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Login to the Forum. Advise us about your dog with these 8 questions to best aid us in helping your dog quickly.

We are glad you registered and have joined us all on this public Forum! We have lots of tips to share with you in caring for an IVDD dog which can make the rest period go smoother. Please tell us about your dog and specifically answer the questions below, too, so we know best how to help. Create a thread on the Forum and post anywhere, on any board — we can find your post!

QUESTIONS

★1 How much does your dog weigh?

Please list the exact names of meds currently given, their doses in mg’s and times per day given? 

—If on a steroid (prednisone, dexamethasone, etc)….what was the start date & dose? 

Date of steroid taper? 

— If on NSAID … what is the stop date?

Please include the all important stomach protector such as Pepcid AC when taking any anti-inflammatory med (steroid or NSAID). We follow vets who are proactive against not eating, vomit, diarrhea, bleeding ulcers by giving doxie weight dogs 5mg Pepcid (famotidine) 30 minutes before the anti-inflammatory. 

★2 What breed? What is your dog’s name? Your name, too? 

★3 Did you specifically get a diagnosis of IVDD, aka: a disc problem, a disc herniation, a bulging disc, slipped disc? 

— Is the vet a general DVM? Or a specialist surgeon (ACVIM neurology or ACVS ortho)?

★4 What was the date you saw the vet for conservative treatment or date of surgery?

The hallmark component of conservative treatment is the crate rest part. With little blood supply discs are much slower to form good scar tissue than it takes a blood rich broken bone to heal. That 6 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. 

Super tried and true tips for setting up the recovery suite: 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.

POTTY TIMES

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! 

Picture:

★5 Is there still currently pain – shivering, trembling, yelping when picked up or moved, reluctant to move much in crate such as shift positions or slow to move, tight tense tummy, can’t find a comfortable position. Arched back. Holding front or back leg flamingo style not wanting to bear weight, head held high or nose to the ground. Not their normal perky selves? Full pain relief is expected in 1 hour and stays that way dose to dose. If not in control your vet needs to know asap to adjust meds.

★6 Eating and drinking OK? Poops OK – normal firmness & color -no dark or bright red blood?

★7 Currently can your dog wobbly walk? move the legs at all? or wag the tail when you specifically do some happy talk? 

★8 Can your dog specifically sniff and squat and then release urine which is bladder control – OR- do you find wet bedding or leaks on you when lifted which are indication of an overflowing bladder and loss of control?

On a Mobile device? 

The Forum is best viewed on a mobile phone via the “desk top view” As shown in picture below, you would scroll down to the bottom of the screen to click on “Desktop”.

Best to reply to a post by going to the “Quick reply” typing area and NOT clicking the “Reply” link.

Quick reply allows you to scroll up and down to a previous post and then back down to the “Quick Reply” typing area to continue your own post.

EMAIL ALERTS

Please do set up email alerts as timely interaction and communications are needed when helping your dog.

Bookmark a thread to receive an email alert when someone has replied.

Go to the CONSERVATIVE (or SURGERY) Board
1. Look for your dog’s thread and checkmark it.
2. Look for the white ACTIONS button towards top.
3. Select “Notification Options” from the pull down menu
— check mark “NEW POST” change from never to INSTANT email
— press the SAVE button. Click the “x” to close the window
4. Next choose the “Bookmark” See the tiny book symbol now!