[In the midst of a very difficult time, one of our very first contributors, Meg, has offered to help us learn through her experiences with dachshund spinal surgery. Her sweet dachshund Mr. Famous returned home from the pet surgical center on Wednesday of this week and is facing weeks of recovery.
This post is not about scaring anyone or offering medical advice but rather simply to make everyone aware of the issue and what needs to happen quite quickly in order to increase the chances of full recovery.
Thanks so much to Meg for helping us understand what she and Mr. Famous have been going through and we look forward to the updates as you both work through this.]
I researched the dachshund breed thoroughly before I got Mr. Famous and knew IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) was a potential health problem in dachshunds. We tried to keep his back as healthy as possible - using dog stairs, no jumping off couch, supporting with two hands when picking up. We weren’t perfect, he did jump off the couch occasionally to beat our other dog to a toy, he did race up my mom’s stairs once in a while before we could catch him.
I came home from work last Friday, and noticed he had a slight limp. He does have the distinct doxie run hop, so I took him outside and had a neighbor call him so I could watch his gait. He was definitely favoring the right side. After calling the vet to schedule an appointment the for next afternoon, I kept a close eye on him. He didn’t seem in pain, just a little limp.
The next morning getting out of his crate, he stumbled. His back legs, now both, seemed wobbly. I called the vet right away and the tech said that 2pm was still the only available appointment. This was my first mistake. I should have insisted it was an emergency or just taken him in.
I ended up bringing him in about two hours early anyway and they alerted the vet who came right out. He examined him, said he had ataxia – “a neurological sign and symptom consisting of gross lack of coordination of muscle movements” - and a slow response on righting his back leg. He said it was most likely a disc injury and swelling and prescribed cortisone, muscle relaxants and crate rest.
The vet told me to watch him very carefully, and to check his ability to walk and right his paws when flipped every few hours. If he was going to go “down” it would happen quickly, and gave me a referral to a neurologist just in case. The cortisone would reduce the swelling in the disc, allowing the injury to heal.
As I was checking out, the tech who had answered the phone earlier said, “I didn’t know dachshunds could get paralyzed, good to know!”.
I had to restrain myself from launching across the counter.
He seemed to improve throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday morning. I did the neurological checks at noon, the same. I did the checks again at 2:30 on Sunday, he was suddenly unable to right either paw and his legs collapsed underneath him. I proceeded to burst into tears (and I’m not a crier!). My fiancé and I carefully put him in his crate and drove straight to the surgical center with the neurologist on staff.
We arrived, explained what was going on, they rushed out and took him into the back within 30 seconds. They took x-rays and did a full neurological exam. The vet on staff came out and said it was most likely a disc rupture that would require surgery. She called the neurologist in to perform a Myelogram. This means a dog is put under anesthesia and dye is injected into the spinal cavity. If it is positive, the dog is kept under anesthesia and taken directly surgery.
We were told to home and wait for the doctor's call. Around 45 minutes later we learned that Mr. Famous had a full rupture of disc T-11 - the disc material had ruptured out and was pressing on the spinal cord. We agreed to the surgery and I spent the next two hours pacing around my apartment.
The doctor called after the surgery. There was a full rupture of two discs and a tear in one of the spinal arteries. The artery was bleeding into the spinal cavity, further compressing the cord. The pressure from the disc material and the blood would have severed his spinal cord if we had waited any longer.
He performed a Hemilaminectomy – removal of one wall of the vertebrae to extract the disc material from the spinal canal – on the two ruptures and a Fenestration – extraction of calcified disc material – on the four surrounding discs. The four discs surrounding the ruptures had completely degenerated discs even though he is only three years old. He removed the calcified material inside the discs, which significantly reduces the risk of future ruptures at those sites.
He was given a 90% chance of a full recovery of use of his back legs. He would spend three to four days in the hospital recovering and I could visit after 24 hours.
The doctor called the next morning, this past Monday, he was “delighted” with his progress. He was urinating on his own and attempting to stand up already, which were both great signs for no permanent nerve damage or paralysis. I was finally allowed to visit him on Tuesday.
I was so relieved to finally be able to see him but the first view of the 8 inch incision and 37 little staples made me sway on my feet. The very nice nurse said, “Just think of it as a zipper”. They gave us a private room and he just sat on my lap for an hour. I really had to fight the urge to take him out of there then but I knew he was getting excellent care.
The vet called Wednesday morning and said he was healthy enough to be discharged! They discharge appointment took about 30 minutes to go over his care instructions, restrictions, medication schedule and what to expect. Then they gave me my puppy back and we were on the road!
He is on strict crate rest for at least three weeks until our re-check and staple removal. Last night was tense - I am so afraid of hurting him that I must have checked on him every five minutes. He is currently residing in an ex-pen in the living room, folded down to 3 feet by 2 feet, on an egg crate mattress cut to size, with every possible kong, bully stick and chew bone I could find.
His dog sister, our Boston Terrier, is standing guard.
[For the update on this story, click here.]
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44 comments:
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know as much as I should about IVDD and its risk. Thanks for bringing your experience to our attention, forcing me to face fears and learn the signs, preventions and fast actions that need to be taken.
Please give Mr. Famous lots of love from me and take care of yourself too. I'll be looking forward to the next updates that are hopefully all about how well he's doing.
Frankie (the walk n roll dog) and I know full well all the emotions you are experiencing. We are so thankful Mr. Famous has such a good outlook. Your post about the signs and all you went through was excellent, Meg! Thank you for sharing.
I wanted to take this moment to mention that I am ALWAYS available by email or phone to talk with anyone going through this. I am happy to offer any thoughts that I can, as I know how difficult it is.
I also wanted to say, yes, walking is what we want for our little friends the most... but I also want people to know a dog cart is a wonderful option if walking is not to be... and not to consider putting a dog down due to paralysis, as they can lead a beautiful life in a dog cart if it comes to that.
Frankie and I send YOU and MR. FAMOUS huge, huge hugs. Let me know if we can help in anyway. Keep us posted!!
Frankie's Mom,
Barbara Techel
http://www.joyfulpaws.com
Aw! This is heartbreaking. I hope he is feeling all better soon and I'll pray he gets back full use of his back legs - you are in my thoughts and prayers!
I'm so glad you caught this as early as you did. I am always terrified when my dogs jump off of the couch or race up the stairs at my in-laws because I worry about this happening.
Thanks for listing the warning signs, and I hope your little dude makes a complete and fast recovery!
Thank you for sharing your story. Mr. Famous looks so much like our new puppy Penny!! Prayers for continued progress and an incident-free recovery.
what a beautiful boy mr. famous is!
riley and i had a few scares when he was ages 3-5 - calcified discs, muscle spasms - so i know a little of what you're going through, but not the full extent. just reading this makes me panicky. sending you and mr. beautiful and famous and his stylish new zipper best wishes! it sounds like you're off to a good start. :)
Aw, Mr. Famous, you are so brave. Hope you feel 110% better soon, little guy.
Mr. Famous,
You are going to do just fine. Just be your stubborn doxie self. Your mommy did all the right things. Doxie mama knows all to well what you're going through but know that you will have a wonderful full life. OUr eldest had had to have three levels done with some cord damages - but he's still going strong 9 years later.
We'll be thinking good thoughts.
*sigh* We know exactly how you feel,thankfully our incident didn't result in surgery, and we were able to be spared that expense..but we had to keep her on "bed rest" for three weeks. and that was hard.
Wish Mr.Famous a speedy recovery!!!!!
you guys are in my thoughts and prayers...hope mr. famous gets better pronto!
xo.
Jasmine had a run-in with IVDD in February. The day we moved out of our CA house, we locked her inside our bedroom to keep her out of the way of the movers. Unfortunately, we were living on an Aerobed at the time, and she must have gotten up on the bed and jumped off. Later that day, I picked her up and put her on my lap and she cried. She was obviously in pain. I didn't know what to do. The vet was closed, so we finally decided to take her to the emergency vet.
The emergency vet believed that she had IVDD and given the neuro exam, he didn't believe she had a rupture. He sent us home with anti-inflammatories, pain killers and muscle relaxants and told her to crate her for the night and to get a full work-up with our vet in the morning.
The vet did xrays and showed us where she believed the issue was. There was no evident bulge or rupture of the discs, so we decided to take a medical course rather than a surgical course, but IF she got any worse, we needed to see a neurologist. I found out about Dodger's List (http://www.dodgerslist.com/) and got some advice and support from those who had been through this before.
8 weeks of crate rest, love and care after her injury, she was fine. She's still fine. I try to make sure that she doesn't jump off anything, but I *had* been letting her go up and down the stairs. I've rethought that decision and am now carrying her.
I think that Frankie the Walk 'n Roll dog is wonderful (as is his Mom)...an inspiration and a beacon of hope that shows us that our dogs can live happy lives even after serious injury. But I also hope that Jasmine never has to get to that point.
I hope for the best for Mr. Famous, and I'm glad his 'sister' is watching out for him!
Thank you all for the wonderful comments, I will relay them to the patient!
hang in there. when Kep was on crate rest, we constructed a flat bed out of PVC and mesh fabric so when it was time to carry anywhere, we could do so with little fear of flexing anything. Kind of like a gurney. Baxter is keeping Mr Famous in his prayers for a sppedy recovery!
good luck! my dox had the same surgery at age 6 (hey bff, a cairn terrier, rolled her pretty hard one day)...she's 12 now and just as active as she was when she was a puppy...hang in there! mr. famous seems like he's well taken care of - props for staying tough through a hard time!
my dog had the surgery about 5 months ago. I came home from a trip to her back legs paralyzed. my husband had left for work that morning and she was fine...quick downgrade. I took her to the vet first thing in the morning and they sent me immediately for surgery. She had surgery and was home within 2 days. She is doing wonderfully now...her 2 rear legs do loose a little control when she runs but is otherwise back to normal.
Besides the insane vet bill we are more than happy to have done the surgery. She is only 4 years old and has many years ahead of her.
Keep the faith. Your little doxie will make it through.
What an emotional roller coaster this must be for you. I am so impressed with your strength - I am constantly amazed at the strength of feelings I have for my doxie! I can imagine how scary it must have been when Mr. Famous suddenly lost use of his legs but this is such good information to have - I am going to call our vet on Monday and ask where the nearest surgical center would be. Good information to have on hand!!!! Thank you for sharing your story and we'll keep Mr. Famous in our prayers!
all the best to mr. famous! our 10-year old dachshund maddy just had a little 'back-scare', fortunately we were able to fix the problem with alternative medicine (we're big on that here in germany), some painkillers and strict 'bed rest', she's as good as new!
i'll keep my fingers crossed for mr. famous!
Thank you for all the great info. Where we live the closest neurological surgeon is 7 hours away. We use ramps only, no stairs and no jumping, although I still catch my smoothcoat mini jumping off the couch.
We wish Mr. Famous a speedy full recovery.
Ruby & Pennys mom
I wish you all the best for Mr. Famous to make a speedy recovery. My 3 year old doxie just had surgery for a ruptured disc in May and he's doing just fine.
The doctor who did the operation is with the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine and he's published a paper for his patients on IVDD. It includes some worthwhile info on diet, alternative therapies and prevention. Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/l3py7s
Good luck!
Thank you for sharing what's going on with Mr. Famous. Hoping that he has a speedy recovery!!
I don't know what weird fate this is but we just came back from the vet with the first stage of IVDD for Hamish. Right now he's under observation, being medically managed for signs of deterioration. He can stand, is a little wobbly in his back left leg. I'm terrified he will wind up having surgery, but I'm prepared for it. It is just so hard to see him in this much pain. The drugs haven't fully kicked in yet.
I hope your pup has a full and speedy recovery.
I had to let this post stew for a little bit. To be honest (and I think I speak for a lot of Dachshund owners) I kind of have that hope that it'll never happen to me, while in the back of my mind that niggling worry is there, each time they're too fast for me and jump off the couch, or bed, or even tussle too hard.
So thank you, it sort of grabs you in the face and makes you more aware.
I'm glad he's progressing so well, and I wish him a full recovery.
Please give Mr Famous lots of kisses from me.
We are sending good vibes for a speedy recovery for Mr. Famous.
My heart goes to you!
My Bonnie Bell had surgery in February for the same issue and pulled through the surgery with flying colors.
My little doxie Maxi survived TWO slipped discs on two separate occasions and lived to the age of 15 perfectly healthy. Best of luck to you and your doggie!
I hope Mr. Famous recovers quickly and as comfortably as possible. I'm so glad the surgery went well and that Mr. Famous will be okay. Thank you for sharing your story!
I have been giving my doxies a supplement called Vetri-Disc, which has no guarantees but at least gives me some peace of mind. And I am definitely considering getting pet insurance for both of them.
I hope Mr. Famous is still recovering well. An update on Hamish- just dropped him off at the emergency vet overnight. Surgery is likely.
lesleyap - please keep us updated on Hamish.
Good luck to you and Mr. Famous. It sounds like he's getting excellent care.
It's important to remember that while you definitely should minimize the impact on your dog's back, and keep him lean and in shape, IVDD is genetic. If your dog has it, he has it. If he doesn't, he doesn't. Here's a great source on all things IVDD: http://www.12many.com/duchwood/backproblems.html
Hamish came out of surgery late yesterday. i visited him in the hospital today. He has some mobility already which is great. He jumped out of his kennel when he saw me! I had to catch him. He goes home tomorrow.
Meg- I truly appreciate what you are going through. It is heartening, too, to hear people's stories of recovery.
Here's hoping to full recovery for Mr. Famous and my Hamish.
Wow, looks like my Otto and your Mr. Famous were smacked by the same doxie disabling ray that awful Friday. My guy went down 31 July as well, and I caught it within 20 minutes of happening. VERY familiar with IVDD, but not having first hand experience, I rushed up to the E-vet in one direction, and then they referred me to a surgery center an hour in the opposite direction. Otto had his surgery Saturday morning and is recovering slowly but surely. He's got the zipper and gives me the most soulful look as I rather impatiently wait for him to pee as I support his hinder with a makeshift sling.
Can't believe the tech at your vet's didn't know the BASEST of facts about dachshunds.
Best of luck to Otto's back buddy, lol.
My 12 year old dachshund, Casey, started showing signs of back problems on July 31st as well. After taking her to our vet and the University of Georgia, it was determined that she wouldn't have to have surgery but complete rest for 8 weeks. We are giving her pain and anti-inflammatory meds and trying to keep her as still as possible.
My problem is that she hates a crate or much less anything that keeps her from running around the entire house. She has never been crated; she is the perfect dog inside the house going where she wants to go. I have only crated her for 30 min since I've had her home. We have been taking turns sitting with her and making her be still. I am going to have to crate her soon when I go back to work and it terrifies me. She whines, barks and drools until her neck is completely wet. None of the anxiety medication I have been given helps and I hate to medicate her heavily. Any suggestions would be very welcome!!! Thanks!
Oh my gosh... how scary! I'm glad that all is going well with Mr. Famous. I don't know how you held it together! I would probably still be hysterical if I were you!
My little guy Edward had back surgery last Friday-he was doing great until this morning. Vet called to say he was regressing. He is just out of his second surgery. Another bulging disc or ruptured disc and subsequent hematoma from first surgery.
The Vet mentioned the risk of something called ASCENDING MICRO-MALAISE, which is essentially spinal cord death.
Does anyone know about this? Is my dog going to die? I cant get any statistics from the vet. I don't care if he never walks again-I just want him to live. If you know anything, please help! ktbloch@gmail.com
Our # year old Dash. Brandy had the same surgery 2 weeks ago and has since been totaly paralized in both rear legs. Friday she chewed her right rear leg almost off in less then 2 hrs. Vet operated and said she thought she would do well tonight she chewed the bandages and the leg again vet said she doesnt think she will be able to save the leg. the vet nor i have ever heard of this happening before
any comments
I'd urge anyone, like katiedid above, to get in touch with Barb Techel of Joyful Paws (http://www.joyfulpaws.com/) as her dog Frankie gives hope to dachshunds who lose their mobility.
Thank you, Kimberly... yes, Frankie and I are always willing to talk with anyone via phone or email who is going through their doxie being diagnosed with IVDD. I am by no means a vet, but can certainly provide resources, hope and an ear to listen and hopefull calm fears. Two great resources with articles and help are:
http://www.dodgerslist.com and http://www.handicappedpets.com
Barbara & Frankie
http://www.joyfulpaws.com
My Mini-Dach "Vinny" yipped when I picked him up one evening and then later that night started standing on the top of his toes on his left rear leg... pads up... I looked at him for a minute and then I dropped to my knees and started to cry... I had tried to keep him thin and was never ever able to keep him from jumping much less catch him to stop him... so I blamed myself...
I took him to the Vet the next day and she prescribed an anti-inflam, pain pill and told me to watch him. The next day he lost both legs. I took him back at 7am frantic... This time another Vet tested him for DPS pinching his toes and prescribed Prednisone,Valium and a pain pill. He told me to crate him and check him everyday to make sure he can feel when I pinch his rear toes. I carry him from the crate to the yard and back crying every day he can't walk but can pee and poo on his own and he feels his toes. The X-Ray showed calcified disc spaces L3-4,L3-5, T11-T12 no ruptures...
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated as I can't even stop crying as I write this...
Vinny is 6 years old currently. Vinny came to be as a rescue, at 7 days old he was filled with hook & whip worms and was cold and lifeless his eyes and ears were still closed. I took him to the Vet and he filled his stomach with milk and warmed him. He told me not to expect him to live. I fed him with a syringe every 2 hours and slept on the sofa with him on my chest next to my heart. By morning he was able to raise hiis head and had one eye open. I am the first thing he saw. I have given him the best of food and filtered water and toys and all the love I have he is my child.
Please help me help him....
Thank you and Bless you,
Belinda
onlyonebelinda@aol.com
I want to thank you for this blog it has helped me gain some sort of hope for my little man and his recovery. Pootie is also a long haired dapple who looks almost exactly like your Mr. Famous especially in his puppy photo. So yesterday a woodchuck got into my parent's backyard and all three of my dachshund went after it with Pootie's sisters getting very superficial injuries of a scratch and a bite mark but of course my baby wrenched his back and was rushed to the animal hospital because he was walking like a cat all hunched over. The x-rays showed no fractures or breaks and like your man they put him on a muscle relaxer w\ some pain killers and said to watch him, come back in a week for a weekly check up, and crate rest for another 3 weeks.
The vet said that if he doesn't get better within the week then he will need surgery and I guess I am concerned because one of my past dogs had been put down after a failed surgery leaving her paralyzed. Olga and Pootie are very different she was older and very over weight, which we were working on from her previous owners. Reading your story gives me tons of hope that Pootie will be fine because he is to young, especially at heart, to be placed in a doggie wheel chair or even worse put down.
Thank you again and I hope Mr Famous is doing well, three years later.
My dog oscar probably will need surgery tomorrow. How much should I budget for this?
Sending all our love to Mr famous, our 4 yr old baby had surgery last night. Going through the same thoughts and scary process right now. We hopefully get to pick him up tomorrow. Thank you so much for your posts. We are thinking of doing a blog of Barney's recovery for others out there going through the same thing. As like you know there is no other way of knowing what to expect. We are so scared and still unsre, as I'm sure you are. Our thoughts and preys for all little daxi's going through the same process, Candice and James.
Thanks for sharing this. Our little Gimli went into surgery earlier today for the same issue, but with 2 disks. He is in recovery and now the waiting period starts to see if there is damage or the nerves start working again.
-Mellissa Remofer
Hope all the doxies on here have a speedy recovery, our four year old suddenly dropped while playing ball in the house first trip to the vet he was limping one leg. Meds and rest, so we came home and took a 2 hour nap and when we woke lost both legs, tail and bodily functions. Another fast trip and X-rays showed a type 1 rupture. Surgery is out of the question for us due to cost. So kennel rest with pain pills, well not working at all and actually getting worse. Any twitch and he cries. Our family can not stand to see our little guy like this so Fri we have to do the worst thing and put our little buddy down. Hope the best for all of you.
Going through the same thing right now. Won't know if surgery was successful for a few days. I know about the cost being a problem. We got them to come down a bit. I couldn't have afforded it but thank God my wife could. Our Cody is 2 years old and has become a part of the family. I didn't even want to get a dog and now I'm taking this the hardest. I haven't felt like this since I lost my parents. Praying for a full recovery for all the dogs out there. Drew
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