Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

Neurological Disorders Resources. Treatment and care for pets having pain or trouble walking or standing due to spinal injuries or neurological disorders like IVDD, FCE and DM.
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critters
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Hmm. Interesting!!
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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I washed the wall and we are starting a new streak. :D

We just had the hottest May on record and the hottest June on record. :heat:

It has been so dry here, Pip has trouble going from his side to sternal because there is no grass to dig his toes into to push himself up. The dirt is baked clay, so it isn't soft if he wipes out while running.

He doesn't complain, but I'll be glad when we have a normal lawn again. :waiting:
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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:mrgreen:
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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He's just not walking as well as he was. I can only guess it's the heat. He falls a lot, and has more trouble getting back up in the thin grass and hard ground. He was getting at least 2 runs per outing, from the back fence to the door, but it's too hot so we're doing one, which is half his usual exercise. To be honest, his first run is never as good because if he needs to go Number Two then it throws him off before he gets very far. The second run in each pair was usually his better one. He's still doing as well as ever on his wall walking, very confident. When he wipes out in the dry grass, he gets dust in his eyes and mouth.
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critters
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Poor fella!
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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I've been trying to think about emergency preparedness. It was 107 yesterday and it's remaining hot in coming weeks. Rolling blackouts are possible. We might be OK with that if they are just a few hours, but I don't trust the power company. Our power was out for 3 days in February last year when it was 9 degrees F and people froze to death. I think can keep Pip warm if that happens again, but I don't know how to keep him cool in a 3-day blackout when it's 107. He cannot regulate his temperature, and anything over 80 feels a lot warmer to him than a normal dog.

I called the City services to see if there are cooling centers where the power stays on during blackouts. I called the veterinary specialist hospital but their generators only work for 2 hours. I don't really have a plan. I could use ice for as long as it lasts. Someone said pour water over him. I was thinking a cave would be cool but I don't know where there is one nearby. We are 292+ miles from the Louisiana border if their power is working, but I assume gas pumps will not be working and the range of my car with a full tank is 324 miles. It would be 130 miles to the coast but I don't know if it would be cool enough down there.
:thinking: :? :(
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Oh no! It's been hot as the blue blazes here as well. 112 last week. Do you know any one with a basement?
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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I wish! I don't know a soul with a basement. For some reason basements are not a thing here. :pardon: I just checked Zillow and there are 5866 listings of houses for sale for this city, and only 7 listings have the word 'basement' in them. You get 11 more with 'cellar'.

It would be more correct to say, I don't think I know any. There are a lot of people where you know them but something like that never comes up in conversation. I'll have to think about it. You're makin' me think. :D

112! Yikes! That's worse than here. :heat: :fan: Tinker and Colonel need to be careful and not burn their paw-paws!

Maybe this is a good place to report, he has been doing something else that seems new. I've seen him lick his nose. I'm pretty sure I've never seen him do that before. He did it twice a couple of days ago. Not sure if it means anything, or if he's done it in the past and I didn't pay attention. (I really don't think he's done it before.)
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Yeah, a basement is a good idea. How about a kiddie pool in the backyard?
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Did I ever explain how he's scared of water? It makes sense. If your front legs can't be depended on to get your head up out of it, it isn't safe. When I give him a bath I use the 2-sided sink and in one side I put maybe 2.5 inches of water and he leans his head against the side to keep his head up. If I would put enough water to cover his body, I think he'd be terrified. But wetting him down would help cool him :smart: so that's about the best idea in a power outage right now, other than getting ice out of the fridge for as long as it lasts.

Just today I figured out why he wets his chest when he urinates while standing. You can see his back is rounded while he's doing it. He is shifting his weight and center of gravity rearward over his strong hind legs when he stands still, which tends to tuck his rear under, so when he urinates his pee-pee is aimed up toward his chest. I think this means we're going to have this situation until he gets stronger in front. I'm still just so proud of him when he stands up and pees. :D
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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:D
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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1) There was a radio talk show program about pets during hot weather. I called in and the spokeswoman for ACS said I can take Pip to a cooling center if needed. The procedure will be that the cooling center will call ACS, which will bring a crate for him and place it where someone won't be allergic to him and where he won't bother anybody. Whatever. Maybe I can put his playpen in the car and they'd let me use that. But she said on live radio I can take him.

2) Pip has been kicking the back of his shoulder. The itch is actually on the back of his neck. He's been doing it for a week. At first I thought, neuropathic pain. Then I thought, be sure it isn't a flea. Eventually I thought, or some other allergy. I haven't seen any fleas anywhere, and nobody else has fleas. I tried to make an appt for him to see if the vet can tell what it is, but they are going to be out next week for continuing education. If this is neuropathic pain, at least it's where he can't bite it, but he keeps getting all crooked in his bed trying to kick it a number of times a day, and it's driving him nuts and me, too, a little. And it doesn't seem to be pain, more an itch or something like that.

I'm not exercising him in case he did something to his neck. I had neuropathic pain after being rear-ended, so it's possible he did something during one of his falls. Thought of calling the specialty place to see if he needs a recheck, or if this is something acupuncture might actually be good for, but haven't done so. Would rather see what the vet says first.

3) I saw a video of someone swimming a dog with a life vest and leash, and the dog's head was well up out of the water. It's making me think.

swimming with harness.PNG
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Neuropathy can absolutely cause itching. Does he take gabapentin or anything for that?
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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Do you know, would it appear as itching that sort of "strikes" periodically? Out of nowhere when he's not doing anything, just lying there? Like, "Yikes, all of a sudden this is driving me nuts (furiously scratching)!" Then he can be fine for a long time, hours even, then "Yikes!" again.

I can't even entirely localize it. When I scratch it for him, it isn't obviously in just one pinpoint place, but I know nerves kind of branch out.

I could try not giving him raw diet for breakfast instead of w/d, in case he's got a food allergy. Do that for a few days and see if it goes away.

Right now we're not exercising in case he jarred his neck somehow. You know it's really dicey with a front leg paralyzed (recovering) dog like this. They have a neck injury, even if it is "just" (ha!) an FCE/ANNPE, and then in the process of learning to walk and practicing walking, they fall a thousand times, mostly on their face or nose, often with the head turned when they hit the ground, or turned BY the ground. If there wasn't a disk problem before, it would be easy to get one. I can control not having him run into buildings and furniture, but the ground is always there if he trips or his leg gives out and he pitches forward.

I actually have some gabapentin in the fridge that we're using for Dolly right now while we try to deal with her recurring neck issues. I'd really like the vet to look at him. Vets see stuff I totally miss.
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Re: Pip diagnosis - Central cord syndrome

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I would say that yes, the itching could hit like that. I remember reading somewhere that itching is like a "tickling" of the pain nerves. In fact, the "ants in hobnail boots" feeling that nerve damage can do might easily be felt as itching in a critter. It isn't really pain...
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