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Isabela | 4 years ago
Can A Dog With Ivdd Walk Again Without Surgery?

My dog was recently given the prognosis of intervertebral disc disease or herniated disc. His hind legs currently are not working and are possibly paralyzed but he still has feeling in them. The surgery for him to get better is something that we can not afford and our not sure what to do. Is there any way for him to walk again without the surgery? Is there any other treatments we can try?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. Some dogs can recover from this even if they don’t have the decompression surgery. It takes time, a lot of intensive at home care and assistance and patience. I have a lot of information on conservative management on my blog and YouTube channel. Please search my name and IVDD on both sites and you can see a patient named Hank who recovered without surgery. It took him almost three weeks to be able to walk again. It is absolutely imperative to have access to pain medications, and the time to invest in their care. It is also very important to have a vet who will help you. Good luck.

    1. Isabela Post author

      Hello,
      I watched your videos and they were very helpful! I just have a couple more questions though. What type of therapy/rehab did u start hank with? Will starting therapy too early hurt the process? Do you think acupuncture is a good idea?

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Steph | 4 years ago
My 11 Year Old Cat Has A Lump On Her Hind Leg Which I Believe Was Caused …

My 11 year old cat has a lump on her hind leg which I believe was caused by a knock to the area after being chased by a neighbours dog that entered my garden, causing my cat to run under the house, I heard the scuffle & not long after she developed this lump, which my vet diagnosed as a seroma, they took a biopsy which was inconclusive. The assesment states Distal left hindlimb mass 1.5 cm tumour (bening or neoplastic) with enlargement due to seroma. She shows no signs of pain in area only when touched, walks fine and is acting perfectly normal. Vet recommended surgical removal costing $1800 .Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I include an image of actual lump

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your cat. I’m not sure what your question is but if it’s not bothering your cat why don’t you just give it some time to see if it resolves on its own?

  2. Sarah

    Good morning- many seromas are absorbed back into the body over time. So long as your cat is not in pain, and your vet doesn’t feel as if it is something more than a seroma, I would see if it fixes itself.

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Mandy | 4 years ago
My Boy Cat Became Unwell And Didn’t Eat Or Drink. His Ears Are Always An …

My boy cat became unwell and didn’t eat or drink. His ears are always an issue so wondered if it was this, we also noticed he was guarding his back legs and was hesitant to sit just before all this. They did bloods and checked his ears, the diagnosis was firstly they noticed his teeth were bad and his ears were not great so we were scheduled in for dental work three days later he got steadily worse and I was petrified he was going to die, so I took him in on the Thursday ( day before surgery was to happen) and I said I thought he was dehydrated. So they checked him over ( were not allowed in due to coronavirus so I’ve not seen anything they’ve done) they initially they said he could come home and they’d see him for dental work day after, next call was he needs to stay to be on fluids overnight. That they would do the surgery the next day and call after to let me know how he went on. I insisted they call me to let me know how he was before he went under. He was “ fine and coming to the cage front for head rubs” they did the dental surgery at 4pm ish and called to say come get him. He was very groggy and wobbly on his legs, we put this down to the drugs. He gradually got les mobile on his hind legs and is now totally paralysed and drags his legs along ( he still moves at speed though.) we took him back and a different vet said “ you just have to make your home safe for him this is how he is now, it’s that or put him down” no explanation why he’s suddenly like this, no care or give a damn!!
So he’s now not pooping and is just peeing constantly. I took him today for his post op follow up dental check And said I thought his bladder was full and he wasn’t pooping he said they took a pee sample and gave me laxatives ( lactulose) £30 and told me to watch YouTube to learn how to express his bladder!! I’m in bits and I’m so scared I am going to lose him. He’s my baby and he’s such a sweet boy I want to do what’s best for him. Please help I am just in a daze and feel so let down!

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is there a veterinary college near you? If possible can you go there? Or a feline specialist. I think you need to find someone reputable and credible to help understand what is going on? I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty.

  2. Sarah

    That is terrible- I am so sorry. I think I would find another vet immediately. Explain everything that has happened.

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Vivienne Barnes | 4 years ago
My Groomer Told Me Holly Has A Fungal Infection On Her Pads And To Use Apple …

My groomer told me Holly has a fungal infection on her pads and to use Apple Cider Vinegar which I did. Poor Holly nearly went crazy, I believe it stung her. Any suggestions please? Also Holly has lots of lumps everywhere which my vet says are harmless. however she has licked those on her toes and they are now raw and bleeding, suggestions please for a treatment.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Your groomer shouldn’t be diagnosing your pup. Please go to your vet for that and the treatment plan. We cannot, not should anyone other than your vet diagnose a health issue or recommend a treatment plan.

  2. Sarah

    I think I would check with the vet before starting anything. I am quite sure it is advice given with good intentions, but it would be smart to make sure that your vet is aware that there is an issue. They can prescribe something to help.

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Madison | 4 years ago
My 2 Year Old Dog Has Lost 5 Whiskers This Month Is It Normal? He Is Eating Fine …

My 2 year old dog has lost 5 whiskers this month is it normal? He is eating fine and drinking fine.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is there a way you can ask your vet to check the skin and make sure this isn’t a health issue? I would start there.

  2. Laura

    Hi Madison – you asked this question a week ago, and Dr. M suggested calling the vet. Have you done that yet?

    1. Madison Post author

      Hello I didn’t see the post last time but I’m calling the vet right now

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Mohan | 4 years ago
My Dog Ran Out Of My House And Got Bitten By Dogs And Returned Back . The …

My dog ran out of my house and got bitten by dogs and returned back . The right front leg has some bite marks and that’s all. It’s day two and he is yelling in pain. In day 1 , he used to walk with 3 legs. But in day 2, he is struggling to walk at all. He got pain in the other 3 legs too. I think rabies is not the issue as it shows symptoms only after a week.

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  1. Sarah

    A dog bite is always an emergency. Even if it looks small- chances are it is much worse and the chance for infection is very high. Please get to a vet if you haven’t already. I hope things are ok!

  2. Mohan Post author

    My dog is doing good now. He can now run with 3 legs. I haven’t seen any rabies dogs in my street. Can I consult a vetenerian after a week or a month? Because vets are hard to find in this quarantine.

    1. Laura

      No, this needs to be handled immediately due to the risk of infection. If untreated, infection can and will kill your dog.

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Yana | 4 years ago
Hi Dr. Krista, My Name Is Yana And I Have Beagle Mix Charlie Who Injured His …

Hi Dr. Krista,

My name is Yana and I have beagle mix Charlie who injured his neck on 07/08/20 last week. We took him 10 flights of stairs for exercise and 30 min later he started crying in the dog park then yelping in the car and screaming at night. We took him to the ER and he was diagnosed with neck disc injury and prescribed Methocarbamol, Gabapentin, Tramadol and Caprofen. He seemed to be fine, not paralyzed but screaming 1-2 times a day usually on potty brakes. Then he started having episodes when he became more stiff and lifted his front paws…usually in the morning after sleep. We took him to a neurologist on 07/13/20 but he said he is 1 from 6 and not that bad. He stopped Caprofen and prescribed Prednisone, Fentanyl Patch and Acepromazine with other medications from the ER. So we were spacing out medications because we were afraid to give too much. He did not seem to be improving and we started all meds. He seems better after he screams like pressure relieved and he can lift his head and move more free.

Long story short, we placed him in a boarding hospital due to us living in a studio in highrise on the 10th floor, working from home and being 7 month pregnant. We are planning to visit another neurologist on monday and hopefully get x rays or mri.

Questions:

In your video with Hank he was paralysed and recovered in 17 days. So far I don’t see much positive progress in our dog and he is not paralized. How much chance do we have or what we should do moving forward?

October 2019 he had a similar episod and I took him to the vet, no x-rays were performed. Two reasons indicated neck or teeth. More towards teeth inflammation which I was focusing on by brushing and adding supplements. Medications prescribed Cephalexin and Carprofen. He got better in 3 days but his screams were not that severe. Should we try Cephalexin?

Any help, suggestion on advice will be highly appreciated! If we can bring him to your facility for boarding and recovery at least till he doesn’t have those screams we would like to do that! Please let us know how much it costs since it adds up quickly and I know that surgery is very expensive.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. I’m also sorry but I don’t have a clear picture of what’s going on now or what you are worried about.
    I cannot order advice on which medications to use as I don’t know him or his condition.
    I have lots of videos on YouTube and lots of advice on my blog. Maybe they can help?

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Kayla | 4 years ago
My 1 Year Old Cavapoo Was Spayed 3 Months Ago And Had To Have Her Incision Re-done 2 Weeks …

My 1 year old cavapoo was spayed 3 months ago and had to have her incision re-done 2 weeks ago after not healing properly the first time (vet said she was allergic to the sutures) it looks to me like the incision is doing the same thing this time! What do I do??? Take her to a different vet for a second opinion??? Treat at home with triple antibiotic ointment and crate her for a week??? First pic is before her second surgery the crusty scabby one is today (stitches and staples) out yesterday

2 Responses

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  1. Kayla Post author

    It wont let me upload pics, but to me the first time it looked like a hernia and now it looks like a sore (what the other one looked like at first)

  2. Sarah

    Good morning- First thing I would do is phone the vet this morning. Tell them that you want to be seen ASAP so that the same thing doesn’t happen again. Having said that- if you are not comfortable with your vet, I would advise a second opinion from a different practice. Perhaps a few phone calls to friends for a recommendation and then call for an appointment. Best of luck. Please keep us posted.

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Nicole | 4 years ago
My 11yr Old Lab/Mastiff Mix Was Diagnosed With A Mass On Her Spleen. It’s …

My 11yr old Lab/Mastiff mix was diagnosed with a mass on her spleen. It’s currently not bleeding, but we are trying to figure if we should go ahead with the surgery or not. I feel in my heart she has still more life in her, but I also know that if it’s cancerous she won’t have long. I know in the long run it’s my decision, but I just need to hear what others think.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In my experience I have found removing it before it starts bleeding and becomes a serious life threatening issue is far better than waiting for this to happen.

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Gloria | 4 years ago
Has Anyone Noticed That Orange Cats Are More “itchy” Or Is It Just Me?

Has anyone noticed that orange cats are more “itchy” or is it just me? We have one now who itches an awful lot–way more than his brothers who are darker colors (black and tabby). They are all treated with Revolution every month.

Previous to these cats, I had a different orange cat who itched so much the vet ended up giving him steroid shots, which helped some. Since redhead and blond people seem to have more hay fever etc., I wonder if it’s similar for redhead cats.

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