3. YES! Confirmed 4/21 Bladder and bowel control verified with the "sniff and pee" test. 4. ? Leg Movement, and then ? ability to move up into a standing position, and then _?_wobbly walking. 5. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly place the feet. 6. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run. More info: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/healingnerves.htmMonica, now you will be looking for any small signs of purposeful leg movement. For us humans to be able to distinguish between reflex and brain directed, we have to see some sort of head level involvement with the tail, with a limb or with release of urine so we know the movement was done with purposeful thinking. --- YES !!!!!Sniff (head level nose) on an old pee spot, then release of urine would be brain directed. --- YES Hear (head level ear) you doing some happy talk and then tail wags is brain directed. Tail movement during potty time can often be a reflex --- ??? Itchy sensation at neck and then tries to scratch would be purposeful movement. Tickling paws, etc can cause reflex leg movements of pushing in or out. Causing reflex movements is a good thing to do as part of PT. --- ?? Do you see her use back legs to try and reposition her body in when lying down? Dispense with the diaper. Only used as last resort. Diapers can cause their own problems. Dog do not like to be near their body waste. Urine burns, bacteria build up near exterior bladder tube. That's short trip for bacteria to enter the bladder (UTI's) having a diaper on if with any body waste in it.  Log her pee times. If it is about the usual a dog does every 3-4 hours, then take her out to potty. Maybe she is good for every 6 hours. You will just have to see. And if she gives you a clue by being figgity, then give her a change to potty outside. Is there a possibility for underwater treadmill in your area? |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Apr 22, 2021 5:04:09 GMT -7
Hi Paula, Thank you for all the encouragement. She doesn't seem to have deep pain nor have we seen a tail wag (not a clear one) so not sure if we are going through the steps (which is why I am not 100% sure that this is progress or, is it that the chair is contributing in some way or if indeed it is a message from brain to bladder). Is it possible to skip deep pain (no reaction to toe pinching?) and a tail wag? Are there other forms to figure out if she has deep pain?
I should clarify - we have don't have her in diapers, we just use them for catching urine when expressing as we have found that work well in containing it. We only use diapers at night in case she poops.
We will keep trying the combination of outdoor "walks" and expressing to ensure she is voiding.
Our girl has never been a big drinker, any suggestions on how to get her to drink more or when to ensure she has a last drink to wash out her system so she has a good pee in the morning?
On the hydro therapy side of things, that is an option, but because she has no deep pain I was deterred from this but it sounds like I should try again? It so hard to know which therapies to consider and at which point. I'm going to reach back out to the neurosurgeon for advice (there has been no follow up on their end which has been dissapointing).
Thank you so much for all your help and incredible knowledge!
Monica & Luna!
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Apr 22, 2021 6:28:53 GMT -7
The fact that Luna has passed a sniff and pee test proves that there is brain/nerve connection to the bladder so that in turn proves that her deep pain sensation has returned. And that bodes well for more healing ahead. Nerves don't always return in the "normal" order. For example, my Jeremy was walking before his tail wag returned and his bladder control has never fully returned 9 years after surgery.
For more fluids, soak her kibble meals in no-fat, no to low salt broth. Easy to simmer up a chicken part or a hamburger patty in a cup or so of water to make a broth. Chill and remove bones, fat disc at top. A jelly like texture beats the boxed watery store bought stuff that often contains onion! Crumble 1-2 teaspoons of the crumbled meat on top for a super delicious and nutritious meal.
Broth can be frozen into cubes. Use as a low cal treat for Lily to lick on.
And yes, do give hydrotherapy a try. Many of our members have found it very helpful. I personally found acupuncture to be helpful in giving Jeremy's nerve a jump start in healing so that may be an option for you, too.
Please keep us updated on what the surgeon says after you reach out to him.
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on May 5, 2021 5:41:43 GMT -7
Luna has been peeing regularly when going outside for a few weeks. As of a week ago we stopped expressing her, but now it seems her UTI has reoccurred (AHHHHHHHH), we did try expressing, but found since she was peeing outside he weren't very successful. Any ideas on how to balance normal peeing and expressing? We thought we were doing well with going out with her 4 times a day, but maybe not enough or should we express her in between. Lost on this one.
Also looking for suggestions whether to keep her in underwear, to protect her privates and limit infection? She is trying to drag around so could pick something up that way as well.
I feel like we are one step forward and 2 back.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on May 5, 2021 6:53:15 GMT -7
Monica, when a dog does have bladder control, they will not like you pressing on their bladder. Sounds like she is wanting to go outdoors in her cart to potty about every 4-6 hours that is typical to dogs. How about drinking water, staying hydrated? ---Soak dry kibble with equal amount of water at each meal. Give your dog frozen low/no salt broth to lick on as a treat. -- Understand why UTI’s may be returning, what you and your vet can do to help get rid of recurrent UTIs: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/09/recurrent-uti/At the end of the last antibiotic course, did the vet do a urine culture to prove all the bad bacteria where dead, no clone of orig bacteria were not present? If she is dragging her butt on the floor, you might try some sort of barrier garment to prevent bacteria from entering the body. Take a look at Tandy's no-sew solution of a child's underwear + hair elastic. Of course, you would be thinking a larger protective garment than pictured for these small breeds. Maybe in the men's department, will be a good size garment for Luna: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/13/garment-skin-uti-protection Diapers are more of a closed environment that could be damp (not good airflow). |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on May 5, 2021 7:48:06 GMT -7
Thank you Paula- no a follow up was not done unfortunately. I will be trying to get a sample today to the vet. Is it too late once an infection has started to get back on track without antibiotics? Should we abandon expressing then altogether at this point Paula and focus on more frequent times outside?
We have bought reusable underwear for her, would that be breathable enough to help her or would these other options be better?
Still on that learning curve!
Thank you for all of your help and advice!
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on May 5, 2021 8:21:13 GMT -7
A UTI always needs an antibiotic to kill the bad bacteria. Mostly vets use a shotgun approach by choosing a broad spectrum antibiotic. This approach often works prtty well. Recurrent UTI's can require a different approach. What is the frequency which Luna is having a UTI?When there are repeated UTI's then it may be prudent to find out the name of the bacteria with a urine culture. Knowing the name means the vet can chose an antibiotic that specifically targets the known problematic bacteria. When there are repeated UTI's it can be prudent to do a urine culture at the end of the course of antibiotic to verify the known bacteria culprit are all dead. So bringing in a urine sample today, would be for the purpose of doing a urinalysis in house to prove there is existence of a bacterial infection, but not knowing the name of the specific bad bacteria. This lets the vet know to start with a broad spectrum antibiotic that will kill several kinds of bacteria. When the urine culture comes back from the lab in a several days, then a switch can be made to a the correct antibiotic that specifically targets the bacteria. Let us know what your vet decides regarding IF or HOW he wants to obtain a urine sample (clean catch or centesis of needle collecting sample). Do read over the recurrent link so you can best understand this topic and discuss things. |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on May 17, 2021 5:49:00 GMT -7
Incredible helpful information as always - thank you so much. It has been a big week with Luna starting rehab to include hydrotherapy and received her new wheels. The wheels have brought her spirit back to us- back to chasing balls and running.
On the UTI front she has just finished her last course of meds [UTI]. She has had UTI's since her release from the hospital in March with the longest stretch being free of them being about 7-10 days. The first few rounds of drugs were not a match to the culture. Now I will be checking her urine on a regular basis using urine strips looking for a change in her leukocytes. This will at least let me know ahead of time if one is emerging, versus looking out for the other signals.
She seems to have bladder control, we have had no accidents in a very long time but there is still leaking so we put a reusable diaper on her. Any comments or thoughts on hormone replacement therapy to help with strengthening the pelvic floor/incontinence? This has been recommended to me, but our vet thinks it may be premature? Interested in any experience with this.
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support. I am on several facebook sites for disabled pet owners and pass on this site every time I see people dealing with IVDD. I can not thank you enough for the service you provide!
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Post by Jessica on May 17, 2021 10:00:06 GMT -7
I'm glad to hear Luna is feeling more like herself - that's great news! Hopefully the hydrotherapy will help. Will she be using an underwater treadmill? What other rehab is she doing? Does the leaking seem to happen at a certain time? What is the frequency you are taking Luna out? Does the leaking seem to happen more during her UTI periods? Other moderators may have more information on hormone replacement therapy. Thank you very much for sharing Dodgerslist! If you would like to order hardcopy flyers, we have more information on how to do so here: dodgerslist.com/free-literature-2 |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on May 17, 2021 11:24:39 GMT -7
Monica, sounds like things are going in a good direction for Luna!! Good, questions Jessica has asked in above post, I'm interested to learn your answers. Hormone treatments are a bit out of our realm of knowledge. So do your own research as preparation to bring up good questions on this topic with your vet. Thank you for the warm fuzzy! Makes our day to read your comment! We are all volunteers here. And our passion is helping owners to help their furry loved one. If you have the ability to share a youtube of Luna at the water therapy, we'd love to see. You will need a Google account which is used to sign in at YouTube (see below if you do not have one) Upload your video to YouTube.com—At the top of your browser when viewing your uploaded video you will see a "share" button below your video window. — Pressing it will expand to reveal the URL (it starts with <http...> ) you can paste into a Forum post. —How to details for mobile devices and computers: support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407?hl=enHow to get a Google Account:—Use an existing email address —Go to the Google Account creation page: accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp—Enter your name. —Choose to use 1) current email address OR 2) Create a new Gmall address. —Enter your current email address. —Click Next. —Verify your email address with the code sent to your existing email. |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on May 20, 2021 6:13:23 GMT -7
Hi there - yes she is doing the underwater treadmill and really enjoying it, she is also doing cold [laser] therapy and accupuncture and massage for her front. We don't anticipate much change but hoping we can support her body as it adapts. She currently goes out about 5 times a day and has a good pee every single time! We aren't finding major leaking suggesting a overfull bladder more dribbles that occur for example when we do exercises with her legs she will leak even if we were just outside. We have ordered a few flyers, I will continue to promote you every single chance I get. If I can provide some feedback, I found it daunting at the beginning to figure out how to get started on Dodgers and put it off because we were dealing with so much and I didn't have many answers. I am so glad I came back once things had settled, those first 4-6 weeks are SO difficult, getting on here in a simple way would make all the difference. You have honestly done such an incredible job, and continue to with every response! We are still in lock down here so can't get much footage of her rehab (not allowed into the facility) but I will try to upload some things this weekend to show her progress! She is running on these wheels - Eddie's wheels literally gave her back to us. A huge change in her entire spirit!Thank you so much! Monica and Luna |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on May 20, 2021 9:45:13 GMT -7
Monica, it is pure joy to hear the many support hours we volunteer daily via our keyboards is of value !!! Would really LOVE to see how Luna does in her Eddies Wheelchair when you have the time to u/l a youtube video. Don't forget to video at your dog's eye level if your knees can handle squatting down a bit. So happy to hear your report that her spirit is really lifted being able to run again!
One of my 15lbs doxie's really loved his Eddies, too. For me it was so easy to get him in and out of the chair several times a day. Could you comment from your perspective what it is like to get 57lbs/26kg Luna in and out of the Eddies Wheelchair? That information might be helpful for us to know in the future for another large dog owner considering a cart. Here is where to post your comments about Luna's Eddie: dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/2133/wheelchairs THANKS!!! |
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Monica & Luna
New Member
FEMALE - Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver
Posts: 12
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Post by Monica & Luna on Sept 23, 2021 17:08:18 GMT -7
Here we are, post 6 months. Luna is adapting well. Her wheels are fantastic, she just doesn't like being in them in the house. Not sure if there are any training tips for that or associating treats with wheels! We did multi modal rehab- massage, cold laser, acupuncture and hydro therapy. Unfortunately we didn't see any progress. But her front is super strong. During rehab her hind legs would get stiffer and stiffer. There is barely any bend in one of her legs and the other one has some. My question is what are the long terms effects around this that I need should be concerned about? Rehab team just said it was part of her injury, not much you can do. The vet had the same opinion. She's is no pain, not on any pain meds so my sense is to just leave it be? We still do some exercises daily, but not pushing it.   |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on Sept 23, 2021 20:55:31 GMT -7
Monica, thanks for adding your comment to the wheelchair discussion at dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/2133/wheelchairsI agree with you about still doing some daily exercises and massage for the back legs. I did the same for my paralyzed dog. You'll have to go by your rehab people and your vet's opinion about the back leg joints. In the house my dog also did not use the Eddie's Wheels. He scooted about the house in places where the wheelchair would have gotten caught on something. Wheelchair was just for outdoor activity. Plus a wheelchair is not for all day use anyway. As mentioned back a few posts, bacteria from the ground have a short path into the bladder for females. So if scooting causes an issue with friction to the skin or UTIs, a garment to protect could be considered: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/13/garment-skin-uti-protection/The picture you u/l'd has an display error. Would love to see it, if you can fix. |
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