IVDD & FCE at the same time?!
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lskillings
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:54 pm
IVDD & FCE at the same time?!
I’m not even sure where to begin...my 5 1/2 year old frenchie had surgery for IVDD on Friday February 16th. That morning she woke up paralyzed in her hind legs after displaying symptoms of discomfort the night before. The surgeon said she should make a full recovery and we would see 80% improvement in the first 2 weeks. We brought her in for her follow up on Friday March 2nd and she had not regained any control of her legs but she still had DPS and she has had control of her bladder and bowels this whole time. He recommended seeing a physical therapist and said the only thing that could be causing such specific paralysis is a blood supply issue...he didn’t really explain it very well. I took her to see the PT the next day (Saturday) and he said that she had NO DPS and that it could possibly be FCE...I have an appt with the Neurolgist at this new facility tomorrow at 10 am to get another MRI. Penelope is also having tremors where her whole body just kind of wobbles. She still eats, loves treats, and can go to the bathroom on her own...something is just not adding up!!! Please help!
Re: IVDD & FCE at the same time?!
Hi, I'm wondering about the wobbles, are they like tremors perhaps? I haven't heard that reported too often except when the dog is still in pain, which she very well could be, even though her appetite is good. I'm sure I would still be in pain this soon after surgery. Is she on any kind of medication, such as a pain med? If not, when did it end? If she is, what is she taking?
I'd lean toward thinking it's related to the original surgery, but I'm not a vet. I'm surprised the surgeon predicted 80% improvement in 2 weeks.
That would certainly be nice, but I would not expect that, it sounds really optimistic, cases are all so different. If she has DPS and bladder control, I think you are in really good shape, so many people wish their dog had bladder control and DPS at this point. It sounds like she's doing really well.
I would not be the least bit concerned if you do not see her walking yet, it is still early days. Right now she is still in the crate rest period that follows surgery. I believe they recommend 6 weeks of rest and nothing but passive range of motion, no other exercises.
After her extended crate rest period, the vet may authorize her for PT (if you can afford it), which can be helpful. If you can't afford appointments, they can give you a list of safe exercises to do at home. The thing to remember is, she can't do more than the nerves are ready for, so working her harder or taking her for lots of appointments will not speed things up. And starting exercises early is counter-productive, even though it is so hard to sit on your hands and wait.
Recovery from spinal injury tends to be by baby steps, a tiny little improvement at a time, but all those little improvements add up and one day you see how far you have come. Most of us have not been in the situation of knowing someone who had a slow recovery from a medical condition. We are more used to the kind of situation where, for example, you break your arm and wear a cast for a few weeks, and then things are back to normal. But nerves heal more slowly than broken bones. Nevertheless, they are healing a tiny bit more every day, even if she looks much the same. You can't do a lot to hurry things up (other than the surgery you already did) but you can give her steady support during this time and watch the miracle of slow healing take place.
Here is some information about what to expect and what is recommended after surgery.
http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm
http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/A ... teRest.htm
I'd lean toward thinking it's related to the original surgery, but I'm not a vet. I'm surprised the surgeon predicted 80% improvement in 2 weeks.
That would certainly be nice, but I would not expect that, it sounds really optimistic, cases are all so different. If she has DPS and bladder control, I think you are in really good shape, so many people wish their dog had bladder control and DPS at this point. It sounds like she's doing really well. I would not be the least bit concerned if you do not see her walking yet, it is still early days. Right now she is still in the crate rest period that follows surgery. I believe they recommend 6 weeks of rest and nothing but passive range of motion, no other exercises.
After her extended crate rest period, the vet may authorize her for PT (if you can afford it), which can be helpful. If you can't afford appointments, they can give you a list of safe exercises to do at home. The thing to remember is, she can't do more than the nerves are ready for, so working her harder or taking her for lots of appointments will not speed things up. And starting exercises early is counter-productive, even though it is so hard to sit on your hands and wait.
Recovery from spinal injury tends to be by baby steps, a tiny little improvement at a time, but all those little improvements add up and one day you see how far you have come. Most of us have not been in the situation of knowing someone who had a slow recovery from a medical condition. We are more used to the kind of situation where, for example, you break your arm and wear a cast for a few weeks, and then things are back to normal. But nerves heal more slowly than broken bones. Nevertheless, they are healing a tiny bit more every day, even if she looks much the same. You can't do a lot to hurry things up (other than the surgery you already did) but you can give her steady support during this time and watch the miracle of slow healing take place.
Here is some information about what to expect and what is recommended after surgery.
http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CrateRRP.htm
http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/A ... teRest.htm
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lskillings
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:54 pm
Re: IVDD & FCE at the same time?!
It turns out that she did have an FCE. She still has DPS and bladder/bowel control. The new neurologist put her on another 4 weeks of crate rest. The FCE is abnormally long and also is just in the grey matter in the center of spinal cord vs what is normally seen being in both grey and white matter on only one side of the spinal cord. The prognosis in the final report said the damage is most likely irreversible but verbally he told me that he’s hopeful since she still has DPS and potty control.
Re: IVDD & FCE at the same time?!
Critters can do VERY well, even if there's residual disability. They don't worry about what they can't do; they just find a way to do what they want to!