Back pain

[heyweird]

<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm19.gif" border=0> My Avery (4yrs) had been diagnosed with disk displyasia (spelling?) For the most part he has no pain, but on occasion he will start yelping and looking toward his back. It breaks my heart to see this. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to help him when he has these spells. At this time we give him a half of an Aspirin recommended by his vet. Thank you!

------------------
Ang

[Timber]

Is disk dysplasia also called canine invertebral disk diease? You can try Vitamin C or Ester C. I hear Glucosamine works well too. Hope your Avery fells better soon!

------------------
Tiffany
Snowyhill Kennels
Miniature Smooth Dachshunds

[Maggie Aggie]

My Maggie is also dealing with a back injury right now. You'll find some good information on canine intervertebral disc disease here (http://dachshund-dca.org/diskbook.html) . And, here's a link to The Dachshund Back Digest (http://www.dallas.net/%7Esrwatson/dachback.html) . Believe me, I know how hard it is to see your dachshund in pain from a back injury, so I really sympathize with you.

Vicki and Maggie

[Mark]

Hi Ang,

I assume you have eliminated or greatly limited activities such as stair climbing/descending and any form of jumping to or from furniture or beds? Crate rest is good for the healing process, also. Tiffany is right about Vitamin C, Ester C and we do give our Dachsie's a Glucosomine/Chondroitin supplement (Synovcre?), which has strengthened and healed them a great deal over time.

Duck Butter has had a ruptured disk/paralysis and the ensuing surgery. Masse has had a spinal stroke . . . so I understand the heartbreak of seeing them in pain. Both are fully recovered. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Other than the aspirin . . . what has your Vet said or recommended?

Do I remember that Avery has a litter-mate? Abbie? How is she doing?

Please keep us posted . . . we're sending Dachsie & Catahoula healing RAYZ http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif for Avery.

Mark

[heyweird]

Thanks for the advice. I have been restricting his activity as much as possible, but he is an active little guy so it becomes difficult. I have a good friend that just lost her doxie baby of 12 yrs. He lost movement in his back legs and never left the vets. Please keep them in your thoughts. In your opinions, do you think back surgery is worth the risk. I hope I am never faced with that decision but what is the quality of life for most dogs who have been through surgery?

[dutchman]

Hi Ang.,

I lost a 4yr old girl following emergency back surgery last April. If your dog has rapid onset symptoms (paralysis, loss of pain reflex) then their best chance of recovery is surgery. Time is a critical matter in those extreme cases with the best chance of recovery if surgery takes place within the first 12 hours. As time starts to get longer the odds of recovery become less since spinal column damage is highly likely due to the extreme pressure being exerted on the nerves. With slow onset symptoms crate rest and steroid therapy can produce very good results. Every case is individual and results will very. Going into surgery you need to be aware that it is very common for the dog to need assistance to express their bladder. In some cases this may be a few days, some cases weeks or months and still others for life. Bladder infections are quite common in dos who's bladders myst be manually expressed. Some dogs won't make it off the table or will fall victim to complications from the original injury. In cases of sever spinal injury the spinal column itself will just start to dissolve causing the animal to lose control of even involuntary actions like breathing and heart beat. All that said many dogs undergo surgery do fully recover and others lead long pain free lives getting around in carts and appear quite happy with their lives.

Would I consider surgery again? If I could figure out any way to afford or finance the surgery you bet I would. Surgery is not cheap in general you should expect to pay some where between $1,500 and $3,000. If my memory is correct between initial x-rays at my vets and then as her condition worsened a referral to the VTH where milograms were attempted but failed due to the pressure in the spine being to great for the dye to migrate up the canal, cat-scan, other x-rays, surgery, 3-4 days in the CCU, numerous drugs as they tried to determine the exact cause of her neurological complications I believe I spent about $1.900 which I will be paying on for some time. I've had to cut back my spending in other areas.

Was it worth it? Let's just say if I hadn't attempted surgery I would be feeling very guilty about not giving Aggie every chance I could. This has to be a personal decision there is no one right answer for everyone. Aggie started off life as a mill mother was rescued by Hearts United when she was about 18 months old. It was at Hearts United that I picked out Aggie from the 15-20 dachshunds that had been obtained at a mill dispersal auction. About a week after I picked her out they found out she was pregnant and so I ended up waiting for her to have her pups wean then and the milk to dry up so that she could be spayed and then shipped to me. I got Aggie the first Monday in May 1998 she had Just turned 2 years old (Her birthday was in April but I never knew the exact day so we make it the 15th). It was on March 29, 2000 that I took her to vet for her back. When I first called the vet I thought she was having some mouth pain. By the time we got to the vet that afternoon I knew it was her back giving her problems. As her condition worsened that night I now know I should have called my vet back and they would have referred us immediately to the VTH as an emergency case. Instead I waited for our follow up visit the next morning my vet immediately got on the phone to see if the VTH could take us if they hadn't been able to take us we would have gotten into the car for the 60-70 mile drive to Alameda East (of emergency vet's fame). She had surgery that Thursday evening. Friday night while still paralyzed and on pain meds she seemed perky and even insisted on rolling onto her back for a good belly rub. Saturday morning she had been moved to the general wards but seem more listless and in some pain which I commented on to the staff. Sometime Saturday night Sunday morning they began to notice some neurological symptoms and moved her back to the CCU. Sunday the neurologist talked to me they weren't sure what was going on there were a couple of possibilities that could be treated and should respond well to drugs but she had started to get dehydrated and they needed to rehydrate her before using the drugs. Sunday night when I visited I saw what they had been observing and was afraid I was saying goodbye to her for the last time. Monday morning April 3rd I woke up at about 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. When the vet called at 6:00 I expected to hear Aggie had died. She was alive but the vet was very relieved when I ask if it was time to say goodbye. When I said I wanted to be there she said not to take too long. When I got to then CCU Aggie was in an oxygen cabinet and it was the first time she did not respond to my voice. Since surgery her pulse had never gone above or below 60-65 (low for a dog) her breathing was becoming increasing labored. I held her head in my hands caressing her face and talking to her got one last finger lick just before the doctor put the needle into her IV line. She never shuttered as I was warned could happen by the time the doctor could listen for a heartbeat Aggie was gone, she had no fight left to resist the drugs.

Since that time I have meet a number of dachshunds who have had surgery and made full recoveries. Life in general is a gamble. The boy I have now Frank who I got from the local Humane Society when he was about six months old (a friend spotted him a week to the day after I lost Aggie) and Tanner about 2 yrs old added to our home from Dachshund Rescue the end of July are allowed to go up and down stairs.

I hope I didn't scare anyone too much with Aggie's story but I try to keep her memory alive by trying to spread the knowledge of back problems I gained through her case. If you keep reading the board you will also get to know some of the thing I learned helping bring a shy little mill rescue out of her shell. I also tell things about her in general including the reasons she never should have been kept as a breeder in my efforts to help put a stop to puppy mills and irresponsible breeders in general.

I hope Avery makes a full recovery and is able to avoid any more repeated back problems. I know my mother pulled one of our dogs though a back problem which included short term paralysis with confinement and steroids. That dog never had a repeat of her problem.

Best wishes and rays,

Tom and the boys (Frank and Tanner)

[Mark]

Thanks Tom, I know how much you miss Aggie and always read the story with tears in my eyes.

Ang, I agree with Tom completely. If the pain becomes worse and paralysis of weakness comes into play, then you must act quickly. The quality of care is as important as the speed, at that point. We were fortunate . . . when Duck Butter's disks (3) exploded we didn't know anything about IDD, but acted quickly and she was in surgery within 3 hours of the event. I attribute that and the excellence of the Neurosurgeon for her full recovery. I would talk to your Vet about what to do in that event, so that you're prepared to get help ASAP. Find out about the local clinics & hospitals/universities and the IDD expert(s) they have on staff. If you've already done these things . . . you're ahead of where we were.

It may also be necessary to crate Avery, for his own good if he is too active. I know how hard it is to even do that . . . When Masse had her spinal stroke, she was crated for 5-6 weeks and out only to be carried outside to potty & to eat.

Please keep us posted,

Mark

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/rayz.gif

[pkmiddler]

Tom you really went thru it with your girl I have some friends that have had to go thru it with their dogs but have never seen it first hand.We have only lost 1 in the 14 years in doxies and it was her heart.She had gotten a infection in a valve after a emergency spay.The vet that did it never heard the problem only changing vets saved her from dying sooner our present vet found it and was surprised we did not know.Loseing Fudgie was hard even after almost 4 years of knowing about her heart so something that happens so fast I know would really hurt.