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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jun 13, 2023 16:24:42 GMT -7
[Original subject line:I’m introducing Abby. I’m her owner, Cindy Rose ]
QUESTIONS
☆ 1 IShe does not appear to be in pain. She will turn around in her kennel.
2 She weighs 22 lbs and she’s 3 1/2 years old.
[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
22 lbs 3.5 y.o.
pregabalyn-10 ?mgs 2x/day,
omeprazol 5mg 2x/day ]
☆ 3 -- no red flags. She eats and drinks as normal.
☆ 4 she is a tweenie Dachshund Abby. Cindy
☆ 5 Her vet is a spine surgeon. IVDD blown disc. Surgery only chance of ever walking again.
☆ 6 saw the vet first time on 6-10-23. Today, 6-13-33 MRI. Vet said surgery is only option blown disc.
Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite, the mattress and more!
—> dodgerslist.com/2020/05/14/strict-rest-recovery-process/
STRICT means:
- no laps - no couches
- no baths - no sleeping with you
- no dragging or meandering at potty times.
- no PT - no chiro therapy
Why Chiropractic is not recommended for pain for an IVDD dog: dodgerslist.com/2020/04/22/chiropractic/
☆ 7 Abby can’t stand on her back legs at all. I don’t even try to get her out to potty at this point.
Overflowing bladders need to be expressed to avoid UTIs.
Review video. Then get a hands-on-top-of-your-hands expressing lesson at the vet. dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/
DOGs with BLADDER Carry to and from the recovery suite to the potty place and then allow a 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.
A harness and 6 foot leash is to control speed and keep footsteps to minimum as you stand in one spot.
An ex-pen in the grass is an excellent alternative to minimizing footsteps with the physical and visual to indicate there will be no sniff festing going on!
☆ 8 she can’t stand at all. She can wag her tail.
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PaulaM
Moderator. 
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,566
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 13, 2023 18:22:33 GMT -7
Cindy, welcome. Where is Abby now.... at home or in the hospital? Has a date for surgery already been set? Date? It is not clear if surgery is your choice, if yes, then we'll be waiting for an update on the surgery and how Cindy is doing. We'll have lots of information to share in home care for the surgical patient. HOWEVER, if surgery was not really your choice, you need to do some quick homework to understand the facts. As long as a dog still can do a happy wag when you've specifically do happy talk, that means Deep Pain Sensation still exits. The spinal cord can heal and neuro functions can return. This is the typical order of neuro loss. Just because a dog can use legs, does not mean they have also lost bladder control ==> dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/Order of neuro loss - Pain caused by the tearing disc and inflammation in the spinal cord
- Wobbly walking, legs crossing
- Nails scuffing floor
- Paws knuckle
under
- Weak leg movement such as to reposition in the crate
- Legs do not work (paralysis, dog is “down”)
- Bladder control is lost: leaks on you, can no longer sniff and then release pee
- Joyful tail wagging upon happy talk or seeing a treat is lost
- Deep pain sensation (DPS), the last neuro function is 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.
BLADDER EXPRESSING Important is the knowledge if you need to manually express the bladder to prevent UTIs. ==> ==> dodgerslist.com/2020/05/05/bladder-bowel-care/BONE up on Conservative vs. Surgery. If for any reason a surgery is not an option whether financial or other, then conservative is a good treatment. This reading is for you: ==> dodgerslist.com/2020/02/10/surgery-vs-conservative/ Please do explore further — all of the comparisons to help you discuss, ask questions and sort out a surgery or conservative treatment approach. Another link to help you in deciding which treatment for Abby is an interview with Neuro Surgeon Dr. Isaacs answered alot of questions we've had about surgery: " Surgery needs to be a decision an owner enters into recognizing the risk, but also recognizes the benefit. This way if something unforeseen occurs an owner can be comforted and at peace with the fact that surgery was the right decision and they did all they could for their dog." You will find it worthwhile to read the rest of his answers about surgery: ==> dodgerslist.com/2020/05/12/dr-isaacs-surgery-answersIf you are not pursuing surgery, it is important to share Abby's med list. It tells us volumes in understanding her situation. Name of anti-inflammatory ?mg ?x/day for ? days , then a test taper Name of pain meds ?mg ?x/day
other meds? ?mg ?x/day Cindy needs GI tract protector, Pepcid AC, on board for duration of antiflammatory! We look forward to your next post in learning all the details about Abby so we know best how to support you in caring for her. |
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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jun 14, 2023 6:30:34 GMT -7
She’s taking pregabalyn-10, 1 1/2 tablets twice a day, omeprazol 5mg tablets 1 tablet twice a day, Tylenol 1mg twice a day for 1 more day.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,566
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 14, 2023 8:44:42 GMT -7
Where is Abby now.... at home or in the hospital? Has a date for surgery already been set? Date?
Why has no antinflaamatory been prescibed? Steroid or NSAID?
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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jul 4, 2023 6:44:53 GMT -7
Abby turned out to need surgery. Her surgery was on June 15th. She is doing very well. She’s walking, even running. I keep her kenneled except take her outside 2-3 times a day to potty.
She returns to the vet once a week for electronic stimulation and laser therapy. I do her PT at home.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,566
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 4, 2023 6:56:16 GMT -7
For how many weeks did the surgeon want for post-op rest before allowing running and more aggressive physical activity? Usually it is 4 weeks, but can be different dependent on the case. Conservative vs. Surgical crate rest i.postimg.cc/26dgyWcP/Cons-vs-surgert-chunk.jpg ** |
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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jul 6, 2023 10:07:31 GMT -7
Abby is doing wonderful. She is walking and wants to run. She still goes once a week for laser and electronic therapy. She will be finished with that after one more week. She is in her kennel most all the time. I take her outside 3 times a day to go potty and get some fresh air. She
Is still taking meds for nerve pain and will continue to do so for another month.
[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
22 lbs 3.5 y.o.
pregabalyn-10 ?mgs 2x/day extends to ±Aug 7? ]
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Marjorie
Moderator~ 
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724 
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Post by Marjorie on Jul 6, 2023 13:01:30 GMT -7
Thank you for sharing such an encouraging update, Cindy! It's wonderful to hear how well Abby is doing so soon after surgery. You've made our day here on Dodgerslist!
It would be helpful to us in keeping track of graduation day along with you if you could let us know how many weeks of strict crate rest the surgeon has prescribed. Has the surgeon discussed gradually increasing Abby's walking? When a dog can walk, walking is the best exercise for them. However, it's always up to the surgeon as to when that should be gradually increased.
Please continue to keep us updated. So happy for you and Abby.
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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jul 9, 2023 13:56:14 GMT -7
At Abby's last PT treatment I asked how many more sessions, there is one more. They did approve increasing her walking around time from 2-3 times a day for no more than 5-10 minutes each. To using my discretion.
I will do treatment here at home with my own electro magnetic Bemer device. It promotes blood flow for healing.
She is only taking Pregabalin 40mg 2x per day for nerve pain. All other meds are done with. She is also on the ProPlan Neurocare diet per the surgeon.
I feel so blessed to have a trained spine surgeon on her case.
She has full bladder control and wants to run. She is also getting very restless in the kennel. I have her in a wire kennel on the couch so she can see everything that’s happening. Sometimes we put her in her stroller so we can move her around.
Another IVDD Mom I met at the vet suggested a HPZ Pet Rover stroller from Amazon. It is a car seat, carrier and stroller all in one. It has saved my back greatly.
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Post by Cindy & Abby on Jul 12, 2023 5:50:27 GMT -7
Good morning all. Hope your animals are doing well. Abby is 5 weeks post surgery and I’m not sure how much to increase her time out of the kennel. Could you share your experiences please? I’m nervous as to when to increase time out. Thanks Cindy |
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,566
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Post by PaulaM on Jul 12, 2023 12:20:14 GMT -7
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