Determine how you are going to safely ease back into more normal activity at graduation from rest. The idea is to gradually give more freedom under controlled conditions without your other dog around. Do not give free reign of the house and yard immediately on day one of graduation!
Your dog's muslces are soft and out of shape after the rest period. Gradually build up her muscles and lungs.
Take a look at our information. Gradually building your dogs muscles over a month's time will have your Sophie safely running and having fun again with her brother!
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
Here is a sample schedule to safely and slowly introduce your dog back to family life and physical activity. Also on the same page— check out the back friendly activities to encourage and those "never again" ones to extinguish:
dodgerslist.com/2020/06/15/back-friendly/?highlight=sample%20scheduleDIY back PROTECTION around the house
1) --- Prevent jumping up or down. Block off furniture and provide a ramp to the furniture it is ok for them to be on. Your investing in consistent training is the key to Sophie's properly using ramps. Even her brother can benefit by learning. No need of her brother giving bad example of jumping to Sophie.
• ramps ♦️ furniture blockers ♦️ ramp training tricks:
dodgerslist.com/2020/07/09/home-protect-ivdd-backs/ TIP: I can't remember, but if you were using an 8-panel ex-pen as a recovery suite, it can now be employed to block off areas! The pen panels can be detached where you have some separated "fence sections" to block areas.
Ericka, you can be successful! Learn the ramp training tricks from two pros:
dodgerslist.com/2020/06/16/training-to-use-ramps/2) At the top of the GRADUATES board are several discussions you may be interested in including furniture blockers and more:
dodgerslist.boards.net/board/8/graduatesHAPPY DAYS AHEAD
1) You and your dog have survivied a disc herniation! Learn what you can do from this point forward living with your IVDD dog. Things like dentals, nail trims, harnesses and fun things to do with Sophie and much more:
dodgerslist.com/living-with-ivdd-tips-2 PT THERAPY HOME
Safety first. You should always consult with a veterinarian before starting any exercise program with your dog. For example, although senior dogs need to stay limber, severe arthritis might make certain movements inappropriate. Likely 4 y.o Sophie will do fine with PT, alway good to touch base with your vet before starting.
-- Strengthening core muscles which support the spine.
Core exercises don't require specialized equipment.
Here are some exercises you can do at home:
5 exercises:
totofit.com/five-basic-exercises-essential-to-building-core-strength/KNOWLEDGE IS KEY TO PROTECTING
Just as you now know how to recognize IVDD symptoms and immediately crate and get to a vet, there is another thing to know about other pets in the home to be prepared.
-- For dogs the inborn instinct about weakness is for survival protection of the pack as a whole. There are two things that can happen in pack dynamics when a dog has been or is sick including a disc episode.
1. The healthy one may try to eliminate the weaker in the pack.
2. For the sick one, now the weaker in the pack to become more protective and aggressive because they know they are weaker now and may be subject to being attacked.
Make sure that Sophie feels protected from her best bud when home alone... the crate will be that source of protection. Whenever you leave the house and they are not supervised, it is a good idea to crate them for their own safety.
We have had many instances where a deadly attack among best buds could have been avoided by crating. One I recall is of two sisters who had grown up together and never showed any signs of aggression to one another. The two dogs were put in the kitchen while their owners went out to dinner. They came home to find the IVDD dog almost dead from the vicious attacks of the other.I don't want to leave on a down note, but want to congratulate you on your at-home care and now Sophie's graduation to wish you many happy years ahead! Don't be a stranger. Stop in periodically, it helps anguished new members to see that there is life again after a disc episode. And of course we love to see how a dog is doing months even years after a disc episode.
May we now ask you for help? Education about disc disease is our number one mission! We invite you to hop on to our educational bandwagon team. Too many dogs have been put to sleep because owners lack education about IVDD treatment. We wish we did not have to hear of another dog that was put to sleep because of disc disease nor one denied the correct principles of crate rest to help them heal.
We would like all of our members to pay it forward for the help they have received with their dog by helping us educate! Pick what suits you....
--- You've been there, and are doing it....Help another pet parent. Give support or share information you know to be true or point them to one of our many IVDD articles.
• WEBSITE: The "orange search box" top of each Webpage makes quick work to find the right helpful IVDD link:
dodgerslist.com • FORUM: Point others to the Forum to get specific answers for their dog:
dodgerslist.boards.net/board/12/forum-guest-- "Share" our FB/IG/ posts to widen the reach of IVDD knowledge:
FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/Dodgerslist INSTAGRAM:
instagram.com/dodgerslist/-- Hand carry our literature and introduce us to your vet. When in conversation at the grocery store line or wherever you meet breeds most prone to IVDD (Dachshunds, Beagles, Poodles, Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas) to give out our little cards. Ask Linda to send you our free packet:
dodgerslist.com/free-literature-2 i.postimg.cc/4dcKC6dK/wallet-card-SRRP-brochure.png 
