Cara's Mitzi 2021 conservative - Westie mix; GRAD Jan 2022

Cara, it is angering to hear on two accounts whatever vet you saw and his tech were not in the know about IVDD. Danged lucky it did not progress beyond unacceptable worse pain to actually having nerve damage occur!
    1. Report of diarrhea and prescribing of meloxicam w/o Pepcid AC, could have been handled over the phone without subjecting Mitzi to a vehicle transport.  Vets who know IVDD adjust meds over the phone frequently.

    2. Whoever walked Mitzi out was ignorant of proper handling of an dog with a disc episode. That could have been avoided by Mitzi's GI tract damage being handled on the phone by OKing Pepcid AC. In addition Meloxicam could well have continued if a knowledgeable vet had Rx'd the 2nd protector called Sucralfate. That is what vets who know IVDD do.

Many of us have learned at points in time, it is us who need to step up to the plate and express concerns and advocate for our dogs. Always be polite, but firm about your concerns.  Maybe this time you had no choice but to bring her in? Why were you not allowed to go into the exam room with Mitzi to speak up and protect her?

Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM, ACVIM has hit it on the nail especially with IVDD. Each of us needs to be self educated on IVDD.  Education gives one confidence to speak up. Education allows you to participate, to team up with the vet hired.
When things settle, do make it a point to survey as many of the readings on our Main Webpage www.dodgerslist.com and be the prepared IVDD savvy owner Cara needs.

1) This is a good spot to start : dodgerslist.com/in-the-right-place/
2) Then click on the other topics in the "KNOWLEDGE" pull down menu.

Still on methocarbamol 125mgs every 4 hrs.? 

Have no patience at all with pain. It takes ONE HOUR to get pain in control when the mgs, the frequency (3x/day) and covering each source of pain are in place:
   methocarbamol for muscle contraction pain
   gabapentin for nerve pain
   traMADol as the over all analgesic.

Please keep us posted on the pain level today.

Cara, you have a lot on your plate.

When you can do tell us what you are actually currently giving in mgs and frequency for each med. It is nice to know the surgeon gave you a range that you could increase to. For now we can't properly comment unless we know what you actually give.

With the subtraction (stop) of the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) it would be expected the pain meds would need to necessarily be more (mgs and/or frequency) to compensate that there is now nothing working on the the painfully inflammed swollen tissue around the spinal cord.

Thank you. Current situation:

▼Gabapentin 100mg every 10-12 hours (weaned down from every 6-8 hours)
▼Methocarbomal 125mg as needed, down to once/day from every 8 hours
Metrodinadazole 125mg every 12 hours (three doses left)
Probiotics capsule daily

[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
23 lbs 7 y.o.
Meloxicam as of 12/1 ER?: 0.07mL 1x/day for 4 days stopped 12/5 due to bloody diarrhea - stress colitis?!
gabapentin 100mgs ▼2x/day
methocarbamol 125mgs ▼1x/day.
metronidazole - 125mg 2x/day  ends 12/15
Probiotics 1x/day ]

Her pain is managed and she is doing much better. I just wish she didn't get so excited when my mom walks in after being in her room all night. We can't have guests because she just gets far too excited to see family. 

The neurosurgeon suggested not trying NSAIDs again as it's not worth potential GI episode again. He said to keep her on rest for another week. He didn't instruct to crate her but to keep her minimally active and not jumping higher than twice her height. She's been in my room with me for 11 days, only going out back with me to potty. 

1. Is using her PetSafe Easy Walk Dog Harness appropriate and safe for a lateral lumbar rupture?
2. Do you think NOT taking NSAIDs can slow down her recovery?
3. Do you think that the doctor is only suggesting another week of full rest because it's a lateral rupture?

Cara, very glad to hear pain is in control as pain meds are being lowered and no NSAID is on board. A NSAID would speed up riding the body of inflammation. But sounds like inflammation maybe/might be close to an end. So then why risk a NSAID with past stress coliti if not really needed?
    HOWEVER, you won't know til pain meds are fully stopped whether any spinal cord inflammation still exists.  If pain does exist on the stop of gabapentin and methocarbamol, then likely they would be continued a bit longer to let the body deal with inflammation.  Or you could revisit the idea of a NSAID with TWO stomach protectors on board (Pepcid AC + Sucralfate).What date are the two pain meds due to be full stopped?

I would be very, very careful if were my own dog, that the disc is still healing even after another week of rest til 12/18. Add to that, if pain meds would still be on board the dog will feel good and want to overdo movement of the back.  I've not heard of dogs being hurt with crate rest, but read too many unfortunate setbacks many owners report on the Forum when they've cut crate rest shorter than the 8 weeks.  Conservative treatment goal is to avoid leg paralysis, loss of bladder control and avoid an expensive surgery with STRICT rest as you are doing. It's your dog and your call.
I would choose a standard harness during the time of 8 weeks of STRICT rest because it gives you more control over keeping the body straight and aligned. Mitzie has learned by now, I hope, that potty time is where you remain standing in one spot and Mitzie can only take a few very minimal footsteps that the 6 foot leash with harness permits to take care of business.

I can imagine how frustrating it must be to not get a response from the neuro.

You are not seeing signs of pain in Mitzi. Very good news!