Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
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lesley
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
If the diagnosis is FCE, then only time will tell, my 4 y.o. lab had one last July and it took her months to show improvement and to this day she is still improving slowly. However her left rear leg is still weak and shakes a lot when she stands on it but I continue to give her therapy in the form of swimming everyday, walks up to a mile or so and LOTS OF LOVE. I think the hardest thing to understand with this type of injury is that there is no definite timeframe, no real treatment other than initial steroid and ongoing therapy, and every dog recovers at their own pace. Hang in there!
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Debbie
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
Hmmm - what's FCE stand for? This list has been a godsend for me - I'm glad I found it. One of my drawbacks is that Coty will be 14 in December - although he's a very young old dog - we probably are running against time to get him up and going!
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Debbie
Re: Crate rest and time
Actually - he's done with the prednisone. My chiropractor vet recommended to stop it last Sunday. Coty is definitely not peeing as much as he did before the accident, but he is peeing. He used to walk and pee a million times .. to the point where nothing was coming out. I hope he's peeing enough... the first day or so they manually emptied his bladder. But I suppose with the limited amount of activity - he's drinking less and therefore isn't urinating as much.
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debbie Gorden
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome *PIC*
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT! PHOTO OF COTY ATTACHED. HE'S THE COCKER SPANIEL. OUR OTHER DOG IS NATHAN - T HE DOXIE. THE BIG GOLDEN IS THEIR COUSIN - BUOY!!
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
Dear Debbie,
I know it is hard to watch your dog not be able to walk but I agree with Dianne's comment about the dogs not knowing they are paralyzed. My dog Waffles had disk surgery just over a year and he still can not walk. He is still the happiest dog you would ever want to meet. Being paralyzed really does not seem to phase him. I think it is much harder for us then them. Everthing does get easier. You are very lucky that Coty has bladder and bowel control. Waffles does not so I have to express and catheter his bladder several times a day. Waffles has a cart and gets around so well in it. When we are in the house he is very happy to play with his tennis ball or bone while lounging on his orthopedic bed. We have 3 beds around the house and when we change rooms we just slip a harness under him (he weighs 55 lbs.) and walk him into whatever room we are spending time in. Please listen to all the medical advice people are giving you about crate rest. It sounds like Coty is showing some really positive signs. If the worst happens and he never walks again I just wanted to let you know that he can still have an excellent quality of life in a cart. I actually think Waffles quality of life is better then when he walked! He gets spoiled far more then he used to (we wait on him hand and foot). I have had a number of friends make the same comment to me and that is that they believe Waffles actually walks during the night when we are asleep and is faking the paralysis during the day so he can continue getting spoiled! Good luck with everthing, it does get easier.
I know it is hard to watch your dog not be able to walk but I agree with Dianne's comment about the dogs not knowing they are paralyzed. My dog Waffles had disk surgery just over a year and he still can not walk. He is still the happiest dog you would ever want to meet. Being paralyzed really does not seem to phase him. I think it is much harder for us then them. Everthing does get easier. You are very lucky that Coty has bladder and bowel control. Waffles does not so I have to express and catheter his bladder several times a day. Waffles has a cart and gets around so well in it. When we are in the house he is very happy to play with his tennis ball or bone while lounging on his orthopedic bed. We have 3 beds around the house and when we change rooms we just slip a harness under him (he weighs 55 lbs.) and walk him into whatever room we are spending time in. Please listen to all the medical advice people are giving you about crate rest. It sounds like Coty is showing some really positive signs. If the worst happens and he never walks again I just wanted to let you know that he can still have an excellent quality of life in a cart. I actually think Waffles quality of life is better then when he walked! He gets spoiled far more then he used to (we wait on him hand and foot). I have had a number of friends make the same comment to me and that is that they believe Waffles actually walks during the night when we are asleep and is faking the paralysis during the day so he can continue getting spoiled! Good luck with everthing, it does get easier.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Pete!!!!
The food bowl idea is brilliant! LOL!
Not urinating much? *LINK*
Hmm, not urinating very much, I would keep an eye on him. He may not have complete bladder control and may not be emptying completely. If you notice any foul smell to the urine or dark color or blood in the urine, he may be getting a bladder infection. Did you say you are going in for a recheck soon? I would definitely ask the vet to palpate his bladder and check it for size and tone. If his bladder is full or distended, you may need to manually express him for a while. I guess your vet will tell you. Please click the link below for info on bladder infections and on expressing. My dog got a bladder infection about a week after her accident.
CLICK HERE for expressing info
CLICK HERE for expressing info
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Miller's Mom
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
Dear Debbie,
I have been a dog Mom to Cocker Spaniels for most of my adult life. My Springer/Cocker mix, Miller, had disc surgery in February 2005. He's making progress, but it is slow and he still is dragging his back legs.
Everyone's advice to you on this board is solid and right on. You will get into the groove of caring for Coty pretty quickly. What has helped me and which others have probably already said is have a bed for him in each room where you'll be. Miller wants to be with me wherever I go, so it helps that I have a place to take him to. I use the walkabout harness and I leave it on him so he is "transportable" all the time!
When we're at work, Miller is in a "playpen" which is like an expandable series of fence panels - you can find it in Petco or someplace like that. You can make it as big or as small as you need. Miller likes it because he can see the other dogs and it's easier for me to take him in and out in the morning and at night.
In a perfect world you would have an MRI so you'd know what you're dealing with. X-rays can sometimes not be the best diagnostic tool, but if that's all you've got, then that's what they will have to work with. I would find an orthopedic vet and get a consult.
I think continuing the Prednisone would be a good idea. Miller just got put on Prednisone, but he really should have been put on it by the surgeon right after his surgery. It helps reduce swelling in the spinal cord and that's what you want to facilitate.
Don't let Coty's age discourage you. My spaniels have been 17-18 years young when they passed on. Just do the best you can and try to keep his life as normal as possible. Like some of the others have said, paralyzed pets can have a very happy life.
Keep us posted on Coty's progress!
Lori
I have been a dog Mom to Cocker Spaniels for most of my adult life. My Springer/Cocker mix, Miller, had disc surgery in February 2005. He's making progress, but it is slow and he still is dragging his back legs.
Everyone's advice to you on this board is solid and right on. You will get into the groove of caring for Coty pretty quickly. What has helped me and which others have probably already said is have a bed for him in each room where you'll be. Miller wants to be with me wherever I go, so it helps that I have a place to take him to. I use the walkabout harness and I leave it on him so he is "transportable" all the time!
When we're at work, Miller is in a "playpen" which is like an expandable series of fence panels - you can find it in Petco or someplace like that. You can make it as big or as small as you need. Miller likes it because he can see the other dogs and it's easier for me to take him in and out in the morning and at night.
In a perfect world you would have an MRI so you'd know what you're dealing with. X-rays can sometimes not be the best diagnostic tool, but if that's all you've got, then that's what they will have to work with. I would find an orthopedic vet and get a consult.
I think continuing the Prednisone would be a good idea. Miller just got put on Prednisone, but he really should have been put on it by the surgeon right after his surgery. It helps reduce swelling in the spinal cord and that's what you want to facilitate.
Don't let Coty's age discourage you. My spaniels have been 17-18 years young when they passed on. Just do the best you can and try to keep his life as normal as possible. Like some of the others have said, paralyzed pets can have a very happy life.
Keep us posted on Coty's progress!
Lori
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Debbie
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
Thanks so much for the encouragement. Coty is my 2nd cocker, my first we had for 16 years. I had a question about how you are containing Miller. Coty is in a little area right now, but he will try and get up and drag himself. Therefore, I was going to buy him a crate tonight to restrict his movement and let him heal. I see you're not using a crate? Does Miller try and move around much? Today, I bought him a new orthopaedic foam pad to lie on when he's behind the baby gate. Then I was going to get a crate to put int the middle of the living room when we're home - so he can see us. I'm trying to establish the best arrangements for him. My other concern today is the peeing. I tried to express his bladder, but was unsuccessful. He did pee outside, but not a huge amount. I'll ask our vet tomorrow about this. Regarding the MRI - my brother is a chiro and he has also told me that an MRI would tell more. My vet (the chiro vet who's phenomenal) told me the same - but I'm not sure at this point if we would even be helpful. The vet has identified where the "problem" in his back lies... I'm hoping very much that we have some good news tomorrow - even just a little. Thanks again.
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Miller's Mom
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
Hi Debbie,
To answer your containment question, Miller is in a little corral. It's the expandable playpen I mentioned in my post. You would probably want to make it small for Coty - just encircle his orthopedic bed and leave no room for him to try to drag himself off the bed. Miller doesn't need to be so contained now, so his "corral" is about 6' around. You can find this apparatus in most pet supply stores - it's called a pet playpen. It's a series of panels that you can pull all the way out or make a smaller area like I said. It works great.
Lori
To answer your containment question, Miller is in a little corral. It's the expandable playpen I mentioned in my post. You would probably want to make it small for Coty - just encircle his orthopedic bed and leave no room for him to try to drag himself off the bed. Miller doesn't need to be so contained now, so his "corral" is about 6' around. You can find this apparatus in most pet supply stores - it's called a pet playpen. It's a series of panels that you can pull all the way out or make a smaller area like I said. It works great.
Lori
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Miller's Mom
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
P.S. In regard to the MRI - if you can afford it it would tell you what happened to Coty and how best to treat him and what his prognosis is. You're flying blind right now and you need to know what you can and cannot do with him.
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Miller's Mom
Re: Dogs: Any encouragement welcome
P.S.S.
Carol C. has a link on expressing the bladder. It's important that you get him to empty his bladder to avoid infection. Miller can control his bladder and bowels, but it takes a long time. We walk around the back yard for half an hour peeing a little here a little there. It takes a long time, but we get it done! I take him out before I go to work and then again the minute I get home and he seems to do just find during the day.
Carol C. has a link on expressing the bladder. It's important that you get him to empty his bladder to avoid infection. Miller can control his bladder and bowels, but it takes a long time. We walk around the back yard for half an hour peeing a little here a little there. It takes a long time, but we get it done! I take him out before I go to work and then again the minute I get home and he seems to do just find during the day.
I was thinking the same thing *LINK*
(or rather the same three things) as Lori--playpen, MRI, and prednisone. I was thinking of a playpen, which is also called an exercise pen or X-pen. Like Lori said, you just open it and walk in to take out your dog, no bending into a kennel. It will cost about the same as a crate. You can set it up in the middle of the livingroom or wherever you like.
I was also sorry when I read he is off the prednisone. If you could have an MRI or other imaging, you might learn whether it is a disk problem or an FCE. With a disk problem, one of the cushioning disks between the vertebrae gets squished too hard and pooches out and puts pressure on the spinal cord, often causing paralysis. An FCE is a spinal stroke where a little clot cuts off the blood supply to a certain area of the spine and some of the nerves in that area of the spinal cord die, often causing paralysis.
Since you don't know if it's a disk problem or an FCE, it seems like the conservative treatment would be to stay on the prednisone. DodgersList is a website that focusses on disk problems and they give guidelines on the normal length of time to use prednisone and they are saying 2 weeks, then start to taper. It takes a few weeks to taper off, so it sounds like they're recommending at least a month of prednisone.
If I can remember what they did with my dog who hurt his back when he fell getting into the car, I think he was on Prednisone twice a day for either 10 days or 2 weeks, then down to once a day for a while, then down to one dose every other day for a while longer.
CLICK HERE prednisone guideline
I was also sorry when I read he is off the prednisone. If you could have an MRI or other imaging, you might learn whether it is a disk problem or an FCE. With a disk problem, one of the cushioning disks between the vertebrae gets squished too hard and pooches out and puts pressure on the spinal cord, often causing paralysis. An FCE is a spinal stroke where a little clot cuts off the blood supply to a certain area of the spine and some of the nerves in that area of the spinal cord die, often causing paralysis.
Since you don't know if it's a disk problem or an FCE, it seems like the conservative treatment would be to stay on the prednisone. DodgersList is a website that focusses on disk problems and they give guidelines on the normal length of time to use prednisone and they are saying 2 weeks, then start to taper. It takes a few weeks to taper off, so it sounds like they're recommending at least a month of prednisone.
If I can remember what they did with my dog who hurt his back when he fell getting into the car, I think he was on Prednisone twice a day for either 10 days or 2 weeks, then down to once a day for a while, then down to one dose every other day for a while longer.
CLICK HERE prednisone guideline