Lucy broke her back last week and now is no longer able to move her rear legs and has no feeling half way down here back.
I made an appointment to have her put down, but wussed out at the last minute. She does not appear to have any pain, her appetite is good...and she is a healthy 9 .5 year old Dachshund...I did not have the heart to snuff her....
so.....this is what i threw together this morning...
http://kingwoodkorner.com/viewtopic.php?t=4912
Well my Lucy is mobile today...
Hi Ray,
Your message board is beautiful. How did your dog break her back? Is there a chance she just blew a disk instead? That happens with dachshunds. I have a dog with a broken back. She had a spinal fracture at mid-back, a complete break in which the two parts of the spine separated and one part tried to leapfrog over the other. She had surgery to put the fracture back in line and stabilize it, and she had 4 weeks of rest. Rest is a must. I think your dog would need to be crated for several weeks to get the fracture to knit together and let the swelling go down, even without surgery. My dog got a wheelchair, and then with therapy and time she learned to walk again. She is unable to urinate so I express (squeeze) her bladder 4 times a day. Since I express (squeeze) her bladder, she stays comfortable and does not leak and does not get a bladder infection. If I didn't express her, she would get a bladder infection because when urine stays in the bladder too long, germs start to grow. I squeeze her when we wake up, at lunch, after work, and at bedtime. She has no control over her bowels so I pinch her bottom a couple of times a day to stimulate her to eliminate (no surprises that way). I applaud you for saving your dog and making her a chair. Glad you are here.
Your message board is beautiful. How did your dog break her back? Is there a chance she just blew a disk instead? That happens with dachshunds. I have a dog with a broken back. She had a spinal fracture at mid-back, a complete break in which the two parts of the spine separated and one part tried to leapfrog over the other. She had surgery to put the fracture back in line and stabilize it, and she had 4 weeks of rest. Rest is a must. I think your dog would need to be crated for several weeks to get the fracture to knit together and let the swelling go down, even without surgery. My dog got a wheelchair, and then with therapy and time she learned to walk again. She is unable to urinate so I express (squeeze) her bladder 4 times a day. Since I express (squeeze) her bladder, she stays comfortable and does not leak and does not get a bladder infection. If I didn't express her, she would get a bladder infection because when urine stays in the bladder too long, germs start to grow. I squeeze her when we wake up, at lunch, after work, and at bedtime. She has no control over her bowels so I pinch her bottom a couple of times a day to stimulate her to eliminate (no surprises that way). I applaud you for saving your dog and making her a chair. Glad you are here.
Last edited by CarolC on Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Welcome to the site. We all come under distressing circumstances and it's such a relief to find this site with other people who understand what we're going through and have advice and support.
Good for you for realizing your Lucy can still have a happy life - even if she remains paralyzed.
I don't have experience with crate resting my partially paralyzed pug because he has a spinal deformity he was born with but I have heard so many people say what a difference it makes to crate rest for 6 weeks after injury - and read the amazing stories of recovery. Since her back is broken, it makes sense that she needs some time to heal. Here is information on crate rest from Dodger's List http://www.dodgerslist.com/, a site for dachsunds with IVDD/back injuries (that also has useful information that can be applied to other breeds and all breeds are welcome):
http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/CrateRRP.pdf
Great little wheelchair you made for her. I can see she is in good hands. Keep us posted on her progress - and feel free to ask questions. I don't have experience with back injuries but there are many others on here that do.
Good for you for realizing your Lucy can still have a happy life - even if she remains paralyzed.
I don't have experience with crate resting my partially paralyzed pug because he has a spinal deformity he was born with but I have heard so many people say what a difference it makes to crate rest for 6 weeks after injury - and read the amazing stories of recovery. Since her back is broken, it makes sense that she needs some time to heal. Here is information on crate rest from Dodger's List http://www.dodgerslist.com/, a site for dachsunds with IVDD/back injuries (that also has useful information that can be applied to other breeds and all breeds are welcome):
http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/CrateRRP.pdf
Great little wheelchair you made for her. I can see she is in good hands. Keep us posted on her progress - and feel free to ask questions. I don't have experience with back injuries but there are many others on here that do.
You are right there is no reason Lucy should be PTS.
STOP! do not put Lucy in the wheelchair, do not let her drag around. She must have restrictive rest.
This is serious. Immediately she needs to be on meds & 6-8 weeks of crate rest, if she's ever to have a chance to have the spinal cord heal and regain neuro functions. Here is the correct way to do crate rest and ideas.
http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/CrateRRP.pdf
Has she seen a neurosurgeon. Is surgery an option? My dog had a broken back also.
Why do you say she has a broken back? What happened?
The same lack of neuro signs could be from degenerated discs damaging the spinal cord.
Does she have any deep pain sensation in her back legs?
Can she pee on her own?
If no, you need to go to your vet, ER tonight and learn how to express if you are not doing this. If you find urine leaks in her bedding then she does not have bladder control. Bladder can get infected, a very bad thing. Read ahead of going to get more out of the demo. http://users.cyberport.net/~milnerwm/Expressing.html
Is she on any medications to reduce swelling (either a steroid or a NSAID but not both together)? What meds is she taking? Is she taking a pain med such as Tramadol? Is she taking a stomach protector such as human Pepcid?
--
Paula Milner
Lewis and Clark (3 surgeries, paralyzed since Jan 2007;
Sept 10, 2007 superficial pain sensation)
Dachsie IVDD Care FAQ:
http://users.cyberport.net/~milnerwm/dachsieFAQ.html
STOP! do not put Lucy in the wheelchair, do not let her drag around. She must have restrictive rest.
This is serious. Immediately she needs to be on meds & 6-8 weeks of crate rest, if she's ever to have a chance to have the spinal cord heal and regain neuro functions. Here is the correct way to do crate rest and ideas.
http://www.dodgerslist.com/lit/CrateRRP.pdf
Has she seen a neurosurgeon. Is surgery an option? My dog had a broken back also.
Why do you say she has a broken back? What happened?
The same lack of neuro signs could be from degenerated discs damaging the spinal cord.
Does she have any deep pain sensation in her back legs?
Can she pee on her own?
If no, you need to go to your vet, ER tonight and learn how to express if you are not doing this. If you find urine leaks in her bedding then she does not have bladder control. Bladder can get infected, a very bad thing. Read ahead of going to get more out of the demo. http://users.cyberport.net/~milnerwm/Expressing.html
Is she on any medications to reduce swelling (either a steroid or a NSAID but not both together)? What meds is she taking? Is she taking a pain med such as Tramadol? Is she taking a stomach protector such as human Pepcid?
--
Paula Milner
Lewis and Clark (3 surgeries, paralyzed since Jan 2007;
Sept 10, 2007 superficial pain sensation)
Dachsie IVDD Care FAQ:
http://users.cyberport.net/~milnerwm/dachsieFAQ.html
Ray, your wheelchair looks like it turned out really well and this website has a page showing ideas for homemade carts.
http://www.handicappedpets.com/HomemadeCarts.htm
It would help other people if you could put together the instructions on how you did it and post it here or send it to Mark. I especially like the way you used common materials and converted a stroller, that is a great idea. Hope you will consider it--you already have excellent pictures.
http://www.handicappedpets.com/HomemadeCarts.htm
It would help other people if you could put together the instructions on how you did it and post it here or send it to Mark. I especially like the way you used common materials and converted a stroller, that is a great idea. Hope you will consider it--you already have excellent pictures.
Ray, how's the new cart working out? I'm building one for my Ari, but she needs a quad (4-wheeler). I have a stroller, for a wheel donor, and 1/2 inch PVC. I'll put the duallies in the front, for stability, because she has very severe CH (cerebral palsy).
The part I can't get my head around is attaching the wheels. How did you do it? OK, I see your pics now (slow loading w/dialup). Did you use the original axles?
The part I can't get my head around is attaching the wheels. How did you do it? OK, I see your pics now (slow loading w/dialup). Did you use the original axles?