[Original subject line: Seeking Advice:Sudden Decline in My Dachshunds IVDD Recovery]
1. My dog weighs
6.9 lbs. She is currently on 0.7ml of
gabapentin every 8-12 hours, 1/4 of a 25mg
carprofen tablet once a day (with no stop date), and one Simparica pill once a month.
[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit
6.9 lbs 16 y.o.
9/6 started supervised walks -broke STRICT crate rest
Dexamethasone 8/23 for ? days
Prednisone as of 8/24: for 7 days; then taper for: √9/19 pain √9/11 rear wobblier √9/19 fnt weak Neuro
Carporfen as of 9/19 neuro: 6.25mgs 1x/day for ? days then TEST Stop _ Pain _neuro
Gabapentin 250mg/5mL: 50mgs (1mL dose) 3x/day
Simparica 1x/month (associated with neurologic adverse reactions including tremors, ataxia, and seizures. Seizures have been reported in dogs receiving isoxazoline class drugs, even in dogs without a history of seizures. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders.)
Hope needs GI tract protector, Pepcid AC, on board for duration of carprofen! ]2. My dog's name is Hope, she’s 16, and she is a Miniature
Dachshund. My name is Claudia, and we live in the USA.
3. Hope was diagnosed with a herniated disc by both a
neurologist and a general practice veterinarian. The veterinarian is a general practice DVM, not a specialist surgeon.
4. I saw the vet and started 100% strict crate rest on August 23rd.
5. Hope is
currently showing signs of pain, including
shivering,
yelping when picked up or moved, reluctance to move, arched back, not wanting to bear weight,
holding her head to the ground, and not being her normal self. Pain medications are not effectively managing her pain, so I need to inform the vet for an adjustment.
6. Hope
can wobbly walk but does not want to due to pain. She is not wagging her tail.
7. Hope can squat to release urine, but I have also
noticed wet bedding and leaks when she is lifted, indicating some loss of bladder control. This morning,
she fell over while pooping.8. Hope is eating and drinking well, and her poops are normal in color without dark or bright red blood. I am
not giving her Pepcid AC (famotidine) to suppress the production of damaging stomach
Hi everyone,
I'm reaching out for some advice and support regarding my dachshund's recent decline in health.
On
August 23rd, I woke up to find her shaking intensely. Initially, I thought she was cold, because she shakes when she is cold, so I tucked her in and went back to sleep. However, as the day went on, she became increasingly reluctant to move. If I put her on the floor to walk she would only walk to go lie down. Concerned, I
took her to the vet. Despite being her usual energetic self just the day before, the vet (a vet she has never seen before due to her vet being booked out that day) found that she had
lost sensation in her paws. She was paralyzed, had
minimal feeling in her back legs, and had
no bladder control. The vet diagnosed her with FCE because when he pressed up and down her spine and
moved her neck around she didn’t yelp at all. He treated her with several medications, including Dexamethasone, Metronidazole, Subcutaneous Fluids, and a C-D-P Injection (Chlor/Dex/Pen Combo). Some of these meds were prescribed due to him thinking she had an upset tummy due to a soft bowel movement that morning.
Later
[DATE?], she began
involuntarily hyperextending her neck, so I rushed her to the ER. The
ER vet said she suspected IVDD more than FCE. They confirmed she still had some sensation in her back legs and attributed the neck issue to pain, recommending strict bed rest. I opted against an overnight stay due to her age and scheduled a neuro appointment instead. The ER prescribed 0.7mL of gabapentin every 8-12 hours as needed and 0.5mL of prednisone, following a typical tapering method.
2 weeks [9/6] [walking around is not strict rest]
later she had both a neurologist appt and a vet check up (with her regular vet). Both her neurologist and vet were amazed at her progress. It was almost as if she hadn't even experienced IVDD. After just two days, she was up and moving again, walking while using a sling to go to the bathroom, and within two weeks, she seemed fully recovered. I continued with strict rest, only allowing her brief, supervised walks outside, as recommended by neurologist.
On September 11th, as we were on her 2nd dose out of 7 doses of every other day steroid, she
began vomiting and was taken off the medication. I noticed after
being off the steroid she began ▲stumbling more while she walked. On
September 19th, I was woken up by her
screaming every 10-30 minutes. When I picked her up, her
front legs seemed weak, and she
would faceplant when I set her down. Although she eventually managed to walk, her
front paws took a few seconds to regain strength, and her back legs took even longer. She can only walk if absolutely necessary and even then, she stumbles and moves very slowly. When she’s lying down, she screams because she can’t get up. She also
yelps whenever I touch her, regardless of where, and shows little interest in food unless it's something like spray cheese. She’ll occasionally drink water, but only if I encourage her.
Currently, she’s on 0.7mL of gabapentin, but it’s not providing relief.
I also started her on ¼ of a 25mg Carprofen tablet [9/19] yesterday, but I know it may take a few days to see its full effect.
I’m at a loss. Why has she suddenly worsened? Why is she experiencing so much pain now when she didn’t during the initial injury? I’m really confused and worried. Has anyone else experienced something similar with their dog’s IVDD recovery?
Thank you for any advice or insights you can offer.
**TLDR:** My dachshund experienced a sudden decline in health, becoming paralyzed and losing bladder control on August 23rd. After initial treatment, she showed significant improvement and was almost back to normal. However, on September 11th, after stopping her steroid medication due to vomiting, she started stumbling again. On September 19th, she began screaming in pain, struggling to walk, and showing little interest in food or water. Current medications (Gabapentin and Carprofen) are not providing relief, and I’m unsure why her condition has worsened. Has anyone experienced similar setbacks in their dog’s IVDD recovery? Any advice would be appreciated.
Here is a pic of my precious baby ❤️
Update:
Just got off the phone with her neurologist. Her
✙gabapentin has been increased to 1.0mL of gabapentin
every 8 hours. The dosage is
250mg per 5mL
