Hi everyone, I have had Juliette for over 3 years now. I originally got had her as a foster through the rescue that I work for and she has since turned into a forever foster due to her condition. She lived in NYC during hurricane Sandy and when the power went out in her owners building she walked 18 flights of stairs multiple times a day and alas, a back injury. She had surgery which didn't work, so she is paralyzed from right behind her shoulder blades, back. For the first about 5 or so months we had her, she had solid stool, and I was able to express both the stool and the urine. Then she got severely constipated and had to go in for a roto rooter type procedure to get her all cleaned out. From then on she has been on cisapride, stool softener and a liquid human drug that I can not think of the name of off the top of my head. I also alternate between giving her pumpkin and greek yogurt to help keep her stool more towards the liquid side to keep it moving along. She has had a few more bouts with needing the roto rooter procedure done at the vet when a soapy water enema or pet enema just isn't doing the trick (I have been doing weekly enemas.) Just this past week she had to go in again and the vet feels that her colon has lost all motility and the meds really aren't doing any good since there is nothing there to stimulate. She had a good flow of stool from Monday when she came home from the procedure until Friday evening when it just stopped. Starting Saturday I have been trying soapy water enemas with little to no results and as soon as I get home from work I will be giving her another pet enema.
Every time we are at the vet they remark how they can't believe that she has made it this long and that every time I bring her in when she is super constipated they worry that she won't make it. Does anyone out there have anything else I could be trying with her. Despite her paralysis she is 100% healthy, has a zest for life and has a LOT more life left to live. I am terrified that if I can't get something new to try that my vet is going to tell me nothing else can be done for her. She takes her meds like a champ, loves to eat, loves to play, doesn't seem to be in ANY pain or discomfort. I am just so saddened by all of this and am worried that if the pet enema this afternoon doesn't work that I will be in the same boat I was last weekend, which is taking her in for the procedure again.
I will take any and all suggestions or advice, no matter how big or small! I so appreciate your help. I recently just lost our other dog with megaesophagus and myasthenia gravis but I credit the group I became a part of as the only thing that help me to keep her alive as long as I did, so I have the utmost gratitude and respect for these groups!
Thank you everyone, I look forward to hearing from you!
Diana
Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
Re: Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
So you are doing fiber and probiotics (plus cisapride).
Have you tried lactulose syrup? If you use that, you do not have to keep adjusting the diet, you just use more or less lactulose as needed.
Have they x-rayed her colon? Is it stretched?
How far up was the blockage the times the vet had to clean her out?
Have you tried holding her vertically over the toilet (with her head by your shoulder and her feet and tail hanging down like Raggedy Ann) and letting gravity assist while you digitally stimulate her?
How is her weight? Does she have a small waistline? If so, have you tried intestinal massage?
Just some ideas...?
Have you tried lactulose syrup? If you use that, you do not have to keep adjusting the diet, you just use more or less lactulose as needed.
Have they x-rayed her colon? Is it stretched?
How far up was the blockage the times the vet had to clean her out?
Have you tried holding her vertically over the toilet (with her head by your shoulder and her feet and tail hanging down like Raggedy Ann) and letting gravity assist while you digitally stimulate her?
How is her weight? Does she have a small waistline? If so, have you tried intestinal massage?
Just some ideas...?
Re: Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
Hello - lactulose is the other med that she is on that I couldn't think of the name of in my original post.
It is funny that you describe holding her over the toilet like that bc that is how I express her bladder and have always wondered if it was absolutely ride that I did that!
I had wondered about the stimulation only bc I don't know if there is anything there to actually be stimulated.
I have seen her x-rays that they have taken before the procedure to see exactly how full her colon was and it went all the way up, so I am only assuming when I say that I think they went all the way up, if that is possible. These are all questions I can ask my vet if it would help you to have more info, they are an absolute Godsend and have been so amazing to work with.
Her weight is great, when she is all emptied out she has a very small waistline and I can tell when she is getting backed up bc her poor little tummy grows. When I give an enema I hold her somewhat upside down and message what I think is her full intestines hoping that that will help to work the enema down into her intestines through gravity and my massage? I never knew if that was actually good that I did that, I am to the point that I will try anything!
Thank you SO much for your response, I am so grateful!
It is funny that you describe holding her over the toilet like that bc that is how I express her bladder and have always wondered if it was absolutely ride that I did that!
I had wondered about the stimulation only bc I don't know if there is anything there to actually be stimulated.
I have seen her x-rays that they have taken before the procedure to see exactly how full her colon was and it went all the way up, so I am only assuming when I say that I think they went all the way up, if that is possible. These are all questions I can ask my vet if it would help you to have more info, they are an absolute Godsend and have been so amazing to work with.
Her weight is great, when she is all emptied out she has a very small waistline and I can tell when she is getting backed up bc her poor little tummy grows. When I give an enema I hold her somewhat upside down and message what I think is her full intestines hoping that that will help to work the enema down into her intestines through gravity and my massage? I never knew if that was actually good that I did that, I am to the point that I will try anything!
Thank you SO much for your response, I am so grateful!
Re: Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
OK, that is very cool that you are already holding her like that. Here is another question. What method did you use when you tried to stimulate her and it seemed to work initially? In my experience you are right, some dogs do not respond to stimulus no matter what you do. That is the case with my one dog who is partially paralyzed by something like spina bifida. I can use ice or a Q-tip or digital stimulation and while I think she may (?) be able to feel it, it produces no results. There is no reflex and she does not seem able to push. However, if I can feel that there is stool in her rectum, I can wiggle and pinch and pop it out. So...can you sometimes feel that there is anything there, and it's just not coming out?
Graphic Video:
Also, this is going to sound bizarre but I have found it is true in 2 dogs. Believe it or not, when the dog has stools in the colon, in other words, separate oval shaped formed stools, you are assuming they are oriented end to end like a string of beads. That is not always the case. Sometimes, the stool closest to the exit will go sideways. Paralyzed dogs are sitting on their bottom a lot and some dogs also bounce on their bottom. Here is a post showing what I mean.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15671
This is not Photoshopped or anything, this is really what happens. I read that with chronic constipation, the rectal vault can become stretched. I assume that allows more room for a stool right there by the exit to rotate in an alignment inside the rectum that it not easy to pass.
In the video above, you could see kind of a stool cluster, not sideways but more than one passed at the same time like a bunch of high school students crowding through a door all at once. In the link below with the T-shaped stool, you can see it is just one that had turned sideways but it blocked the exit for all that came after. In both cases, it is a mechanical issue. If you can keep the exit free by popping out that leading stool as needed (and as many others as you can get at the same time), the stools will move along more like they should. The bowel (smooth muscle or something?) will take care of itself, as long as the exit is not blocked. Then your dog may be dropping little chocolate eggs during the day, but things are moving. I have found it is best to check the bowel every time I express or diaper. Not only does it keep things moving, but your floors stay cleaner, too.
Graphic Video:
Also, this is going to sound bizarre but I have found it is true in 2 dogs. Believe it or not, when the dog has stools in the colon, in other words, separate oval shaped formed stools, you are assuming they are oriented end to end like a string of beads. That is not always the case. Sometimes, the stool closest to the exit will go sideways. Paralyzed dogs are sitting on their bottom a lot and some dogs also bounce on their bottom. Here is a post showing what I mean.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15671
This is not Photoshopped or anything, this is really what happens. I read that with chronic constipation, the rectal vault can become stretched. I assume that allows more room for a stool right there by the exit to rotate in an alignment inside the rectum that it not easy to pass.
In the video above, you could see kind of a stool cluster, not sideways but more than one passed at the same time like a bunch of high school students crowding through a door all at once. In the link below with the T-shaped stool, you can see it is just one that had turned sideways but it blocked the exit for all that came after. In both cases, it is a mechanical issue. If you can keep the exit free by popping out that leading stool as needed (and as many others as you can get at the same time), the stools will move along more like they should. The bowel (smooth muscle or something?) will take care of itself, as long as the exit is not blocked. Then your dog may be dropping little chocolate eggs during the day, but things are moving. I have found it is best to check the bowel every time I express or diaper. Not only does it keep things moving, but your floors stay cleaner, too.
Re: Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
The method that I originally used was very similar to what was shown in the video. However, her stool is now completely liquid, not solid at all so I was thinking that that was why my original methods are no longer working. If I feel her belly, I am pretty sure that I can feel where the stool is and I try to message it out starting where I feel it up in her belly, but I honestly have zero results unless I use a pet enema. After I see results from the pet enema, I can usually get a bit out by holding her over the toilet and messaging or just applying pressure to the area where I can feel the stool in her belly.
After looking at the pictures you sent in the link, I am almost thankful that she no longer has solid stool because I can totally see how that would happen, especially due to the way that she is always "sitting" due to her very high paralysis and her walk is very much a bounce.
Luckily the pet enema that I used yesterday afternoon was successful, however, I don't know if there are any long term damaging effects of frequent enema use, that is why I was hoping that I could get by on frequent or even daily soapy water enemas.
After looking at the pictures you sent in the link, I am almost thankful that she no longer has solid stool because I can totally see how that would happen, especially due to the way that she is always "sitting" due to her very high paralysis and her walk is very much a bounce.
Luckily the pet enema that I used yesterday afternoon was successful, however, I don't know if there are any long term damaging effects of frequent enema use, that is why I was hoping that I could get by on frequent or even daily soapy water enemas.
Re: Paralyzed Frenchie, no colon motility
From what I understand, you can do ememas with plain warm water, which seems like it would be very safe.