|
|
Post by Lauren's Scully on Jul 7, 2022 9:18:30 GMT -7
My dachshund Scully, now 8 1/2 years old, had her second cervical surgery on February 2nd of this year. I believe it was on her C5 vertebrae. Her surgery was performed by a certified neurologist.
[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
9.8 lbs 8.5 y.o. ]
After her surgery, she was on strict crate rest for four weeks and limited activity for another eight weeks after that. She is not currently on any medication for her IVDD. Her current weight is 9.8 lbs.
This past weekend, on July 3rd, Scully was running in my backyard and doing circles when she suddenly stopped and was holding up her right front leg. She limped/hopped for a few minutes after this event but then went back to walking normally and not displaying any signs of pain.
I kept her quiet (no running, no walks, no wrestling, etc.) until I could call her neurologist when they opened on July 5th. They advised that I keep her quiet for a few more days but since she wasn't showing any signs of pain since the incident that they didn't need to see her but to call them if her condition worsened.
In both instances of her IVDD, her signs were pain (refusing to eat, hesitancy to go up on her ramps, shaking) and occasionally holding up one of her front legs so, of course, what happened this weekend was terrifying but the neurologist doesn't seem concerned at the moment so will continue to monitor her and hope that she simply stepped on something while running or twisted her leg in the process but it's difficult to not fear that her IVDD has reared back up again even though her MRI on January 27th didn't, at the time, show any other concerning discs.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
|
Post by PaulaM on Jul 7, 2022 9:33:40 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 dodgerslist.boards.net/board/6/conservative 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 ** |
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,928
|
Post by PaulaM on Jul 7, 2022 9:45:34 GMT -7
Welcome Lauren! Yup, we IVDD dog owners are super vigilant to signs. Good to keep her quiet as you did and as Neuro wants for a couple more days just to make sure you do not observe any new possible neuro or pain signs. SIGNS OF PAIN:
Lots of causes why a dog can hold their paw up/limp in discomfort. These are the signs particular to a disc problem.
⚙︎ shivering-trembling ⚙︎ yelping when picked up or moved ⚙︎ tight tense tummy ⚙︎ arched back, ears pinned bac ⚙︎ restless, can't find a comfortable position ⚙︎ slow or reluctant to move in suite such as shift positions ⚙︎ not their normal perky interested in life selves ➕if a neck disc: ◻︎ head held high/ nose to the ground ◻︎ looks up with just eyes and does not move head and neck easily. ◻︎ not eating due to painful chewing or in too much overall pain ◻︎ holds front or back leg up flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
NEURO signs to watch for
As damage to the spinal cord increases, there is a predictable stepwise deterioration of functions. These are the signs when a disc has been damaged that can affect the spinal cord & you will want to observe for. Catching things early to start meds & conservative treatment could save from a surgery. 1. Pain caused by the intial disc tear & inflammation in the spinal cord 2. Wobbly walking, legs cross 3. Nails/toes scuffing floor 4. Paws knuckle under 5. Weak/little leg movement, can't move up into a stand 6. Legs do not work at all (paralysis, dog is down) 7. Bladder control is lost. Leaks on you when lifted. Can no longer sniff and then pee on that old urine spot outdoors. 8. Tail wagging with joy is lost 9. Deep pain sensation, the last neuro function, a critical indicator for nerves to be able to self heal after surgery or with conservative treatment. If surgery is not an option (for whatever reason) then the best option is conservative therapy. Surgery can still be successful in the window of 12-24 hours after loss of deep pain sensation. Even after that window of time, there can still be a good outcome. Each hour that passes decreases that chance. Precious hours can be lost with a vet that gets DPS wrong. Trust only the word of a neuro (ACVIM) or ortho (ACVS) surgeon about DPS. So if surgery is an option for your family get to a neuro or ortho asap. A quick overview of conservative treatment vs. a surgery: dodgerslist.com/2020/02/10/surgery-vs-conservative/Please keep us posted. Our fingers are crossed that there is no disc involved! |
|
