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:
You are doing the very best thing for Luci by starting Strict crate rest. The crate rest must be
very strict. It is immobility that allows the disc to heal. 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.
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no chiro therapy - no dragging or meandering at potty times
You can read more about crate rest here:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/
Laying outside in the Spring sun is excellent, but Luci should be in her crate or otherwise confined. I know that she isn't moving much, but dogs do the unexpected in the blink of an eye. She may hear or see something that startles her and start to move. This is especially possible when she starts to feel better. Too much movement can worsen her condition.
Casters can be put on a crate so Luci can be moved around the house. An ex-pen can be used to confine her outside.
Some tips for caring for Lucy at home can be found here:
Problems with the front legs indicate a neck disc. Did the vet say it was a neck or cervical issue?
Information about caring for a dog during a neck disc episode can be found here:
www.dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/cervical-care-tipsYou say she is actively voiding her bladder where she lays. Sometimes IVDD dogs do not have bladder control and you will find wet bedding or the dog will pee when lifted. This would be caused by reflex overflowing.. There are two ways that urine can be released. One is where the brain sends a message to the bladder down the spinal cord and which allows the dog to choose when to release urine….that is bladder control. The other way is when the spinal cord is damaged and no messages can be sent, the body will use reflexes. Similar to your pulling back your hand without thinking when touching a hot stove. Reflexes for a dog can kick in when the bladder is overstretched and full of urine. This is called overflowing…not a good thing. Overflowing will invited bladder infection and all the overstretching can permanently ruin bladder tone.
Overflowing means the dog's bladder needs to be manually expressed so the dog stays dry.
We know a dog has bladder control when they can "sniff and pee". Carry Luci to a previous pee spot in the grass, support her with hands or a sling, and let her sniff. If she urinates right after, that shows a message has been able to travel from the brain to the bladder and she has bladder control.
If she cannot sniff and pee, she likely does not have bladdder control. That means she needs help in emptying her bladder. Expressing is how we help our dogs empty the bladder. Expressing is a matter of physics. That means we apply pressure to the bladder greater than the strength of the urinary sphincter and push the urine out. You will know you are doing it right when you get a steady stream and there is no more wet bedding. The best way to learn to express is by getting a hands-on lesson from your vet. You can read more about expressing here:
If she cannot sniff and pee at this point in time, still give her multiple opportunities to try.
In most cases a dog regains bladder and bowel control at the same time, but this is not always the case.
IVDD is typically very painful. These are the signs of pain we look for; ☐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 up flamingo style not wanting to bear weight ☐head held high or nose to the ground ☐Not their normal perky selves
You mention that Luci doesn't move much. This can be a sign of pain. If she is showing a second, confirming, sign of pain, let the vet know right away, so pain meds can be prescribed. Keep a watchful eye out for signs of pain when the Dexamethasone is tapered to every other day. If signs of pain appear, more time on an anti-inflammatory and appropriate pain meds will be needed.
Some more information about medications often used during a disc episode can be found at the link below:
Vomiting and not eating are signs of possible stomach damage. Giving her Pepcid AC will help protect her stomach. Give the Pepcid 30 minutes before the anti-inflammatory and thereafter every 12 hours. Continue giving her the Pepcid every 12 hours during the taper and let the vet know you are doing this. If she continues to vomit and not eat, let the vet know right away, so an additional stomach protector can be prescribed. The other stomach protector we usually see is called Sucralfate. It works to gel coat any damaged area of the stomach, while Pepcid AC continues to control excess acid.
Can Luci currently move her back legs at all?
It is very scary when our dogs have IVDD. It becomes less so when we learn all we can about the disease. you can find a lot of information at our main website.
www.dodgerslist.comUse the search bar at the top of the page to search for specific topics.
