Sarah, welcome! What's your doxie's name?
Let us know you have been giving the SINGLE most important care to protect the disc and the spinal cord from worsen since seeing the ER vet.
Do alert the vet about neuro function decline. We don't know the detail about his meds. There may be a possibility the prednisone could be increased if it is not yet at the "anti-inflammatory" dose level. again we just do not have enough information, yet, to comment. 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.
◼︎ avoid dangerous detours. Follow the "Roadmap." Tape it to your fridge. D/L and print out:
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Roadmap-for-Fridge.pdf Transports are always a risk to the disc of too much movement. Vet visits must be weighed risk vs. benefit for dogs with little to mild neuro diminishment.
POTTY TIME strictness
Carry to support both ends: **
i.postimg.cc/66ZbyvS9/newspaper-carry-s.jpg Carry your dog to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a very, 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.
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Potty-leash-harness400-19kb.jpg 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.
▶︎ Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more!
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-processKnowledge is key!
Owner understanding ensures proper conservative 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 Let us know if a surgery if determined to be an option is something your family can/wants to do. If no surgery, do know the best option is VERY STRICT rest of conservative treatment.
MONITORING NEURO FUNCTION
As damage to the spinal cord increases, there is a predictable stepwise orderly deterioration of functions. When nerve healing begins, often it follows the reverse order.
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.
A quick overview of conservative treatment vs. a surgery:
dodgerslist.com/2020/02/10/surgery-vs-conservative/QUESTIONS to allow us to give quickest help.
Fill us in on all details, that we have a basis to make good comments specific for your dog.
Currently (today), which signs of pain do you observe?
◉shivering, trembling ◉yelping when picked up or moved ◉Arched back
◉reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move
◉head held high or nose to the ground
◉tight tense tummy ◉can’t find a comfortable position
◉Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight
◉Not their normal interested in things going on selves?
Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way dose to dose. If not in control your vet needs to know asap to adjust meds. Understanding the roll each kind of pain med plays in providing full comfort, will aid you best in advocating for what your dog needs. Good overview here:
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/30/pain-medications❖2 MED LIST
How much does your dog weigh?
… A Please list the exact names of each med currently given, their doses in mgs and times per day given.
… B for how many days is pred given before it begins to taper down?
… C PEPCID AC: Ask 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).
** Pepcid AC box
i.ibb.co/DCN9611/91x-Aj-s00z-L-SY355.jpg NOTE: 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.
www.1800petmeds.com/Famotidine-prod11171.html❖3 GI Tract problems?
—Eating and drinking OK?
-- No nausea?
--- not eating, no vomit?
—Poops OK? Normal firmness & color
-no dark black or bright red blood indicating bleeding ulcers?
- No diarrhea?
❖5 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?
-- Overflowing bladders need to be expressed to avoid UTIs. Review the video then get a hands-on-top-of-your-hands expressing lesson.
dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/❖6 Currently, today,
-- can he move the legs at all?
-- or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk?
❖8 Did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD, aka: a disc problem, a disc herniation, a bulging disc, slipped disc?
— Is the vet a general DVM
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