Newbie but need support

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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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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coxmaria3 wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 4:11 pm Long time since my l last update. I've had a difficult time with DD being back at college. She plays softball and their schedule starts next weekend. She will not be able to come back home until the second week in May. I've been going to see her the last two weekends while DH and DS finished up duck hunting season.

May seems like a long way off when we're in the deep of winter! :cold:

Tinker is fabulous! Still having trouble holding #2 while he's home by himself during the day. But, we've been out of school the last 2 days for winter weather and zero #2 accidents in the house. He lets me know when he needs to go and I can take him out. He's also started staying in place when he's going poop. Before he would squat and then end up rising up on his front paws and then just casually walking off while releasig his poop. If I was out with him, I would help hold him in place until he was finished. But, the last 2 days he's been able to hold his squat normally and do his business! :clap:

Woohoo!! Sounds like he's bearing more weight on his hind legs, which is great! He really is doing well. You're barely over 3 months! :trophy:

He's been sleeping in his new bed (the one he pooped in) right beside our bed. Therefore, we are able to leave his old bed in the living room by the window instead of having to move beds around the house all the time. No whining, no crying. We miss him sleeping with us but our bed is to high for a ramp or steps. Not that I would want steps any way. But I did get a ramp and he would have to be a mountain climber to use it. :shock: He does nap on the bed with us, but Maria are few and far between.

That's really good news. No more musical beds! I'm pretty sure he had a reason and it made absolute sense to him, but glad it's resolved. Sounds like any ramp would have to be winding around so it's not too steep, and there's only so much room in most bedrooms and there often would not be room. I'm never crazy about the bed ramp idea anyway, because I don't trust some dogs. There is nothing to prevent the dog from walking up and jumping down off the bed, which is the worst thing he could do, or jumping off the ramp halfway down, not good either. Bobbie made bed rails around the bed so her dog wouldn't roll off. It was really cool. One of her dogs was epileptic but it also prevented jumping down. But it could be inconvenient when you have 2 people and they need to be able to get in on both sides.
:arrow: :arrow: viewtopic.php?p=63593#p63593


We are so blessed that things have turned out as well as they have and I know he will continue to improve. However, at this point, there is nothing he can't do that I would want him to do. :trophy:

All good news. :angel: He is really fortunate. Now if he'll just take it a little easy with the playing! I don't know if his brother has figured out there is a difference or not. Some dogs are more perceptive than others.

I've still got Dolly on restriction permanently because we just can't have her neck act up again. I got an 18" high ex-pen that is easy to carry. (I had a bigger one but it weighed too much.) It was about $40 on Amazon.
:arrow: :arrow: https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Homes-Pe ... B09GQT1BXV

I set it up in the yard in nice weather or the sunporch when it's cold or wet and put her in it. She still gets to go out, but she does not get to bounce around the whole yard anymore, and it's just going to have to be that way. She may forget what happened (4 episodes of disk pain in her neck since 2019), but I sure won't. She scared me too bad, I mean really. I'm not sure of this, but it's possible I'm lucky I still have her. If she'd had to have surgery at her age and with her history, I don't really know how she would have done. And then she for sure would have been on permanent restriction, assuming she could move without pain at all. So we're taking it easy here, better safe than sorry for us. :D
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critters
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Re: Newbie but need support

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:newyear:
coxmaria3
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Re: Newbie but need support

Post by coxmaria3 »

It has been a while since I posted. We've been wrapped up with family and our fur babies of course.

All things are great! No poop in the house on a regular basis for Tink! :party: He might have a pooop accident if he gets excited or of it's rainy and muddy outside but coming home to poop is no longer the norm. I'll take it! He's my little miracle baby! Her goes out by himself while I watch through the door. No steps and no jumping allowed!
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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Yay Tinker!!! That is fantastic! He really is a miracle dog. And he's probably not done healing yet. Love the description of being able to stay in and watch him out the door. :D

Always nice to hear such good news!
:snoopy:
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critters
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Re: Newbie but need support

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:yay: :thankyou:
coxmaria3
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Re: Newbie but need support

Post by coxmaria3 »

Tink continues to improve! Today as we were resting on the couch, he was using one of his back legs to scratch at his ear. I have not seen him do this since the accident. :ecstatic:

He got his second haircut since his surgery. We are so blessed to have a woman down the road who is a professional groomer. She comes to the house to get him and then takes her time all day grooming him to give him breaks as he gets tired. She makes sure he doesn't excitedly jump out around and doesn't allow him to go up/down steps. Then, she brings him home. We are definitely blessed! The last time he was groomed officially was in December and she said she can see such a difference!
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critters
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Re: Newbie but need support

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:yay: :applaud:
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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Woohoo!!! I'll bet he's as happy to be able to scratch that ear as you are to see it! Yay, Tinker!!!
:yay:
coxmaria3
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Hello mom! I just decided I would jump up in the chair just to make you have a heart attack!!!!
20220323_181928.jpg
I had no idea he could!!! I knew he had been rising up on his hind legs and trying to jump, but I don't let him jump up, on, in, through, over, etc. No jumping of any kind. Then this happened! What in the world am I going to do???
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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Ohmygoodness! Look at him! :shock: Caught in the act! That's extremely impressive that he can get up, but he doesn't know he shouldn't. I really like the look on his face. :D

Here are some ideas from Dodgerslist. The first idea is how to make furniture blockers so he won't even be tempted to jump on the furniture.

http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectbackblocker.htm

The second link shows other ideas, such as ramps, or a large pillow which leaves no room for the dog to jump up. I like the pillow, but I'd think twice about ramps. The dog may go up the ramp and then jump off the chair afterward rather than walking down the ramp, so that is something to consider.

http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/protectback.htm

One family here literally turned their sofa over to keep the dog off.

Hope this helps! :D
coxmaria3
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Re: Newbie but need support

Post by coxmaria3 »

Happy Easter from our family to yours! DD got to make a quick trip home for Easter!
Easter 2022
Easter 2022
We are blessed to have 2 fur babies this year. Blessed that Tink continues to improve! No more jumping up on furniture. He just doesn't do it after that one time.
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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Happy Easter to you and yours! Glad the chair was a one time thing.
Pip says thanks for the support these past months!
:thankyou:
coxmaria3
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Re: Newbie but need support

Post by coxmaria3 »

Hello best support group ever! It's been a LONG time since my last post. Lots of going on but all is well! Tink is still getting better. Back to all his normal activities minus the stairs and jumping up and down. Controlling the poop is still a struggle but usually it just ends up on the porch when he goes out to potty. He squats then immediately starts walking and it just plops asking with him. No idea why he squats and then starts walking? :thinking: He will also poop if he gets really excited and starts barking and tippy tapping around. Either way, it's ok. Easily cleaned up. I'll take it!

I hope you guys are doing well!
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CarolC
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Re: Newbie but need support

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Hi! Thanks for the update! :D

I don't know why he squats and walks either, but it's kind of interesting, isn't in? It seems to indicate he knows he needs to go, which is pretty cool. 8-) I wonder if he simply can't hold a stationary squat, and he senses that if he doesn't get more weight over his front legs and move forward he will accidentally sit, so he's overbalancing forward slightly? Dunno. :pardon: If he's holding it till the porch even some of the time, good for him! :D
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Re: Newbie but need support

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P.S. I just realized I called Colonel 'Captain' in several posts, even after you repeated his correct name, 'Colonel'. I'm sorry I demoted the big guy! Don't I feel dumb! :blush: :roll:

:mybad:
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