Susan's Akira 3/17 conservative chiweenie NECK

Well its been two weeks since i was last on here and reading so many of these threads had made me cry seeing i wasnt alone in what i was going through..Akira was diagnosed with IVDD two weeks ago and has been on strict crate rest and carpomel, tramadol and metho something sorry not looking at bottles. She is to take the carpomel twice a day and the tramadol and metho one every 6 to 8 hrs i have been doing every 6 hrs. She refuses to take it and i have been getting creative with ideas she doesnt like it in treats or pill pockets or even crushed up in food shes a smart lil dog. But just as an update she was doing pretty bad a few days ago stiffening and breathing funny and not sleeping im taking it that the pills needed its time to kick into gear. My bday was the twenty first of march and i was at work crying all night i was scared to leave her side in case something happened bad to her. So when midnight came around i prayed to god a million times all night i kept repeating it over and over again begging for him to make her better and used my bday wish to heal her. I never was one to believe that praying worked or even wishes but when i came home from work that night she was as loving and playful as ever she showed no signs of pain due to the medicines working on her. The other night i got a call at work and  feared the worst but my family reassured me she was fine..she had actually found out how to unzipper the crate from the inside and scooted clear out to the living room and plopped down on the floor and watched tv, my family afraid to move her let her there for awhile and then grabbed her crate and she willingly scooted in. On saturday the 23rd i had my ex husband over and she got so excited to see him she moved her tail and i had felt like my praying mustve been heard but i hadnt gotten my hopes up. Tonight when i got home early from work she was whimpering and i thought she was in pain or something but she scooted to the front of the crate just to nuzzle her face against me and was wagging her tail two to three times in a row. She still hasnt really moved her legs that much but every now and then when she relaxes she moves them slightly ad thats after i massage them and work on them to help keep the muscle built up and when she had enough she will jerk them back from me and curl her toes if tickled. Im hoping maybe someone did hear my prayers and the i called the vet due to they wanted an update on her and they told me her moving her tail is a great sign that the crate and medication is working. She is now trying to play with her squeaky toy but i wont let it in the crate with her due to i dont want her moving to much and when she gets excited with it i dont want her to injure herself more. I still dont want to get my hopes up now but im so excited she can still feel those areas when the first vet said she would never be able to. Now im scared to lift her so i make sure i slide her out on pee pad to go seeing she refuses to go outside when its cold anyways and i dont want her tensing up either and strain herself but when she goes pee she feels it though its all the time here of late and everywhere also and when she goes poo she looks back and tries to remove it. I do hope however that her next vet appointment this coming week will bring some good news to us. Reading things on here everyone has been doing ive done them all in hopes she will regain some strength. But things can also turn for the worst so still praying everynight. She hates being in the crate and tries to escape when possible but she has 6 more weeks in there to rest and then that vet visit ill know much much more. Thank you to all those whom have posted ways to make them comfortable and the massage techniques due to those she is willingly moving areas i thought she never would again. After her next vet appt ill try to repost to this one on how she is doing and i hope everyone who is going through this knows that their advice and stories go along way. blessings to you all.

Sorry it has been awhile was out of state for funeral proceedings for a family member. Updating on akira she is off of the methocarbamol and still on the carprofen and tramadol and her next vet appointment we will see if she needs off either one of those. Sadly she has still no hold over her bladder and goes basically all the time. She has been drinking water and eating like a horse and since off the muscle relaxers she has feeling if i even go to touch her back legs they jump and she draws them back. As for walking still no sign, however she does sit comfortably up on her rear end and tries to move them she is moving her tail more and more and ive been massaging the right techniques and trying to keeps the muscles strong. Her back end has lost alot of weight to it but slowly gaining it back. She is only out of crate for cleanings of the crate itself which went from once a week to two a day and her bath so she doesnt get an urinary tract infection. Vet said that is normal so we will see on that. She seems not so bothered however she does not like me touching her hind legs and nudges me away when trying to move them but not in a pain sense. Hopefully her next vet appointment will let me know her progress seeing her being in that crate on may 18th will be her 8 weeks.

Susan, I agree with Pauliana, about the need to manually express Akira's bladder.  Baths are a real danger for Akira.  Try to avoid and use non-scented baby wipes or a damp washcloth until your skills have reached the needed proficiency to keep her dry.

If Akira has been overflowing urine for several days now, she likely already has a serious bladder infection going on. When is the last time you brought in a urine sample to screen for infection…a urinalysis?  There is only one way to keep UTIs away and that is expressing often enough and fully at each session so that Akira is staying dry between sessions.  An overflowing bladder is what causes UTI. As reflexes can allow some urine to escape but reflexes can't void all the urine. What remains in the bladder quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Keeping the skin free of urine with baby wipes or a damp washcloth is to avoid urine scalds/burns. 

Have you gone back to your vet or another and had a refresher on how to express? We all have learned by extra lessons. Express right there in the clinic and have the vet tech check your work.  Do give us the details on your expressing schedule.. how often, can you recognize and feel the shape of her bladder with your fingers?

I'm concerned about the drinking like a horse. This is one of the signals of taking a NSAID that is RED flag and reason to stop this med at once. This is from the Rimadyl (aka Carprofen) web page:  "Important Safety Information: RIMADYL is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication available only by prescription through your veterinarian. As with other NSAID-class medications, signs of RIMADYL intolerance may include appetite loss, vomiting and diarrhea, which could indicate side effects involving the digestive tract, liver or kidneys. Some of these side effects may occur without warning and, in rare situations may be serious, resulting in hospitalization or even death. If these signs occur, discontinue RIMADYL therapy and consult your veterinarian." www.rimadyl.com/default.aspx

From the FDA snipurl.com/2348157 : 
Common side effects seen with the use of NSAIDs in dogs may affect the kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract and may include:

Not eating or eating less
Lethargy, depression, changes in behavior
Vomiting
Diarrhea, black tarry-colored stool
Yellowing of gums, skin, or the whites of the eyes
Change in drinking
Changes in skin (scabs, redness, or scratching)

What to do?
If you suspect a possible side effect to an NSAID, STOP giving the drug to your dog and call your veterinarian immediately!

What a wonderful story, Susan! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. You've done a truly great job with Akira and you and she are reaping the rewards. Good for you on getting that second opinion. This story will be very encouraging to other IVDD dog owners and shows how we can never give up on our dogs. Nerve damage can take a very long time to heal. I know my Jeremy was still showing improvements a year after he first went down with IVDD. Prayers for continued improvements for Akira.