|
|
Post by Trudy & Casey on Jun 6, 2021 11:53:18 GMT -7
Trudy's Casey 2020 conservative - doxie mix
My name is Trudy. My dog's name is Casey. She is a 20 pound 6 year old dachshund mix. She was a throwaway dog left on the roadside when she was 3 and 1/2.
I'm having internet issues so this info is a year old. She suffered from a slipped disc May 5, 2020. Upon taking her to an emergency vet clinic an exray revealed spacing between 2 discs.
Their diagnosis was 4 wks of crate rest and support her for bathroom time. She was also given pain meds. I don't remember which. That doctor suggested that I make an appointment with my regular vet clinic.
My regular vet was too quick to suggest me having to put my dog down without giving her a chance for the crate rest period. They also gave me another pain med which made her throw up so I never her more of after the first 1.
I continued with the emergency vets assessment and the 4 weeks of rest. Within 2 weeks, she is able to stand comfortably and walk without assistance. I still limit her activity and crate her during the day when I am at work. I also keep her off of the bed especially at bedtime to keep her from jumping off the bed. She still gets excited and overdos the running. I will have to put her in the crate or back inside for rest.
I do have two other dogs, both are throw aways also. One is a 3-4 year old beagle mix, possibly a dachshund?? She has a long body. I think so, I'm not sure. She seem ok in back but, I'm keeping an eye out for any signs of trauma. My newest dog a bigger dog so it was important to continue the crate confinement when I am away.
Because my bigger dog is a pit mix it us important to keep all dogs vaccinated and fixed. All are. Now to finding a more suitable home.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,535
|
Post by PaulaM on Jun 6, 2021 13:45:29 GMT -7
Trudy, when you say still today you limit her activity, can you tell us more on how you are limiting activity. Also what do you observe when she has overdone running? When overdoing running, do you observe any of these signs of pain or any signs of neuro diminishment?  |
|
|
|
Post by Trudy & Casey on Aug 8, 2021 5:48:27 GMT -7
I just now figured out how to find this thread. Let me see if I can answer your questions.The last time I posted, I got finished with text and then my internet kicked me off the website. I had to retype on my phone and can't find my bookmarks.
Initially in May 2020, I noticed Casey was having trouble keeping her balance. She was standing upright but was swaying from side to side. Unable to keep still and hold that position. I thought she had gotten hit by a car while outside.
Anyway, Casey my Doxie mix has not had a recent disc episode since April 2021. That time her back was sore. I crated her and let her rest. Within a few hours, she seemed a lot better.
An exray from emergency clinic just showed the spacing between two discs. She was given a pain medication and a 10 day supply of an antibiotic. I do not remember the names. When those were done, she seemed back to her normal happy self as far as personality and energy level. I had to use a towel to hold up her back end to let her walk and go potty. Even though she was being supported, she wanted to walk everywhere. She wanted to go say hi to the neighborhood dogs and go play with them.
Other than her not being able to stand without swaying from side to side, she gave no signs of trauma. She wasn't nauseous or any broken skin. She was in a lot of pain and whimpered. She also walked slowly and did not want to put weight on her back legs like she would to jump up on the bed. I thought she might have suffered a broken hip or both.
The emergency vet had given me some information to read. I followed the four week crate confinement and used the towel to walk her outside. During the four weeks, maybe after two, she got to the point when she would start dragging herself around in the grass and she would try to stand up. She would get her knees off of the ground and then within a few days her whole backside would be off of the ground. She gradually got to the point she could stand upright and hold it for longer stretches of time. Now she is walking and running normally. She can hold her tail upright.
I give her a half of chew of "Prosense" hip and joint solutions for daily maintenance. Since the weather is still hotter during the daylight time of our walks, she has not overdone it. Her back seems fine.
However, when she does overdo the running I can see that her back legs will seem to swing out much like the slinky dog from "Toystory." I notice when her back is sore, she will walk real slow and not want to come up the short step into the house. I am so thankful for the tech and doctor at the emergency animal clinic. They showed me how to properly carry her to support her back and diagnose her condition.
I will have to walk her regularly on a leash when the weather is cooler and we can spend more time outside. She has not had anymore discs episodes where she was unable to hold up her backside or stand up since the initial episode in 2020. I realize that since she is prone to this problem because of her elongated back, I must monitor her constantly.
When she overdoes the running or is in pain, she will still be walking but her walk is slow and gets slower. Her head is held high and she makes eye contact. Then she will just stop. She sometimes looks like she is shivering. She whimpers to get my attention.
I will pick her up and carry her inside and place her in the crate. When I go to pick her up, I place one arm under tail and the other arm under her belly (like the vet tech showed me). When I carry her, I hold her close to me. After resting she seems fine, I usually do not give her pain meds just the cosequin or joint supplement "Prosense hip and joint solutions" and rest. I give 1 half daily of the Prosense or 1 daily of the Cosequin minis whichever I have at the time.
When she is running hard her back legs will flail out to the side. She does not seem to be in pain at that time. She does not stop running at least not immediately. Later on she may show signs of overdoing it. She is generally a happy dog and wants to hang with her siblings.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,535
|
Post by PaulaM on Aug 8, 2021 7:30:50 GMT -7
Trudy, what we need to focus on is whether Casey is today currently having a likely disc episode. When posting help us to clearly understand things: use a date rather than Tuesday, last week, etc. If a current disc episode of displaying:-- signs of pain (not wanting to use step up to the house, walking real slow, shivering, whimpering or any of the other signs of pain listed in my previous post's graphic) -- any signs of neuro diminishment as listed in the graphic THEN, with showing suspicious signs of a current disc episode:-- crate at once to limit avoid increase in pain, neuro loss as the bad disc gets worse and impacts the spinal cord. -- Get to a vet asap for an anti-inflammatory (LEARN MORE) to get to work on the swollen and painful spinal cord -- The vet should also prescribe pain meds (LEARN MORE) that work in one hour to give comfort from pain. The anti-inflammatory will need days/weeks (7-30 days) to get rid of all painfully inflamed cord tissue At home during a disc episode, the body needs 8 weeks of STRICT limited movement a crate provides to heal the disc. That means form strong secure scar tissue on the exterior of the disc. So with focusing on the today only, if you have any suspicion with signs of pain, or neuro decrease, crate at once, get to the vet for a diagnosis. These are two excellent pages to help you learn about the disease your Casey was born with. IVDD is a disease where discs prematurely age and deteriorate. 1) Upon any suspicion of a disc episode do these things now: dodgerslist.com 2) An overview of what IVDD is for the now and for living with Casey many happy years ahead: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/26/time-and-ivddPost op surgery Restis often 6 weeks.
Conservative treatment rest is for 8 weeks
|
|
