IVDD French Bulldog - ep. 3 Recovery and Medications

Recovery
You may notice your dog looks or acts worse after surgery or for the first few days on medications. This is normal as the drugs sedate them and make them wobbly and unsteady. Theyre usually pretty out of it.
 
·      6-8 weeks crate rest minimum
·      Carry up and down any stairs- indefinitely
·      Exercise Restriction:  Kennel or play pen that is one body length wide and 2 body lengths long. No running, jumping, walking, or using stairs at this time.
·      Bedding – 1inch of thickness per 10lbs, we recommend orthopedic bedding with blankets or potty pads on top. Bolsters such as rolled up blankets, towels, or pool noodles may be used to keep them on their stomach or offer head support for full body paralysis.
·      Harness, slow walk, on short leash for potty ONLY
o   Help em up harness is great for dogs who cannot walk
·      If the dog is not using its legs, bladder expression will be needed. Preferably every 3 hours but there is concern if the dog is not urinating every 12 hours.
·      Physical therapy 3x daily
·      6 week check up to decide what the next steps are, if they’re even needed
·      Time out doors is VITAL to recovery – even if it’s just potty time or sitting for 30 minutes at a time in the sun. If mobile- 3-5x daily for 5-10 minutes initially.
 
Medications Commonly Used:
 
Tramadol: Opioid-like medication
Nsaid: Carprofen, meloxicam, and deracoxib

 
What we were Given After Surgery-
·      Prednisone – anti inflammatory steroid- may cause hunger, thirst, urination, panting – will need to be weaned off, do NOT abruptly stop giving this medication
·      Trazadone – sedative
·      Codene- opioid pain, may cause constipation and sedation THIS IS A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
·      Cerenia- anti nausea
·      Diazepam- muscle relaxer causes sedation and increased hunger
·      Prazosin – medication makes it easier to express the bladder
·      Gabapentin – nerve pain blocker, causes mild sedation for the first 2 weeks of use, liver function needs to be monitored during use long term
 
We made a chart for our medications.


o   Incision – do not get wet or apply creams or ointment. Monitor daily for redness, swelling, discharge, and loose sutures
o   Usually a recheck will happen in 10-14 days with suture removal.
o   Passive range of motion Physical Therapy and Massage (at home)
o   Red light or Cold laser therapy
 
 
 
Things we didn’t have to use but may be an option for you:
o   Acupuncture
o   Hydro therapy – walking on a treadmill in water
o   CBD
o   Gentle chiropractic care can be beneficial to non surgical candidates
 
Osiris was starting to walk 14 days post paralyzation
 
What we were given for nonsurgical recovery
·      Gabapentin
·      Prednisone
Dahlia was walking within 10 days of paralyzation in hind legs

 
Reoccurrence, treatment options
Medical management (medication and crate rest) is successful greater than 50% of the time.
Although strict crate rest may resolve the first episode of weakness the chance of recurrence is very high and often more severe and harder to fix surgically.
 
Surgery is successful greater than 95% of the time when the patient is still able to perceive deep pain and odds are even better if they can wag their tail.
 
However multiple surgeries may still be needed! I have heard of people doing 3+ surgeries.
 
Once there is loss of peed pain, and or tone. Success rates drop to 10% and patients can die from spinal cord disease.
 
Consider PLDA as a preventative (covered in video 5)
 

 
Incontinence may be a worry too.
Diapers
Potty pads in crates and common areas may be a big help as well
If you’re having a hard time with your dog urinating and defecating on their own here are some tips
-              Use a large qtip with lube, put in the the anus about an inch and swirl it around gently. Some people recommend putting an ice cube in. These both stimulate nerves.
-              To Urinate put your pets backside on your knee (like they’re sitting, with a potty pad). Using both hands (all of your hands, not just the finger tips),place on each side of the belly area, sometimes you can feel a full bladder-  firmly, with steady pressure, squeeze to release. Do not let go until the bladder has fully emptied.
o   Some people will lay females on their side to express the bladder, it all depends on the location of the ivdd and what’s affected.  

 
Ask your vet about different ointments or powders that can help cut down on moisture retention and irritation. Things like Aquaphor can help to create a barrier on the skin.
 
There are tools to help your pup with mobility too!
 
Consider getting your pup some wheels so they can zoom around for their actives to stay relevant in the family, keep their mind sharp, and enriched.

Raised feeding bowls and water will help especially with cervical patients.
 
Strollers! We use strollers all the time especially for puppies
 
Help em up harness – neurologist recommended