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Post by Faye & Clark on Jul 31, 2021 14:24:45 GMT -7
[Original subject line: Faye's Clark 7/27 Conservative - Shoulders- Dachshund ]☆ 1 currently pain? No I don't believe so. Today he's been much more tired and sleeping more but the past couple of days he's been moving and shifting positions okay in his pen/crate. - he was shivering/trembling today but I thought it was because he was cold. It was colder and rainy outside when I took him out to use the bathroom this morning. He didn't yelp at all and moved around some. ☐ tight tense tummy ☐can’t find a comfortable position- not really that I've noticed☐ nose to the ground no☐ Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight - nope☐He is not quite his perky self but his perky self would be running the fence and chasing squirrels which is is not be allowed to do right now. He has seemed to want to do those things some though while he's been on crate rest. ☆ 2 14 lbsAll started on July 27, 2010 around 5:30-6pm Ostimax 12mg 7-8am; Mathocarbamol 500mg 7-8am, 4-5pm, 9-10pm; Gabapentin 50mg 7-8am, 4-5p, 9-10pm [Moderator’s Note. Please do not edit
14 lbs 10 y.o.
OstiMax™ (deracoxib) as of 7/27: 12mgs 1x/day for 12 days, then 8/8 test STOP for _pain/_neuro
methocarbamol 125mgs 3x/day
gabapentin 50 mgs 3x/day
needs GI tract protector, Pepcid AC, on board w/ Ostimax! ] C.. PEPCID AC: Phrase a simple question that you expect a simple "yes "or "no" to it. Does my dog have 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).
(NOTE: Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours. www.1800petmeds.com/Famotidine-prod11171.html )
☆ 3 He's never been a big eater. He has access to his food bowl all the time but doesn't seem to be eating much. The fact he's not eating much is fairly normal for him. He has been eating some. He has been drinking his normal amount though. -- Poop is normal firmness and color. ☆ 4 Doxie, Clark, Faye ☆ 5 yes, disc problem. Spacing of discs in upper back are not as wide as they should be. It was hard to see the spacing due to Clark's ribs in the view but there is definitely some smaller gaps between invertebrate in this area. -- general DVM☆ 6 What was the date you saw the vet for CONSERVATIVE treatment? July 27, 2021 was suggested to give conservative treatment a try for a few weeks and come back in for further discussion in regards to possible surgery and/or other possible options. 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 dragging or meandering at potty times. - no PT - no chiro therapy Why Chiropractic is not recommended for pain for an IVDD dog: dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/ ☆ 7 He has been able to sniff and squat to release urine a majority of the time. He's had a couple of wet bedding leaks incidents. DOGs with BLADDER 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 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! ☆ 8 He can wobbly walk and moves his legs some. His tail goes crazy when we talk to him. His wobbly walk and leg movement has varied from day to day and time to time. walk and leg movement has varied from day to day and time to time.
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Post by Romy & Frankie on Jul 31, 2021 15:23:03 GMT -7
Welcome to Dodgerslist, Faye
We are glad you’ve joined us all. We’ve got valuable information we’ve learned from the vets Dodgerslist consults with and our own experiences with IVDD since 2002 to share with you! Learn more about us and how we team up with veterinarians:
Dodgerslist work's with vets:
Has Clark been on very strict crate rest since July 27? Eight weeks of Strict crate rest is what allows the disc to heal. The crate rest is 24x7 out of the crate only for pottying and needed vet visits. Have you had a chance to review the information on how crate rest works:
We have some tips on home care during a disc episode: dodgerslist.com/nursing-care-during-the-disc-episode/
Info on medications used during a disc episode is at the link below:
All anti-inflammatories like Ostimax (Deracoxib) cause excess stomach acid which can cause serious stomach problems. To prevent these problems a stomach protector like Pepcid AC (famotidine) is necessary. Please speak to your vet about adding Pepcid AC to Clark's meds. Pepcid AC is available in any supermarket or drugstore in the US. It is important that Clark has stomach protection. Our IVDD dogs have enough to deal with without adding stomach problems.
As Clark can sniff and pee it is unlikely that he has lost bladder control. If you think that he is reluctant to go outside due to bad weather, you can try a pee pad right outside his crate. If he has not used pee pads before, he may need to be taught to use them. In this case, get a piece of paper towel or newspaper with another dog's urine on it and place it on the pee pad. I had to do this with my dog when he was on crate rest.
Another possible reason for wet bedding can be a UTI. If the leaking continues consider asking the vet for a urinalysis.
For how man days was the Ostimax prescribed.?
It is very scary when our dogs are having an IVDD episode. It is less scary when we learn all we can about the disease. Use the “search box” to easily locate topics over at our Main website: |
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Post by Faye & Clark on Aug 1, 2021 17:04:52 GMT -7
I will reach out to the vet tomorrow about the Pepcid as I don't want him to have stomach problems on top of his back problems. We have had him on strict crate rest since the 27th after we found out he had IVDD. He started acting strange with what seemed like leg weakness and pain response on Monday the 26th. When he didn't come out of his crate where he sleeps nightly on Tuesday morning the 27th I called the vet and got him in right away. He was very wobbly and reacting as in pain while at the vet's office. The vet said strict crate rest for him 4-6 weeks then we would reevaluate his condition to see if he needed to continue the crate rest or if surgery would be a possible option for him or other options to make sure he wasn't in any pain or suffering in any way.
The Ostimax is for 12 days... that's how many pills he was prescribed. The vet didn't say that was the prescribed number of days but there are no refills on that medicine and that's how many pills we were given.
Clark weighs 14 pounds. He will be 10 years old at the end of August. When I got him I wasn't given an exact birthday but knew he was approximately 8 weeks old so we have always said his birthday was August 30th.
The Methocarbamol is a 1/4 tablet so he's not getting the full 500mg in a single dose. The vet had the tablets cut for us so I didn't think about the 1/4 part when I made my initial post.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,528
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Post by PaulaM on Aug 1, 2021 18:06:39 GMT -7
Faye, thanks for filling the missing info. Sounds like even tho wobbly walking, Clark will be a good candidate to heal his disc under conservative treatment and with time self heal those wobbly legs to a better gait. Sticking to the principals of STRICT rest will be key for Clark. The test stop of Ostimax for pain/neuro setback will be on a Sunday Aug 8. You will want to get prepared and have a Plan B worked ahead of time with your vet. This page will get you up to speed on the test stop, what a Plan B could be, and your roll as the eyes and ears for your vet on Sunday 8/8: dodgerslist.com/2020/04/18/steroids-vs-nsaids/Let us know what you have arranged with your vet for plan B. And how he prefers gabapentin and methocarbamol to be handles in 8/8 to make assessment quick and easy for you. Your Clark is a very handsome boy! |
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