Dogs Pete chewed his foot again!
Dogs Pete chewed his foot again!
Pete eats his feet from the feeling coming back. The Vet says it's like pins and needles. He had been doing well and his foot was all healed then out of the blue he chewed it again. This time it was not almost severed. It is healing well and he does not seem to be licking or chewing it again. We have tried the collar and he figures how to get it off. Sprays seem useless, he chews any tape or covering that you put on and then keeps going to his feet. He is a Jack Russell and stubborn. On the good side he seems to be getting more feeling on one leg and it is being used to walk like a duck.
Re: Dogs Pete chewed his foot again!
Nerve damage can DEFINITELY be annoying when it's healing; I describe it as 1000 millipedes in hobnailed boots! It's a shame the can't try some of the "new" drugs for stuff like that in humans (not new drugs but new uses). *shrug* Maybe they can, but I know I've never heard of it with critters.
Hey, wait an minute!
> On the good side he seems to be getting more feeling on one leg and it is being used to walk like a duck.
Sheri, are you saying Pete is walking??? For real? Did I misunderstand? You mean he can waddle a little bit? Like, on three legs? How far? Can you describe it more? If this is true, then congratulations! Yippeee!!! Yay, Pete!!!
Sheri, are you saying Pete is walking??? For real? Did I misunderstand? You mean he can waddle a little bit? Like, on three legs? How far? Can you describe it more? If this is true, then congratulations! Yippeee!!! Yay, Pete!!!
-
Chris
Re: Dogs Pete chewed his foot again!
Hi Sheri, My name is Chris and I am an amputee. I have phantom pains all the time and it feels like your foot has gone to sleep and is waking up with that terrible pins and needles feeling. It can drive you crazy. Anyway, after searching for years for something to help with the pain, my doctor suggested that I try a drug called Neurontin. It is basically used for seizures but they have found that it does work for other symptoms. Well, it works for me so well that I have been using it for years. I don't know if it will work on him or not, but maybe you could talk to your vet about it. It does make you a little sleepy but who cares if it works. It is expensive but they have a generic brand out now. I wish you luck with your baby. Chris
Re: Hey, wait an minute!
Pete gets off the ground about 3 inches and waddles like a duck all around the house and about 100 yards outside. He still drags his one foot behind him. Have you ever heard of a dog walking after 18 months? Is this just wishful thinking?
Yes, I have heard of it taking 18 months
Yes, you bet I have heard of a dog walking after 18 months. Here is a message that was posted a while back, showing what the physical therapist told them about how long it can take. By the way, Pete's duck walk sounds like what I called my dog's "possum walk". She was doing that while she was figuring out how to walk upright. Don't know if you have opossums in Ontario, but they waddle, too. 
Here's the old message:
* * * * *
Waffles first hydrotherapy
Posted By: Beth
Date: Sunday, 11 July 2004, at 7:03 p.m.
Well Waffles had his first hydrotherapy session Friday. He was so cut in his life vest doing the doggy paddle. I had never seen him swim and it was so nice to see his body moving.
The therapist (who is also a vet) said that Waffles still has muscle tone in his right leg.
Waffles even surprised the vet when he pushed off really hard while doing some resistance exercises.
The best part of the whole experience was having this therapist (A VET) say to me "the text books all say 6 months but we have found that animals recover at different rates". He told me that he worked with a Rottweiler that had disk surgery and took 18 months to walk. Like you said Carol, there is no time line. It was just so great to hear a vet say this. We are signed up for 6 sessions to start. Thanks to everyone who responed to my earlier posting about the value of hydrotherapy. It really influenced my decision to do it.
On another topic, Waffles has been having these trembling spells. He will just be sitting there and all of a sudden his upper body starts to shake and frequently he pants also. He becomes somewhat agitated and may want to change rooms or will want to go outside. He just looks like he is in distress. He usually calms down in about an hour and is fine. I can not really seem to connect it to anything. Has any one had a similiar experience? Thanks
Here's the old message:* * * * *
Waffles first hydrotherapy
Posted By: Beth
Date: Sunday, 11 July 2004, at 7:03 p.m.
Well Waffles had his first hydrotherapy session Friday. He was so cut in his life vest doing the doggy paddle. I had never seen him swim and it was so nice to see his body moving.
The therapist (who is also a vet) said that Waffles still has muscle tone in his right leg.
Waffles even surprised the vet when he pushed off really hard while doing some resistance exercises.
The best part of the whole experience was having this therapist (A VET) say to me "the text books all say 6 months but we have found that animals recover at different rates". He told me that he worked with a Rottweiler that had disk surgery and took 18 months to walk. Like you said Carol, there is no time line. It was just so great to hear a vet say this. We are signed up for 6 sessions to start. Thanks to everyone who responed to my earlier posting about the value of hydrotherapy. It really influenced my decision to do it.
On another topic, Waffles has been having these trembling spells. He will just be sitting there and all of a sudden his upper body starts to shake and frequently he pants also. He becomes somewhat agitated and may want to change rooms or will want to go outside. He just looks like he is in distress. He usually calms down in about an hour and is fine. I can not really seem to connect it to anything. Has any one had a similiar experience? Thanks
Re: Yes, I have heard of it taking 18 months
I went back and found the old message I posted about the possum walk, and I see I even compared it to a duck walk.
* * * * *
Four Ways of Walking
Posted By: CarolC
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2004, at 8:00 p.m.
My little friend has developed 4 ways of walking. The first is very clever--I call it her Possum Walk. She invented it about 2 weeks ago. She knows if she stands all the way up and takes steps she loses her balance, yet she also knows she can move her feet perfectly well. She developed a way to waddle along with her bottom only 1 to 2 inches off the ground, taking steps like a human child doing the duck walk. With her head down, ears back, and tail trailing behind, she looks just like a little opossum. The second is what I call the Table Legs Walk. Again, she knows if she stands all the way up and takes steps she loses her balance, yet she can stand all the way up perfectly well before falling over. So she stands up with her back legs straight and well apart (knees locked I think) and takes steps with her front feet simply pulling her back legs along like a person dragging a table across the room. She may be on her toes or her pads. The third is Table Legs With Skating. She stands all the way up with her back legs straight and begins dragging her back legs as in the Table Legs Walk, only she may move one or the other foot a time or two by skating it forward so the pads never leave the ground. This way she does not lose her balance. The fourth way is close to real walking. I don't have a name for it. It involves going very fast so the momentum helps her keep her balance enough to take steps as she goes. She'd be able to do it better if there was someplace she could practice that was bigger than a 15' living room. By the time she gets up and going, she runs out of room to run. This is where we're at at 7 1/2 months.
* * * * *
Four Ways of Walking
Posted By: CarolC
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2004, at 8:00 p.m.
My little friend has developed 4 ways of walking. The first is very clever--I call it her Possum Walk. She invented it about 2 weeks ago. She knows if she stands all the way up and takes steps she loses her balance, yet she also knows she can move her feet perfectly well. She developed a way to waddle along with her bottom only 1 to 2 inches off the ground, taking steps like a human child doing the duck walk. With her head down, ears back, and tail trailing behind, she looks just like a little opossum. The second is what I call the Table Legs Walk. Again, she knows if she stands all the way up and takes steps she loses her balance, yet she can stand all the way up perfectly well before falling over. So she stands up with her back legs straight and well apart (knees locked I think) and takes steps with her front feet simply pulling her back legs along like a person dragging a table across the room. She may be on her toes or her pads. The third is Table Legs With Skating. She stands all the way up with her back legs straight and begins dragging her back legs as in the Table Legs Walk, only she may move one or the other foot a time or two by skating it forward so the pads never leave the ground. This way she does not lose her balance. The fourth way is close to real walking. I don't have a name for it. It involves going very fast so the momentum helps her keep her balance enough to take steps as she goes. She'd be able to do it better if there was someplace she could practice that was bigger than a 15' living room. By the time she gets up and going, she runs out of room to run. This is where we're at at 7 1/2 months.
Neurontin, generic name gabapentin *LINK*
It is used in veterinary medicine. It is listed in the IVIS Veterinary Drug Database (see link).
CLICK HERE to see Neurontin in Vet Drug Database
CLICK HERE to see Neurontin in Vet Drug Database