Welcome to Dodgerslist. 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.com/about-team-dodgerslist/Disc disease is not a death sentence!
Struggling with quality of life questions? Re-think things:
Did your vet diagnose IVDD? IVDD is sometimes known by other names, a disc problem, a disc herniation, a bulging disc, a slipped disc.
Most disc episodes are diagnosed by a hands-on exam, the breed often prone to disc disease, and how the dog appears at the vet visit. X-rays show the bones of the vertebrae but not the discs nor the spinal cord running inside the vertebrae.
A dog can have IVDD but show nothing suspicious on the x-ray. X-rays can be useful if the vet suspects the symptoms may be caused by another disease and not IVDD.
There are two treatments for IVDD; surgery and conservative treatment. Surgery immediately removes disc material that is pressing on the spinal cord causing pain and neuro deficits like trouble walking. Conservative treatment uses an anti-inflammatory to reduce spinal cord swelling and the crate to immobilize the disc, allowing it to shrink back and heal. You can read more about these two treatments here.
Dr Isaacs, ACVIM (Neurology) talks about when to consider surgery here:
If your vet thinks it is IVDD then the most important thing you can do for your dog right now is keep her under Strict crate rest. The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the very STRICT crate rest part (no PT, little movement). With little blood supply, discs are much slower to form good scar tissue than it takes a blood rich broken bone to heal. Those weeks of a cast for a broken arm to heal is similar to the recovery suite being a kind of cast for the disc. 100% STRICT crate rest 24/7 for 8 weeks provides limited movement to allow good strong scar tissue to form. More reading about crate rest can be found here:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no chiro therapy - no dragging or meandering at potty times
If surgery is a consideration for you, please ask your vet to call the neuro to discuss your dog's situation as soon as you can. A dog that is paralyzed is usually a candidate for surgery. If surgery is not a consideration, your dog can be treated conservatively. If your general vet is comfortable in treating IVDD with an appropriate use of pain meds and anti-inflammatory drugs for a long enough period to get the swelling down, a specialist consult may not be necessary.
Nerves are slow to heal. We often have to think in terms of months for the return of neuro functions. Dogs have regained function in weeks, months and even in a few cases, a year.
Is your dog showing signs of pain? The signs of pain we look for are; ; ☐shivering, trembling ☐yelping when picked up or moved ☐reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move ☐tight tense tummy ☐can’t find a comfortable position ☐Arched back ☐ Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight ☐head held high or nose to the ground ☐Not their normal perky selves?
Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way between doses. If not in control your vet needs to know right away to adjust meds
All anti-inflammatories cause excess stomach acid, which can lead to serious stomach damage. To help prevent this damage, a stomach protector like Pepcid AC is important.
Ask the vet if your dog has 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).
i.ibb.co/DCN9611/91x-Aj-s00z-L-SY355.jpgThe usual dose of Pepcid AC (famotidine) for dogs is 0.44mg per pound, 30 mins before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours for as long as your dog is on the anti-inflammatory. The dose of famotidine may require reduction in patients with liver or kidney disease, as these diseases tend to prolong drug activities.
How much does your dog weigh?
Please let us know the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given.
What was the start date & dose of the steroid? Date of steroid taper?
Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control – OR- do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted which are indication of an overflowing bladder and loss of bladder control? If your dog does not have bladder control, she will need you to help her empty her bladder by expressing. Expressing is a matter of physics pressure is applied to the bladder greater than the strength of the urinary sphincter and urine is pushed out. The best way to learn to express is to start by get a hands-on lesson from your vet.
We have information about expressing here:
What is your dog’s name? Your name, too? I am Romy.
Can your dog move her legs at all? I know that Frenchies don't have tails, but can she wiggle her little butt as she would when getting a treat or seeing you?
We encourage you to register and set up email alerts as timely interaction/communications is needed when helping your dog. How to register and how to do the email alerts here:
www.dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/7353/register-bookmark-dogs-post-thread
It is very scary when our dogs have IVDD. It is less so when we learn all we can about the disease. A good place to start is at our main website:
www.dodgerslist.com
You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to search for particular topics
