Spinal stroke, no deep pain, back two legs

[FCEMom1980]

Hi all, my dog likely suffered a spinal stroke on Monday -- the MRI showed swelling of the spinal cord, but no disc problems. Other possible diagnosis was meningitis. She is such a good girl, and after a rough few days is in good spirits. We brought her home from the hospital yesterday, and it was so overwhelming... She's on a bunch of different meds, since the diagnosis was uncertain -- antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, stuff to prevent upset stomach because of all the other meds... She also has no urinary or bowel control, and she's roughly 65 pounds, so my boyfriend and I have been having quite a time getting her up to pee and to flip her legs from side to side.

I guess I'm just wondering what to expect from here on out. We keep looking for the tiniest signs that she can feel something back there -- she's licked her back legs a few times, but we aren't sure what to make of that. Sometimes when I am back there cleaning up, she turns her head kind of suddenly to look, but again -- is she just hearing me back there, or does she feel something, we just don't know.

Her situation is so upsetting -- she is a Frisbee dog and eternal puppy. Has anyone had a similar situation with a return to a "normal" life for the dog? She hasn't shown much improvement yet (no feeling we can be sure of in her legs, no bowel control), but it has only been 3 days since she "stabilized."

Any suggestions about care, physical therapy, when we might see some change (and what we might look for) would be appreciated. Thanks so much for any advice.

[critters]

Make sure you do a good search of this board for the multitudes of FCE discussions, and the multi-part sticky post at the top may have some suggestions you hadn't considered.

[cricketsmom]

As with all injuries that involve nerves, give it time and lots of it. They are very inconsistent, so be prepared for any outcome. Make sure she's confined in a small comfortable space for a while to help her heal.
Given what you have said, it may be a good idea to start looking into a cart for her. If she gets use of her back legs again, it's a great tool to help her get stronger. And if she doesn't get use back, she sounds like she would adapt to the cart well and still be active and happy. Cart dogs can still enjoy a good frisbee toss
The kidney and incontinence section on this site can give you some great tips for managing her incontinence. Hang in there and keep loving her Hope this helps!

[CarolC]

Yes, many people here have had dogs go back to a normal life, running, etc. Many others have had dogs recover the ability to walk well enough to enjoy life even in if some traces of the stroke can still be seen in the gait. My dog's physical therapist said 85% of dogs with FCE will recover. Aggressive physical therapy is recommended for FCE. That can include bicycling her legs and massaging them. Getting her up and helping her try to walk several times a day. Pressing on the bottoms of her feet while she is lying down, to see if she will resist you.

You said she does not have bladder control. Are you expressing her bladder, or is she wearing a diaper, or how are you guys handling that? It is important to keep her skin dry while she recovers, especially the skin on her hips where she lies in bed.

I would keep an eye on the licking. It could be she is just cleaning herself, but in some cases during recovery from paralysis, the nerves temporarily develop kind of a pins and needles sensation (they think it is like when your arm is waking up after you slept on it wrong). That can be very annoying for the dog, and he can start licking and chewing it to the point of doing serious damage, even requiring surgery. There is a medication called gabapentin that can help this if you notice it.

[FCEMom1980]

Thank you all for the replies. It is really comforting to hear from others who have walked this walk.

We have been really diligent about keeping her clean with baby wipes, and applying A+D ointment -- these were the vet's recommendations to protect her skin from urine scald. We've kept puppy pads under her backside for dribbles and a towel between her legs when she lays down to keep any bladder leaks from getting on her legs too much. Other than that, we've been expressing her every few hours.

Today will be the first time we have to leave her alone, which is really worrying us. She's always had separation anxiety, which we got under control when we got another dog (and we all realized another dog is company, especially to a dog), but the vet warned us not to leave them alone together now, just in case either one of them reacts strangely to the new situation, so we are going to gate the other dog into one part of the kitchen, keeping them in eyeshot of each other but separate. Obviously, she is now much more anxious in general, since she can't get around... And to make matters worse, the upstairs neighbors are doing a loud renovation. UGH. We decided to use a diaper today for while we are at work, to keep her mostly clean while she scoots around on her bed. We also put her on a thinner foam mat, because she tends to work her way off and we didn't want her thumping off of it, and we put a bunch of padding on the floor in case she scoots off. Is this a good approach? Any ideas? How do others handle leaving a dog who can't get around?

We've been doing bicycles, palpatating her leg muscles, and massaging and tickling her paws. The rehab place near us was closed over the weekend, but we're calling today and hope to get her in ASAP. They can do stuff while she's still pretty much immobile back there, right? My understanding is that they might be able to do acupuncture or e-stim to help reduce spinal inflammation and promote recovery. Do I understand this right?

I did see one strange, maybe promising sign -- yesterday, while she was asleep I started massaging and tickling her paws, and within a few seconds her front (good) paws started twitching, and the more I did it, the more pronounced twitching I saw. And not just in her paws -- her eyelids started rapidly fluttering, and her mouth started making little grimaces -- ever her ears started jerking around. When I stopped tickling, it stopped, and when I started tickling again, it started again. I want to think this means that there are some signals getting from her back paws to her brain... Has anyone else seen this type of thing?

I hope that once I have more experience, I will be able to help others. This board was a godsend when I first came home with the diagnosis, and I expect it will continue to be a great resource. Thanks so much!

[poohbearsmom]

Sounds similar to when Poohbear had her FCE and was paralyzed in both hind legs.
No bladder or bowel control.
Physical therapy I believe was the key.
They used a hydro treadmill.
I had to drive her twice a week to a place that had one and it was a two hour drive each way.
But it was worth all the time and every penny we spent.
Here is a link to a thread with lots of information:
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/ ... f=4&t=9838
Hang in there - Poohbear regained bladder and bowel control and even learned to walk again without assitance - but it took about 4 or 5 months.
Miracles do happen.

[CLAMBRIGHT]

Our dog Karma suffered an FCE stroke yesterday. She is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow and will come home to start her rehab.
Karma's stroke has mainly affected her right back leg, but she also shows some weakness in her left leg as well. We dont know yet about her bladder and bowelcontrol yet. Should know more tomorrow. It's so comforting to me to know I have a place like this to come for advise and talk to others going thru the same things we are about to be dealing with.

[Shaz]

Hi Clambright and sending a Welcome to you and Karma.

Sorry to hear of Karma's plight but you know there are so many knowledgeable members here who have personal experience with FCE Dogs, you'll be sure of good advice. My Dog is DVDD but there are similarities between the 2, so hope I can help as well:)

Fire away with any questions you have as you start rehab!

Sharon x

[CLAMBRIGHT]

Thank you so much Sharon X!!! I pick Karma up this afternoon to bring her home. Vet said she is eating, and going potty on her own and walking with support.
I was so thankful to hear this news!!! I will have a ton of questions I'm sure! Thank you for yhe support!

[CarolC]

That is wonderful about the bladder control. The only thing I can really think to ask is, do you have a sling or harness to help her walk? Is the hospital going to send one home with her?

I read about your 9-year old in the other post, it's so sweet that she has already made a schedule of care. I would think a 9-year old could do a good job providing physical therapy to a sheltie, if shown what to do. I would ask the vet for a list of exercises you should do with her, and instructions on how to do them, and perhaps you can enlist your daughter's help to give your dog plenty of PT.

If you have any questions after she comes home, about anything, however small, please don't hesitate to ask. Chances are someone here has dealt with the same thing before.

[CLAMBRIGHT]

Thank you Sharon X! She does not seem to need the assistance of a sling for walking or going peepee. She has not done a number two yet....hoping there are no issues on that department. The vet nurse told me she had done that for them...so hopefully tomorrow. We are trying to keep her on the floor..she really is wanting to be on the couches....but im worried about the jumping so soon. She is dragging her right foot, but i have caught her a few times actually seeming to put SOME weight on it. She is very tired, and is panting some...guessing that might be due to a little stress..maybe some slight pain on the area where she had her spinal tap yesterday afternoon??

[CarolC]

True, and she probably didn't sleep well at the hospital either, but I suspect partly it is simply taking a lot more effort for her to get the nerve signals through to her feet right now, so she is becoming unusually fatigued doing ordinary tasks.

[CLAMBRIGHT]

I bet you are right! She is just flat worn out...and has been fairly active since she got home....she has been in a cage at the vet pretty much since the FCE happened and this is the most she has walked around in two days. Learning a new way of getting around and coping with not really being able to do all the things she wants to yet must be upsetting for her as well. I think it's mama (me) who needs to chill!

[Shaz]

Hi there

LOl, yes, it's us Owners that get so wound up when our Dogs https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/?title=Bowel_management_in_incontinent_pets start on their "New Normal" Your Karma seems to be doing just fine though and no reason why Karma shouldn't make good progress! Dogs are resilient and live in The Moment, mine coped well despite having 2 useless back legs.

Concerning Bowel Movement have a look here:

https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/?title=Bowel_management_in_incontinent_pets

The Incontinence Forum here has lots of Owners' experience to draw from. Good Luck and let us know how things go today.

Hugs.
Sharon:)

[CLAMBRIGHT]

Awesome info!! Thank you very much!!