Discussion
silentbrown said:
parakitaMol. said:
Do join the Dachshund IVDD in UK Facebook group regardless if you have an affected pup or not - the symptoms and action to take if your dog is affected is vital to the outcome.
Well, yesterday was a s
t day. After a very gentle potter round town the night before, he was obviously suffering loads of pain in his back/legs and barely moving in the morning. Off to the vets and his proprioception is poor so almost certainly pressure on the spinal cord due to IVDD. He's medicated up to the eyeballs, confined to bed/cage rest for 4-6 weeks and it's absolutely heartbreaking to see the change from a truly fit and strong dog in such a short time. We're just keeping everything crossed, and the vet seems to definitely know her stuff and isn't sugar-coating things.
It is a really worrying time and horrid for your pups. But if you stick to the rest protocol and don't be tempted to let them do anything till the end of the period, gradually increasing steadily the exercise and even if they look fine I am sure things will work out ok.
On the IVDD UK group there is lots of advice about crate protocols. There is a vet rehab specialist called Marianne Dorn who has written some excellent crate advice.
I know things seem bleak but think of it this way... you *know* your dog has IVDD and you caught it before the disc ruptured which means you have a good chance of avoiding surgery.
My little Wilhelm had his first disc rupture at only the age of 4. He needed emergency surgery as he was paralysed and became incontinent and was in extreme pain. Since then he's had 5 further episodes. Several of his episodes were managed conservatively. He is now 9 and is really doing amazingly - he's a little wobbly but no pain and still fully mobile I know many Dachshunds who have had several surgeries - some have had 3! Two of my friends' dogs had Cervical ruptures - which were really touch and go - but they are ALL doing amazingly and I know 2 in wheels with fantastic and full active lives.
Do read up on the symptoms as some can be easily missed. My little one does tummy nibbling with tummy pain and paw nibbling as a result of the scrambled neurological pain signals, and he goes quiet and has accidents in the house prior to an episode. If you know all the potential signs you can act faster to prevent full rupture.
Lots of vets are now aware of IVDD but many still miss it and don't give in depth advice about rest protocols. So by reading up on it you can make sure you are happy with what you are told,
I would also find out which referral specialists are in your area so can push for a referral if you feel your dog needs to see a neurologist. I would suggest finding out which ones have a special interest in IVDD or have successfully treated them. When you go back in for your check up, ask your vet who they refer to for neurology surgery and then check them out.
Sadly two of my dearest friends lost their dog because they were just told to go home and rest. The dog needed emergency surgery and 'rest' was not even explained.
Try to remain positive and I am sure it will be ok even though its extremely distressing - it is manageable
You/'re welcome to message me if you are stuck with anything - I'm not a vet but I can signpost you to some good resources if you cant find them. parakitaMol. said:
So sorry to hear this and sorry I missed your post (blind as a bat and read on phone)…
It is a really worrying time and horrid for your pups. But if you stick to the rest protocol and don't be tempted to let them do anything till the end of the period, gradually increasing steadily the exercise and even if they look fine I am sure things will work out ok.
On the IVDD UK group there is lots of advice about crate protocols. There is a vet rehab specialist called Marianne Dorn who has written some excellent crate advice.
I know things seem bleak but think of it this way... you *know* your dog has IVDD and you caught it before the disc ruptured which means you have a good chance of avoiding surgery.
My little Wilhelm had his first disc rupture at only the age of 4. He needed emergency surgery as he was paralysed and became incontinent and was in extreme pain. Since then he's had 5 further episodes. Several of his episodes were managed conservatively. He is now 9 and is really doing amazingly - he's a little wobbly but no pain and still fully mobile I know many Dachshunds who have had several surgeries - some have had 3! Two of my friends' dogs had Cervical ruptures - which were really touch and go - but they are ALL doing amazingly and I know 2 in wheels with fantastic and full active lives.
Do read up on the symptoms as some can be easily missed. My little one does tummy nibbling with tummy pain and paw nibbling as a result of the scrambled neurological pain signals, and he goes quiet and has accidents in the house prior to an episode. If you know all the potential signs you can act faster to prevent full rupture.
Lots of vets are now aware of IVDD but many still miss it and don't give in depth advice about rest protocols. So by reading up on it you can make sure you are happy with what you are told,
I would also find out which referral specialists are in your area so can push for a referral if you feel your dog needs to see a neurologist. I would suggest finding out which ones have a special interest in IVDD or have successfully treated them. When you go back in for your check up, ask your vet who they refer to for neurology surgery and then check them out.
Sadly two of my dearest friends lost their dog because they were just told to go home and rest. The dog needed emergency surgery and 'rest' was not even explained.
Try to remain positive and I am sure it will be ok even though its extremely distressing - it is manageable You/'re welcome to message me if you are stuck with anything - I'm not a vet but I can signpost you to some good resources if you cant find them.
the breed website for IVDD has some good information - https://www.dachshund-ivdd.ukIt is a really worrying time and horrid for your pups. But if you stick to the rest protocol and don't be tempted to let them do anything till the end of the period, gradually increasing steadily the exercise and even if they look fine I am sure things will work out ok.
On the IVDD UK group there is lots of advice about crate protocols. There is a vet rehab specialist called Marianne Dorn who has written some excellent crate advice.
I know things seem bleak but think of it this way... you *know* your dog has IVDD and you caught it before the disc ruptured which means you have a good chance of avoiding surgery.
My little Wilhelm had his first disc rupture at only the age of 4. He needed emergency surgery as he was paralysed and became incontinent and was in extreme pain. Since then he's had 5 further episodes. Several of his episodes were managed conservatively. He is now 9 and is really doing amazingly - he's a little wobbly but no pain and still fully mobile I know many Dachshunds who have had several surgeries - some have had 3! Two of my friends' dogs had Cervical ruptures - which were really touch and go - but they are ALL doing amazingly and I know 2 in wheels with fantastic and full active lives.
Do read up on the symptoms as some can be easily missed. My little one does tummy nibbling with tummy pain and paw nibbling as a result of the scrambled neurological pain signals, and he goes quiet and has accidents in the house prior to an episode. If you know all the potential signs you can act faster to prevent full rupture.
Lots of vets are now aware of IVDD but many still miss it and don't give in depth advice about rest protocols. So by reading up on it you can make sure you are happy with what you are told,
I would also find out which referral specialists are in your area so can push for a referral if you feel your dog needs to see a neurologist. I would suggest finding out which ones have a special interest in IVDD or have successfully treated them. When you go back in for your check up, ask your vet who they refer to for neurology surgery and then check them out.
Sadly two of my dearest friends lost their dog because they were just told to go home and rest. The dog needed emergency surgery and 'rest' was not even explained.
Try to remain positive and I am sure it will be ok even though its extremely distressing - it is manageable
You/'re welcome to message me if you are stuck with anything - I'm not a vet but I can signpost you to some good resources if you cant find them. andburg said:
the breed website for IVDD has some good information - https://www.dachshund-ivdd.uk
Yep, its great, the Breed Health Committee are very pro-active. The UK IVDD Facebook Group is run by the Breed Council too and linked to that page so the information on both are consistent and up to date. It's also very well moderated so you don't get woo cures and snake oil magic cures suggested.
parakitaMol. said:
Yep, its great, the Breed Health Committee are very pro-active. The UK IVDD Facebook Group is run by the Breed Council too and linked to that page so the information on both are consistent and up to date.
It's also very well moderated so you don't get woo cures and snake oil magic cures suggested.
Thanks everyone for the great advice and support.It's also very well moderated so you don't get woo cures and snake oil magic cures suggested.
Four days of meds and crate rest (slightly improvised, with a big folding fabric pet crate) so far. Good appetite, and far too keen to try jumping up when taken out for cuddles. He's off the vets tomorrow for another assessment, but I suspect his 'score' is 1 or 2. We'll see what her recommendations are.
Some whining and distinctly unimpressed that he hasn't got the run of the house. Postman still getting a good barking.
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