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Post by imapenguin on Apr 11, 2021 11:08:20 GMT -6
We dealt with this with our little dog several years ago. I was working for a vet at the time, and they did some sort of laser therapy that I felt like made a huge difference. I also switched her to wet food on their recommendation, but I don’t recall why. We tried PT in a water tank with her, but she was stubborn and basically refused to move so we didn’t do that very long. Other than that I quit letting her go up and down stairs by herself or jumping onto or off of furniture.
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Post by imapenguin on Apr 11, 2021 11:19:11 GMT -6
@winomite, I think Janie’s was aggravated because we moved in to a 3rd floor apartment that she was doing several times a day. The laser and eliminating the stairs made immediate differences for her. Hopefully sofa gets some relief soon!
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Post by motherofdachshunds on Apr 11, 2021 11:28:58 GMT -6
My dog Charlie had surgery twice, about six weeks apart. He slipped a third disc in his final week of recovery from surgery #2. We realized at that point that his back was just very diseased and he wasn’t going to get better, and made the difficult decision to have him put down. Both times when he needed surgery he could not walk after whatever event triggered it. I know there are options other than surgery if your dog can still walk though. Good luck with everything, the whole thing was so hard on our family and insanely expensive. If you have a university with a vet school nearby I highly recommend checking them out for treatment, the cost savings was enormous and the level of care we received was great.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Apr 11, 2021 11:37:50 GMT -6
My old girl dog has some signs upon X-ray (she’s 16) but no symptoms so we just let her be right now. I’ve started carrying her up the stairs sometimes but most of the time she is beebopping around on her own so I don’t catch her before she runs up.
We do a daily supplement of cosequin for both dogs but that’s more preventative than after the fact. Something to ask the vet about.
We have done the laser treatment for other issues and it works well and quickly.
If she goes on a daily regiment of pain meds ask the vet about gut health. I had a foster that had major back issues and the strong meds tore up his stomach. I supplemented his food with yogurt and some supplements from the vet and his subsequent foster had to move to a raw diet for him because his gut was so bad.
There is also acupuncture for dogs. A friend of mine swears by it for her older pups.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Apr 11, 2021 11:48:37 GMT -6
jaygee, she won’t be on the meds long term. Just the 7 days, but that is good to know. Oh good. Just keep an eye on it via the poops (gross I know) and offer lots of water as the pain meds seem to make them thirsty. The other thing when she is done with the pain meds, you can get CBD pet treats that do help calm them down quite a bit.
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Post by motherofdachshunds on Apr 11, 2021 11:52:01 GMT -6
My dog Charlie had surgery twice, about six weeks apart. He slipped a third disc in his final week of recovery from surgery #2. We realized at that point that his back was just very diseased and he wasn’t going to get better, and made the difficult decision to have him put down. Both times when he needed surgery he could not walk after whatever event triggered it. I know there are options other than surgery if your dog can still walk though. Good luck with everything, the whole thing was so hard on our family and insanely expensive. If you have a university with a vet school nearby I highly recommend checking them out for treatment, the cost savings was enormous and the level of care we received was great. I’m so sorry. That had to be so hard to make that decision. I’d like to give her a chance and do what is best for her, but I won’t do anything that will cause her further misery for my sake. I do have insurance for her though, so hopefully I can get some financial relief through that. Thank you, it was over a year ago now so easier to talk about. He had a good life before all of that. Insurance will help! Also it doesn’t sound like she’s in as dire of circumstances as my boy was, so hopefully you are catching it before it’s a surgical thing.
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Post by greykitty on Apr 11, 2021 11:54:17 GMT -6
@winomite, if I remember your home area correctly, we are blessed with a number of terrific specialty vets if additional opinions/treatments are desired. Might be a drive, but can be worth it.
People I know who work with dogs at a local shelter I support have given high marks to both laser therapy and pool therapy, where indicated, especially for senior dogs. They keep a special reserve fund for those treatments.
I know all your choices will be made from love.
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sudsy
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Post by sudsy on Apr 11, 2021 13:20:24 GMT -6
Oh Sofa. Poor girl. Well, to start, yay for insurance and extra yay for neuro deficits.
Strict strict strict cage rest for several weeks. I would discuss PT, anything to strengthen the back muscles. Cold laser therapy is helpful too, as many days a week you can handle, but only when they clear her to do so. I’d also ask about getting her on an NSAID like Carprofen. Gabapentin is ok for pain control, and can help settle her down a bit as it has anti-anxiety properties, but she needs something for inflammation. Sometimes they also need a muscle relaxant like Methocarbamol.
The main thing I’d recommend is just to watch her like a hawk. The second she looks like she’s ataxic (she’d look like she was walking drunkenly) or if she starts dragging a foot strangely, get her in somewhere right away. Usually the faster she gets surgery (if needed), the better the long term prognosis.
I’m sorry. Feel free to message me whenever. I’m happy to give you my cell too if you need it. We are blessed with a lot of really good specialists in our area. I’d be happy to give you a list of hospitals.
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STP
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Post by STP on Apr 11, 2021 13:24:53 GMT -6
I don’t have advice, but I’m thinking about Sweet Sofa.
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sudsy
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Post by sudsy on Apr 13, 2021 18:01:21 GMT -6
My mom called me today to tell me that Sofa was just not doing well and while she was standing up she just fell over on her side and then peed. I immediately thought she was going down hill and I didn't know what to do. I freaked out and was looking up flights to go home. But instead I took a moment and contacted the local vet near my mom. They were wonderful and fit her in today. Basically, what the vet suspects is that the emergency vet that my mom went to on Saturday gave her a very high dose of gabapentin and she was basically drunk from it. He did some blood work and everything looked great. I asked if they could keep her overnight for observation just in case it wasn't due to the meds. So he put her on a lower dose of gabapentin, some anti-inflammatory meds and will observe it overnight. So my poor baby doggo is staying overnight, but I feel good about it. What dose did they give her? Poor girl!
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sudsy
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Post by sudsy on Apr 13, 2021 18:34:49 GMT -6
What dose did they give her? Poor girl! I think he said 10mg, when he normally would start her on 3mg. Something similar to that. So 3x. Hmmm. They usually come in 100mg, 300mg and 400mg. I wonder if she got 300. 100mg would have been appropriate given her size. I’m glad she’s being watched. Poor girl.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Apr 13, 2021 19:35:53 GMT -6
Ugh @winomite that happened with one of my foster dogs. He got so high and was whining nonstop and it was the saddest thing. I had to just like lay and pet him until it passed. I also hand fed him Turkey to help sober him up. It was a rough night.
Glad she is safe and getting good care.
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STP
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Post by STP on Apr 13, 2021 20:01:00 GMT -6
Oh sweet baby girl.
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cribs
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Post by cribs on Apr 14, 2021 7:18:29 GMT -6
So you might be shocked but we have had doxies in the past. My mom had one that she did not did the surgery with. She just didn't have the money but he actually was able to come back after she did a lot of exercises with him and he was on medication. He was only four I think when it happened though. He went on to live for a really long time and got a lot of mobility back.
My dad had two dogs he did the surgery on. The first was back in the early 2000s and she did really well. The second dog didn't. She was younger but was a shorter stockier dog which is hard for her breed and I think that contributed to the surgery not working as well. I think it all depends on the dog. My dad tried so hard with both that it was really hard when his later dog didn't do as well.
These were all at Cornell so if you have any questions I can ask my dad. My dogs are getting older and I feel like this day is coming sooner than later. I might poof this last part. I hope she perks up today
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Post by greykitty on Apr 14, 2021 10:06:17 GMT -6
@winomite, hoping news on the Sofa front is good today. I was also thinking of your mom and how hard this probably has been on her as well.
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Post by greykitty on Apr 19, 2021 17:22:46 GMT -6
I am so sorry. Sofa is in the best hands right now for her care, and you'll be there soon. I hope you get good news.
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Diordra
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Post by Diordra on Apr 19, 2021 18:07:34 GMT -6
I’m so sorry @winomite
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2021 18:31:07 GMT -6
I’m so sorry @winomite
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Pistol
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Post by Pistol on Apr 20, 2021 4:17:58 GMT -6
I'm so sorry, @winomite.
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