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Post by Jules & Pip on Mar 27, 2022 12:07:28 GMT -7
[Original subject line: IVDD Flare-Up?] Hi! My dachshund, Pip, is 2 weeks shy of the one year anniversary of her hemilaminectomy. She was grade 5, completely paralyzed in the rear, with no DPS. She began walking again approximately 8 weeks post-op and has done pretty well. She has a drunken gait, but she walks independently and has DPS, bladder, and bowel control. No stairs or jumping allowed. Crated during the day while I am at work, as well as at night. Friday evening [3/25] she had a short tussling bout with her chihuahua sister. When I interrupted, Pip dragged herself (rear legs tucked under her body as she tried to run) about 12 feet into another room. She did not appear to be able to use her back legs. I propped up her rear into standing position and she walked to the door to go outside. She walked around the yard but her legs were more wobbly than her usual now-normal drunken gait. Saturday [3/26] was much the same—more wobbly than usual gait, back legs collapsing at times but returning to walking position. She has bladder and bowel bladder control. I am uncertain about pain. She grunts some when picked up and was shaking early this morning when outside to potty, but it was cold out. I have meds on hand—gabapentin, tramadol, carprofen, methocarbomol, trazadone. I started her on the carprofen and gabapentin. I restricted her movements on Saturday, but Saturday afternoon I started crate rest. Edit: Pip is almost 5 years old, weighs approximately 12.5 pounds. Current meds Carprofen (25 mg 1/2 tablet 2x/day), gabapentin (100 mg every 8 hours). Other meds on hand: tramadol 50 mg (1/2 pill every 8 hrs), methocarbamol (1/2 tablet every 12 hrs), trazadone 50 mg (1/2 tablet every 8-12 hrs as needed). [MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
12.5 lbs 5 y.o
3/25 increased wobbly since a 2021 surgery
carprofen as of 3/26: 12.5 mgs 2x/day for ? days, then a test STOP for: _pain / _neuro
gabapentin 100mgs 3x/day
traMADol 25mgs 3x/day GIVING??
methocarbamol 250mgs 2x/day GIVING??
trazodone 25 mgs as needed for anxiety
Pip needs GI tract protector, Pepcid AC, on board w/carprofen! ] Is this the right course? My local vet is closed for the weekend, plus they aren’t as informed about IVDD as I would like. The teaching hospital where Pip had surgery is 2 hours away, and it’s not easy to get an appointment without an ER visit. Conservative treatment will be the way I go, as I cannot afford surgery again. Also, her initial injury was so severe, the neurosurgeon told us a repeat surgery would likely be unsuccessful. Looking for advice and reassurance. Thanks!!!
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,935
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 27, 2022 12:59:18 GMT -7
Moderator Paula is reading your post and preparing a reply. Thank you for your patience 👀 Please refresh your browser to see new replies. ➡️ EMAIL ALERTS You can receive email alerts when someone has posted. Timely interaction/communications is needed when helping your dog. Bookmark your dog's thread to receive an email alert when someone has replied. Go to the CONSERVATIVE Board 1. Look for your dog's thread and checkmark it. 2. Look for the white ACTIONS button towards top. 3. Select “Notification Options" from the pull down menu — check mark “NEW POST” change from never to INSTANT email — press the SAVE button. Click the “x” to close the window 4. Next choose the “Bookmark” See the tiny book symbol now! i.postimg.cc/GhKYTNg7/Bookmarking.jpg ** ➡️ QUICK REPLY: Easy, fast and recommended! Go to the "Quick reply" typing area at bottom of your dog's thread to write a reply. Quick Reply allows scrolling up to a previous post & back down to the "Quick Reply" typing area to continue your own post. ➡️ MOBILE DEVICES "Desktop" view is best for the Forum. i.postimg.cc/HxYJbyVY/Desktop-mode600.jpg ** |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,935
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Post by PaulaM on Mar 27, 2022 13:27:06 GMT -7
Welcome Jules(?)! We are glad you have joined us! Pip is very likely and good candidate to heal under conservative treatment! Conservative rest is necessarily more STRICT than for post-op rest.Spinal cord injury caused by the disc episode can involve both compressing of the cord and cord bruising. i.postimg.cc/cHpKVcSN/Cons-vs-surgery-chunk320.jpg **TWO TREATMENTS: Surgery only treats the compression problem by removing the offending disc material. Part of the healing that goes on in conservative treatment is the body's natural response to painfully inflamed tissue. In addition an anti-inflammatory like Carprofen is also used to reduce compression from swollen tissues in the spinal cord area. Often with time the disc material may also be able to be reabsorbed enough to no longer press on the cord and aggravate it. ANYTIME out of the Recovery Suite is a danger to a healing disc 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!
Lots of great ideas and tips for carrying out the VERY STRICT limited movement of the back during conservative treatment: dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/MEDS. The vet should be allowed to see the dog's symptoms to give the most accurate of diagnosis. There are other diseases that mimic the same symptoms a disc epside has. FYI for the future. NSAIDs such as carprofen stay in the body for 4-7 day. So if you can avoid giving prior to vet appt that is best. However, since you have already started, carprofen will be in Pip's body on Monday 3/28. Understand more about anti-inflammatory drugs: What you can do for Monday is stop the dosing of pain-masking pain meds 8 hrs prior to the Monday appt time. Pain meds last in the body for about 8 hrs. Know why Pepcid AC should be on board anytime an anti-inflammatory such as carprofen is on board. Dogs don't speak up at first signs of trouble like a person would. Red flag signs can progress from nausea> vomit> loose stool>.... Bleeding ulcers (red or black blood in diarrhea) can turn to a life-threatening perforated stomach lining. LEARN MORE: dodgerslist.com/2020/05/06/stomach-protection/
The usual dose of Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound. --Give 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory. --Dose thereafter every 12 hours for as long as your dog is on the anti-inflammatory. thumb.ibb.co/mEGRuy/91x_Aj_s00z_L_SY355.jpg ** Thanks very much for all the details on the meds!!! Just to confirm are you also giving currently: traMADol, methocarbamol and traZODone. Or that you have them but not giving yet? The single most important care you can give is the 100% STRICT rest. Let us know you are on the same page: STRICT rest means: ◼︎no laps ◼︎no couches ◼︎no baths ◼︎no sleeping with you ◼︎no chiro therapy WHYs: dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/ ◼︎no dragging or meandering at potty times. ◼︎no PT for conservative dogs during 8 weeks to heal disc ◼︎At home laser or acupuncture for severe neuro damage is best. Transports are always a risk to the disc of too much movement. The initial diagnosing visit is a necessity. Non-urgent vet visits must be weighed risk vs. benefit for dogs with little to mild neuro diminishment such as Pip. Knowledge is key! Owner understanding ensures proper conservaitve treatment principals: ▶︎ 4 phases of healing, what it takes to heal each phase: dodgerslist.com/healing-the-disc/▶︎ Roadmap for your fridge. Stay the course, avoid dangerous detours for the healing disc: dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roadmap-for-Fridge.pdf Please keep us updated. Fingers crossed that your employing strict rest will prevent the suspicion of the same surgical disc or any of the other potential discs from worsening damage. Worsening neuro decline might mean an urgent ER trip in for moving to the more powerful of anti-inflammatories (steroids such as prednisone) + double stomach protection (Pepcid AC + Sucralfate). |
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Post by Jules & Pip on Mar 27, 2022 15:40:30 GMT -7
Thank you for the detailed response! Pip is currently crated and will only be out of the crate for potty breaks. I do understand the rules of strict crate rest, and I have a homemade sling to use outside for potty breaks. She has NOT been given methocarbamol or tramadol. She has had 3 doses of carprofen (two doses on 3/26 and one on 3/27) and 2 doses of gabapentin [100mgs 1x/day] (one dose on 3/26 and one on 3/27). I have famotidine [?mgs ?x/day?] on hand so will use it as well.
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