StevieLuv
Helpful Member
Conservative Treatment 3x. It really does work!
Posts: 1,335
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Post by StevieLuv on Oct 16, 2013 18:40:53 GMT -7
Poor little guy - I hope that his Vet visit gets his medications adjusted so that he starts to feel better fast! (((hugs)))
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 17, 2013 6:59:23 GMT -7
Good news! Harper saw the neurologist last night (Dr. Lopez at ASC waited for my husband to get there with him even thought she was due to leave an hour before they arrived, they really are angels at ASC) She said he looks great neurologically but was clearly in pain, he was having muscle spasms in his neck, my poor baby! The half pill of the Tramadol definitely seemed to be helping with that but they added Gabapentin and brought the Tramadol back down to ¼ pill. The Gabapentin was prescribed for 3 times a day in addition to 1-4 tablet Tramadol. He looked great last night, holding his head up and wagging his tail, you could see a real difference when the meds kicked in. He looked good this morning when I left for work, hoping he will stay feeling good and continue on the road to recovery!
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Oct 17, 2013 9:08:22 GMT -7
Hopefully, that will be a better mix of pain meds, Angela. What is the dosage of the Gabapentin and is the 1/4 of a 50 mg Tramadol to be given three times a day also? I'm very glad he's feeling better - and that you are, too!
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 18, 2013 6:49:43 GMT -7
Yes the Tramadol is the same 50mg tablets 1/4 tablet. I am not sure of the dosage of the Gabapentin, I thought I brought the papers from the vet with me to work but it appears I left them home. I will look this evening and let you know. Also, Harper is actually in between weights, a little too heavy for 1 pill but not yet heavy enough for 2 so we are watching him to see how he does on the one pill, depending on how he does we may have to add a second, of course after I consult with the doctor on his progress.
The Gabapentin is 1 pill, 100 mg, 3 times a day. We have also increased the ▲Tramadol to half now, Harper was still feeling some pain as it would wear off, this morning he was shaking again (not as bad but still clearly he was painful). When I spoke with Dr. Berg this morning he reminded me everytime is differnet and neurologiacly he looked great, it is just a metter of controllying the pain. He is going to stay on these dosages through the weekend and I will call Dr. Berg back on Monday at let him know how Harper is doing, he will then let me know if we should start to taper back to the 1/4 pill of Tramadol. Hopefully this is the right combination now for him. It is so upsetting, last year his recovery was so quick with no issues, he is certainly making up for it this time around!
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Post by Pauliana on Oct 19, 2013 20:41:07 GMT -7
Angela,
I hope the increased dosages help Harper, if not I would continue to keep his Vet aware, even before Monday if need be. Thanks for keeping us posted.
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 20, 2013 16:27:19 GMT -7
I think this last increase was just what Harper needed, he is looking so much better, barking and wagging his tail, even looking for a treat after he eats, pointing at the cookie jar. I am going to give ASC a call tomorrow and let them know how he is doing and see how long they think he should stay on this dosage.
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Post by Pauliana on Oct 21, 2013 19:31:15 GMT -7
Glad to hear Harper has improved with the increased dosage even tail wagging, a very good sign! How did your phone call with the Vet go?
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 24, 2013 12:55:49 GMT -7
After a day of phone tag I was finally able to speak to the vet, he said all sounds great and he was happy to hear out "big fella" was doing so good. He lowerd the dosage on the tramadol to 1/4 pill with the Gabapentin now twice a day, on Monday (barring any set backs) we will stop the Tramamdol all together and just give him the Gabapentin twice a day. His recheck appointment and staple removal with Dr. Berg is Friday Nov 1st. When we see Dr. Berg at that time he will let me know how to continue his medication from there. Harper is doing great, walking and even running (and getting in trouble for it), it is not as easy to keep him resting and quiet now which although is a challenge it is a welcome one, you can just see in his eyes how much better he is feeling.
Hi Erin and Izzy! Thank you for your kind note, Harper was absolutely a little wobbly, more so in the beginning and it got better with time. Again, we are experiencing the same wobbling now as Harper recovers from his second surgery. He is a little weaker on his right side but getting stronger day by day however he does still have his moments when he look "drunk". He is also still on some pretty good pain killers so I am sure that contributes to his wobbling. I have a thread in the surgery section where I have been updating Harpers progress this time around if you would like to see his whole story. Wishing you and Izzy all the best on her road to recovery, you have absolutely come to the right place for information and support with IVDD, the people here at dodgerslist.com are truly angels. Sending good healthy vibes your way.
{{{Hugs}}}
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Post by Pauliana on Oct 24, 2013 21:19:29 GMT -7
Hi Angela,
I do hope Harper is still being crate rested 24/7 as recommended for post op patients in order for his disc and spine to heal safely.
Excited to hear Harper is improving and his pain is under control and he is feeling better!
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 25, 2013 12:36:06 GMT -7
Oh yes! Harper is still being crate rested and will continue to be until the neurologist tells me he can have some more freedom. However when he is allowd out, for meals and potty, he is looking to run a bit, I think its more of a woo hoo i can get out of a bit sort of excitement, hoever, we quickly slow him down and correct him. It is very nice to see him happy and not in pain now though. Hi Erin, You are welcome to email me at xxxxxx@gmail.com however please note that I am not a moderator here nor am I an expert, I am just a pet parent with a mini doxie who has IVDD and has had to have clavicle surgery twice. I am happy to share my experiences with you but I must say this forum has been a Godsend to me; I encourage you to stay on here as well, the moderators here are an amazing wealth of knowledge who I trust and appreciate, they were a huge help with my questions the first and second time Harper had surgery. [Editor's note - As this is a forum that can be accessed by the public, I have removed the email address for safety reasons]
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,548
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Post by PaulaM on Oct 25, 2013 13:04:26 GMT -7
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Nina & Theo
New Member
one year later, all is well…….
Posts: 19
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Post by Nina & Theo on Oct 25, 2013 13:11:35 GMT -7
thank you for your kind words of support , angela......i hope harper is doing well ......what are you doing about his diet? are you feeding him less than usual and how do you decide how much? do you give him those rawhide chews? i don't want theo to gain any weight when he gets to come home (hopefully in three days)........... before this second surgery, i was giving him less kibble with more cooked green beans mixed in but i don't want to deprive him of the nutrients either....... ..i just spoke to the neurologist's office and theo is hooked up to an iv and getting lots of pain meds but is also being allowed out to potty......i am not going over there today because i know when he sees me he will want to come home and they think he'll need to be there for a few more days.....its hard not to see him and be able to snuggle with him........ i don't seem to be able to post this! drat......it keeps telling me that the thread i am looking for could not be found??? wish i understood these things? [Editor's Note: Nina, here is Theo's thread: dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/996/ninas-theo-surgery-2nd-neck Can you update us there so we don't hijack Harper's thread. Thanks!]
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 25, 2013 13:59:49 GMT -7
Harper is doing a little bit better every day, recovery is slow but steady. Like i said these little guys are so resilient. I am amazed and inspired by my Harper every day. As for diet, since Harpers surgery was on his neck we did have to change his diet a bit, no hard food or treats for now. Harper usually eats Eukanuba Dachshund formula, now he is getting Eukanuba canned food, which he LOVES (me not so much, Yuck! ) before surgery Harper would have dry food in his dish all day long and pick at it throughout the day, eating mostly when my husband and I were having dinner, so now he doesn’t have food to pick on all day but is probably eating as much just not as often as before, and at scheduled times now, he is eating one full can a day. He is also crated all day when we are at work, he is allowed out only to eat, potty or go from my bedroom to his recovery suite in the living room. As for treats again nothing hard so no rawhide (I usually dont give him those, but he does love a good crunchy peanut butter treat) my boss was kind enough to send Harper some soft peanut butter treats as a get well soon present, which he is loving however we too are worried about weight gain so he is not getting them often. At medication time (now only twice a day, woo hoo!) we give him his pills in peanut butter flavor Pill Pockets, I think this flavor is new and its Harpers favorite so meds time is now a treat for him. I completely understand your fear of going to visit, I went only once to see Harper, the day after his surgery and it was difficult but the people at ASC were amazing to help us and after a few minutes he calmed down (he was crying when he saw us for the first time) and we were able to just sit with him and hold him and love him up, it was hard to give him back but the visit was great for Harper and me, I think a visit may be just the think you and Theo need, I am sure the techs can be there with you to make sure he doesn’t wiggle too much. Also the techs and vets at ASC would send me pictures of Harper (mostly the night shift) so I could see him and know he was doing ok, that helped a lot, I cried every time they sent something because I missed him but was so happy to see he was being so well cared for and loved. I know its hard to have them away from you, I missed my Harper everyday but I knew he was where he needed to be to get the best care possible. I focused on making him a recovery suite for our living room so he can always be where we are and now that he is home, none of us are on the couch, Harper my husband and I have all taken to sitting on the floor, however Harper is the only one with a memory foam pillow to rest comfortably on, I will be buying a bed topper for my husband and I hopefully this weekend before we end up with back problems This message board was also a great place to help get me through, I would read, read and read more on what I can do to help Harper be comfortable when he got home. I was so grateful for all the information and advice on here and still am! We are not 100% yet but thankfully no more pain (if you read this whole thread you will see this recovery was much harder with pain management than his last time around) The modirators on this board helped me with questions to ask his doctors and great suggestions, I even got the idea for the bed topper for me and my husband from here! Always know there is a whole community of people and doxies here supporting you, rooting for Theo and sending well wishes and good vibes and prayers, its comforting to know Harper is not alone as we continue to learn to live with IVDD. {{{Hugs}}}
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Oct 29, 2013 15:53:40 GMT -7
All is going well with Harper and as planned we have reduced his medication down to just the Gabapentin now twice a day. He is still on strict crate rest but not too happy about it, he is looking to want to get out more and more every day, I love that he is feeling better but it is still 100% crate rest for Harper wither he likes it or not! We have a visit with Dr. Berg on Friday for neurological follow up and staples removal. Harper is still a little weaker on his right side, and that may just be the way he is now but until we get the OK from the neurologist it is all crate rest all the time in our house!
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Nov 4, 2013 13:41:48 GMT -7
We had a great visit with Dr. Berg at ASC. We have reduced the Gabapentin to once a day at night, and hopefully will be stopping it completely in the next few days. Neurologically Harper looks great, we couldn’t have asked for a better visit. The only note of concern is with all the rest and the super delishous canned food Harper had been eating he has gained quite a bit of weight, about 2.5 pounds, so we are now on a bit of a diet, he is slowly going back back to his normal dry food (and not happy about it) we are about 3/4 dry and 1/4 wet now, eating once in the early morning and once in the evening. We have also cut out his peanut better treats, except for when he gets is medication now in the peanut butter pill pocket. Of course he is still on strict bed rest, so the lack of exorcise will not help to get his weight sown but we are doing the best we can.
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PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,548
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Post by PaulaM on Nov 4, 2013 21:20:09 GMT -7
Good deal on cutting out high calorie treats. Instead some low calorie ideas are small pieces of apple, carrot or frozen green beans. Freeze up some low salt/no fat broth to lick ice cube in a bowl. Now would not be a good time to go on a diet, as Harper's body has all kinds of repair jobs to do that require nutrition. After crate rest, start a diet and plan for it to be a gradual loss over several months time. Good illustrations and tips on that diet: www.nonprofitnw.org/drnw/id47.htmlGlad to hear Harper is doing so well post op!!
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Angela
New Member
First Surgery Sept 9, 2012 c3-c4; Second Surgery Oct 10, 2013 c4-c5.
Posts: 32
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Post by Angela on Nov 11, 2013 7:59:29 GMT -7
Thanks for the great information on diet and weight, we have finally got Harper back on his usual dry food, he is still not happy about it but it is for the best. We are starting to give him low calorie snacks and like carrots, we still give him a small peanutbutter treat every so often, its his favorit and we didnt want to take everything away all at once. He is doing great, wanting to do more and more eveyday. He is still on stirct rest but that is getting more difficult to do the better he feels but we welcome the challenge!
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