Coconut's journey started on the evening of 8/18 where she was laying on the floor and yelped in pain. She jumped up and started dragging her left leg. Byt the next morning she was
unable to move her hind legs. We took her to our vet in the AM 8/19 and they referred us to our local Emergency vet with a neurosurgeon on staff. Upon physical exam and CT scan they found herniated disc at L 2-3. We approved surgery and she was operated on same day. They found chronic protrusive discs at L1-2 and L3-4 were fenestrated and a mild amount of disc material was removed from the L2-3 site. She was discharged on 8/21.
Coconut is a female
10.5 pounds mini long hair
daschund.
Vet is DVM DACVIM neurology
surgery 8/19 came home 8/21
Now on 100% crate rest except for potty breaks outside & inside PT a few times day. We have her in a ex pen in the corner of our living room. Comfy but firm bed and blankets. I place puppy pads on top of the blankets. Puppy pad gets changed a few times a day -usually just because of dirt...not urine or feces. I change the blankets every other day.
We have a
handmade back harness for her hind legs (the vet made it for us) to lift her back legs for potty time. She will occasionally try to walk to get away from her poo or pee...a few steps.
Crate
rest was ordered for 4 weeks. PT:3-4 times/day
muscle massage
Passive range owner motion
standing exercises
sling assisted walking
Meds:
Gabapentin 50 mg po Q 8 hours-started 8/19-8/28 no longer taking
Prazosin 1mg po Q 8 hours-started 8/19-8/28 no longer taking
Amantadine 25 mg po q 24 hours started 8-19 and have a few days left
prednisone taper-
2.5 mg po q 12 hours x 7 days done
1.25 mg po q 12 hours x 7 days -currently on this part of taper
1.25 mg po q daily x 7 days
1.25 mg po Q other day until gone
She is not on any stomach protecting med. We give the prednisone with food.
She is
able to urinate on her own. In the first few days she had wet her puppy pad on occasion. But we have had a dry bed for the last few days. I have tried bladder expression but have had no luck. But I
take her out every few hours and she seems to be able to go -
lots of pee coming out-every time I take her out.
She had a few bouts of loose stools in the days after she came home. But she seems to have worked that out. She is able to poop once a day or so. It seems to be on a schedule no...about 45 minutes after she eats dinner. Its relatively solid and normal now.
She can wag her tail when she's happy:-) She
can move her right leg.
She seems
comfortable with no pain, no crying out when you pick her up etc. She will whine to let you know she has to go potty. She occasionally will whine if she can see the cats getting snuggle time -she was always very jealous of the cats. LOL
Our
other daschund is strangely avoiding her completely. She doesn't even go up to the pen to sniff around. It's weird, it's like she afraid of Coconut now. Not sure what that us all about but I am grateful she is not trying to "jump" on her etc.
I
want to buy a proper rear harness for her. Looking into that.
Also need to buy ramp for the couch...to train our other dog and hopefully Coconut too.
Need to buy a gate for the steps to prevent them from going to second floor. We need a
gate that the cats can get through-jump over...but not the dogs. Any advice?
