Welcome to Dodgerslist, Susan. 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:
Is Charlie currently on Strict crate rest? If not, please start crate rest immediately.
One of the most important part 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. Information about crate rest can be found at the link below:
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 .
Carry Charlie to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a very few limited footsteps.
You mentioned that Charlie is showing signs of pain, specifically a tight, tense tummy. Since Charlie is showing signs of pain his pain meds are not yet right. Gabapentin and Methocarbamol do not last long in the body and may need to be given 3x/day to provide full relief. Are you giving the gabapentin every 8 hours or every 12 hours? If you are only giving Charlie the gabapentin 2x a day, you can give it 3x a day. It was prescribed with that option.
If you are already giving it 3x/ day, please call the vet right away and let him know what signs of pain you are seeing and advocate for the pain meds to be adjusted. Pain will only slow the healing process. The combination of meds that we have seen provide the best relief is a combination of three meds each attacking pain differently.
Methocarbamol for painful muscle contractions 3x/day
Gabapentin for nerve pain also Rx'd 3x/day.
Tramadol Rx'd 3x/day as the general pain reliever
For how many days was the carprofen prescribed?
You can learn about different meds commonly used for IVDD at the link below:
Charlie should be on a stomach protector like Pepcid AC. Dogs cannot speak up at the first sign of nausea or stomach upset. Once we see signs like diarrhea, or reluctance to eat or drink, stomach damage has already begun.
Is Charlie having any difficulty walking?
We have more information on the phases of healing:
www.dodgerslist.com/in-the-right-placeHelp yourself and your family recognize emergency signs and action to take. Print this flyer for your fridge:
dodgerslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/emergency-fridge-flyer.pdf
You will find much more information about IVDD at our main website:
www.dodgerslist.com
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