oli77
New Member
Posts: 1 
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Post by oli77 on Sept 13, 2013 10:48:53 GMT -7
Hello all,
i am so happy I found this forum because where I come from there's not that much information available on the web.
i have a soon to be 13 year old dachshund who earlier this summer had bad back pain. He got painkillers and was told to rest, no jumping and etc. that healed and then a week and a half ago it was his neck that gave out. He wasnt paralyzed but would scream and yelp i think you call it im english when moving his neck. Back to the vet which here in Norway is ridiculously expensive and was given Prednisolon 5 mg for 7 days 3 tablets a day. Now we are on the second week and he takes two tablets a day.
first week I saw improvement, the screaming stopped but now it has started again, not at all as bad but still enough to make me worried (he yelped twice today compared to last week when he did it like 50 times in one day)
He's never been paralysed, eats and drinks but seems very restless, is not keen on going outside at all other than for peeing every second hour (I know this is a side effect) but since he seems to be in more pain again I wonder if the prednisolon is not working in a smaller dosage or is it normal that it takes long to heal? Or won't it heal at all?
needless to say he is my best friend and I don't even want to imagine a life without him, but I am wondering now if I am being horrible for letting this go on. The vet said that putting him down was too drastic and that the prednisolon should help. And yes he has improved but I am now afraid we're heading in the wrong direction. He seems very very restless and when he lies down he doesn't seem very relaxed but tilts his head in a funny way.
Please anyone who could give me any feedback or offer help reply to this! Does it take a long time for it to heal? How long can they be on prednisolon and will the side-effects ever stop?
the vet said the only way to be sure how bad it was was to do an X-ray which here in Norway is close to $4000
which I hate to say is money that I just don't have.
I am sorry if there are any spelling mistakes English is not my first language!
many many thanks in advance!
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Post by natureluva on Sept 13, 2013 12:27:07 GMT -7
Hi there, my name is Lisa. What is yours? Your English is very good! First things first - no need to euthanize your beloved pup. IVDD is very treatable. What is your dog's name? The most important thing for you to do right now is to crate your dog. He needs 8 weeks of strict crate rest. Use a wire crate, play pen, or exercise pen to minimize his movement. It is the crate rest that heals the disc, not the meds. Here are two links to help you with crate rest: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm and www.dodgerslist.com/literature/cratesupplies.htm Secondly, your dog needs a pain reliever such as Tramadol to control his pain. Prednisolone is a steroid which controls inflammation and swelling. It helps with pain through reducing the swelling, but it is NOT a pain reliever. Ask your vet to add in an opiate-like pain reliever. Thirdly, please protect your dog's stomach from the excess acid produced by the prednisolone by giving a product such as Pepcid AC (generic name is famotidine). The normal dose for dogs up to 15 pounds is 5 mg of Pepcid AC given 30 minutes before each dose of prednisolone. Get your vet's permission before you give it, and tell him or her you want to be proactive about protecting the stomach. Here's a helpful link on how conservative (non-surgical) treatment works: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/conservative.htm Acupuncture and laser light therapy are excellent complementary treatments for IVDD. They both stimulate the nerves to heal and reduce pain and inflammation, and acupuncture has the additional bonus of inducing a state of well-being. These treatments can begin asap, as long as you can safely transport your dog to and from the appointments (crated). You can ask your vet for a referral to a holistic vet that does acupuncture and laser light therapy, or you can search for one in your area here: www.holisticvetlist.com/ The best way for you to help your pup is by learning about his disease. Here is a brief tutorial on IVDD: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/index.html . If a dvd is more your style, we have an excellent one available for only $3 including shipping. It's great to have on hand to show to family/friends/petsitters so they will know what they can and cannot do with your dog and how they can help: www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htm We look forward to hearing more information about your pup! Again, welcome aboard! Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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