Question
Profile Image
Megan | 2 years ago
Our 10 Year Old Beagle Bassett Hound Mix Has Been Down Since Last Wednesday. She Had What …

Our 10 year old Beagle Bassett hound mix has been down since last Wednesday. She had what we thought was a seizure, and couldn’t get up after. We took her to the vet, and they kept her but said that she wasn’t giving any indication to where the pain was or where the infection might be (a blood panel revealed high WBC) Sent her home with phenobarbital and clindamycin for the infection. Fast forward to yesterday, they decided to do an x ray and discovered she has degenerated vertebrae that have fused. They gave us prednisone and methocarbamol and advised us to call in on Friday if no improvement. Our poor girl can’t get up hardly at all, and the vet isn’t giving me any information as to what caused this, if it’s curable or manageable. I don’t know what I’m up against and a 2nd opinion isn’t something we can afford right now.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would probably go find a different vet and ask for more help. It doesn’t sound like your vet is helping you enough. I also think that a full patient care conversation is warranted. I talked about how to help manage these guys wrt feeding peeing pooping ambulating and pain meds. I also talk about methocarbamol as I think these guys need this. Also ask about gabapentin and acupuncture.

    I have a lot of information on my blog and YouTube channel. Kmdvm.blogspot.Com search Ivdd.

    1. Megan Post author

      Thank you so much. Does this seem like IVDD to you? That’s how I came across your blog, and to me, the symptoms you describe sound a lot like what our girl is experiencing.

Question
Profile Image
Beth | 3 years ago
Help Dr. Magnifico Of Jarrettsville Vet Our Beautiful 13 Year Old Husky/beagle Mix Sadie Was Struggling …

Help Dr. Magnifico of Jarrettsville Vet Our beautiful 13 year old Husky/beagle mix Sadie was struggling with getting up and climbing stairs because we thought her arthritis was getting worse. We took her in to the vet to get some pain medicine and they discovered that she has a large tumor on her spleen. We were told that the surgery is quite expensive. We are unable to afford much due to our current financial situation. The doctor suggested that we should euthanize her if we were not going to try to do the surgery. we have scheduled an appointment for tomorrow. 6/3 with lap of love.
My husband was looking for solutions because she is walking around and it is so hard for us to imagine putting her down. We saw the article by Dr. Magnifico. We tried to call Jarrettsville vet and they told us our only option was to put a question on here. Beth.a.acton@gmail.com

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. I am happy to see your pet at my vet clinic in Maryland. It is the only way I can offer pertinent advice that is specific to each patient.
    Without a biopsy it is impossible to know whether this is benign or not. Also in some cases the mass may be an incidental finding (no clinical relevance). We should always treat the patient and not make presumptive decisions, especially euthanasia.
    I feel it to be morally and ethically dishonest to ever recommend euthanasia without a definitive diagnosis AND a suffering patient.

    I hope this helps. I apologize for the delay.

Question
Profile Image
Kimberly | 3 years ago
9 Yr. Old Beagle Recovering From Cervical Spine Surgery

Hello. My 9 yr. old Beagle, Treble, is 9 days post op of a ventral slot surgery to clean a herniated disk and decompress 2 more. His whole cervical spine is not in the greatest condition. He could walk prior to and after surgery. He had severe pain after surgery and was placed on gabapentin, ketamine injections, something to protect his stomach, stool softeners, an antibiotic and a steroid. He returned home after 2 days where he was rested and carried downstairs to the bathroom. He seemed better by day 5 but still woke up shaking and in pain. The 5th day, he yelled in pain when we lifted him, and again only worse when we placed him down and he tried to walk. The vet told us to take him to physical therapy. We are 9 days out and since he finished his steroid, they moved him to NSAIDS. He has been doing well. Still stiff and painful in the morning but generally better and walking around by the afternoon. Today, he stepped up while the PT was doing laser therapy and when he moved, he cried out painfully for a while again. The PT immediately took him to the on call vet. His opinion was that Treble, because of his age, would probably deal with that pain (almost like a pinched nerve or catch) for the rest of his life and there’s nothing to stop it. It happens occasionally but not all the time. My questions are, since we are only 9 days out of surgery, could the nerve potentially heal enough that he doesn’t scream in pain every few days, the sound which haunts me. Also, he’s been walking a lot with the PT every day. Is that okay or should he mostly be resting? His neck range of motion is good and the leg causing most of the painful issues has been checked with no pain upon touching. I want to hope that he won’t be in that kind of pain for years. He has always been pretty resilient.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    It sounds like you have done a really amazing job at this complicated disease. It also sounds like you need some additional help with pain management. I would ask about further options. I like methocarbomal for these cases but other options like gabapentin and buprenorphine are also meds to inquire about.
    It takes time and beagles are pretty notorious for being vocal and hesitant about handling after trauma or surgery.

    I hope this helps. I have a lot of information on this on my blog and YouTube channel.

    Best of luck.

Question
Profile Image
Jessie | 3 years ago
Hi! This Is My First Time Posting Here! We Are Taking Our Baby Rusty To The …

Hi! This is my first time posting here!

We are taking our baby Rusty to the Vet next week. He has been recovering from Parvo this past week after being hospitalized for 6 days. He is doing AMAZING. Eating great, keeping it down. Still has slight runny poop/diarrhea. But we know that was to be expected. No blood, colors great.

We take him to the vet next week for a check up to see how he’s doing.

My husband and I noticed a tiny red spot on his arm where his vitals/catheter was they stuck in him at the hospital. We thought at first he was just picking at a scab, so to prevent it I went to wrap it back up and bought a inflatable cone from Petsmart.

As I was about to wrap it up, I noticed it was a pretty big open area exposed. Looking closer, I see a tiny pinpoint hole in the middle. At first, I thought it was again from the vitals they put in his arm.

Looking on Google being paranoid, I came across the possibility of warbles. My heart sank.

I just wanted to know what you think. He has been doing so so well. All my life my family has had dogs but never have had this issue before.

You can see it is right above where his previous bandage at the hospital was.. so not sure if it is really from all the IVs or warbles.

I really appreciate the feedback. Thank you so much!

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello! Welcome! I am so happy for you to hear that your pup is doing so well. Parvo is my most dreaded diagnosis as it always hits the very young and often it is either too expensive for people to treat it too severe for dogs to survive.
    I would place the ecollar and make sure he can’t lick the area. And I would also keep it cleans and dry. I usually don’t wrap it because it can be too tight and cause really bad problems for rhe leg and cover up a wound I would rather have people observing daily. Covered up leans you can’t see it and I want to to be monitoring it.

    If it worsens call your vet and have it looked at asap.

    Good luck

Question
Profile Image
Breauna | 3 years ago
Hello I Recently Watched A Lot Of Your Videos On Youtube About Ivdd And The Beagle …

Hello I recently watched a lot of your videos on youtube about ivdd and the beagle you were taking care of. My Gracie was diagnosed with ivdd yesterday and my vet gave her a steroid shot and she is now on steroid medication prednisone, pain killers and muscle relaxers. She is not able to walk or stand on her own, her right leg drags, her left leg seems normal. I have been using a makeshift sling to help her use the restroom, she is able to pee and poop on her own as long as I am helping her stand outside with a sling. She sometimes sits up in bed but mainly only using her upper body. Is this a good sign? My vet said I need to put her on a diet and give her strict rest but my vet also said if she is not better in two days I should take her to get surgery. I am relucatant to get surgery not just because of the cost but because my Gracie is 11 years old and I am afraid that it could worsen the paralysis in her other legs or it might be only a temporary fix. Me and my parents want to try naturally helping her, and I am not sure how to start or what to do. Should I just try making her get strict cage rest and see what happens or should I start physical therapy right away? I am planning on calling my vet to see what she thinks but from what she told me yesterday she seems pretty set on surgery only. Gracie has only been laying on one side when laying down. Her left side. Her right side is the side with the bad dragging leg. She is eating well and drinking well, I just want her to get better soon. Any advice or suggestions you can give me would be great. Thank you Krista.
Sincerely,
Gracie’s mom.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    So sorry about Gracie. Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos on YouTube regarding ivdd AND she has information on her blog- diary of a real life veterinarian- that you may find helpful. Very best of luck to you and Gracie!!????????

Question
Profile Image
Jessica | 4 years ago
My Dog Is A 7 Year Old Beagle Cross That Loves To Wander In Our Lush Paddocks. …

My dog is a 7 year old beagle cross that loves to wander in our lush paddocks. Yesterday morning he came back from his morning border patrol rather sheepishly and i noticed a red swollen patch on one side of his muzzle. It was obviously sore the way he didnt want me to touch it and he quivered his lip. I decided to monitor it closely to see if it warranted emergency vet care and it seemed to remain the same throughout the day. It didnt swell up anymore and he seemed to be ok with it. So I decided to not rush him to the vet. However at dinner time I noticed him trying to lick his lip repetitively and then i was shocked to see a weird round bump had appeared. It was clearly uncomfortable for him but there was no vet open at this time of night so I decided to watch him over night as he sleeps in bed with me. He is eating and drinking fine. He has been licking it most of the night but the lump seems to be the same size. It is now 4 am and I am wondering if I should take him to the vet today? What do you think could have caused this? I thought perhaps he just got bitten by an ant or stung by a bee or something.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It’s time for the vet. I don’t think it’s an emergency but they need to take a look at it. If it hasn’t gone away within a few hours or worsens over days it’s time for the vet.

Question
Profile Image
Tim | 4 years ago
I Just Came Across Your Video Of Hank The Beagle From Dec. 2016 And It Gives Me …

I just came across your video of Hank the beagle from Dec. 2016 and it gives me hope.

Our beagle Katy just had surgery for a ruptured disc between the T12-13 and T13-L1 vertebrae that was causing compression on the spinal cord. She had no use of her back legs.
She had a hemilaminectomy on the 13th after waking up with no use of her back legs.

We brought her home today the 18th, still no use of her back legs and we have to express her bladder for her.

Also It’s my first day but I can’t seem to get her bladder to express. She has leaked pretty consistently on the pad overnight.
One last thing. She tends to sit up and not want to lay down. Can she not do this on her own. When I guided her down she went right to sleep but I dont want to force anything that may cause damage.

Dr. said we should give it until the end of the month to see if overall improvement happens.

Any advice. Signs of hope to look for?
We are doing passive range of motion therapy with her.

Thank you so much,
Tim Perry

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There is a lot of missing information that makes this a little difficult to give advice on. Like how long she was down? What that looked like? How severe it was/ how long she waited for surgery, what her physical condition before was, etc Etc.
    Also who did the surgery. What did that look like? I don’t expect that you will know all of this but your vet should. And they should be a constant part of her recovery. I have a huge amount of information available on my blog and YouTube channel. Here tou will see how much work and effort these patients need in the first few days and weeks. How imperative it is to know how to palpate and empty a bladder. How much effort needs to be placed in pain a management and safe physical therapy. How many obstacles that can come up post op without even knowing that they are looming. See if there is anyone locally who can help. Use Facebook groups. And books to help guide you and insist that your vets help too. A month is too long to not have assistance. Prognosis is incredibly hard to prognosticate but the best cases have early and aggressive intervention and loads of assistance from the vet team.
    I really hope this helps. Best of luck!

Question
Profile Image
Barri | 4 years ago
Hello, I Was Wondering If You Have Had Experience With Dr. Jeff’s Daily Canine Care? …

Hello,
I was wondering if you have had experience with Dr. Jeff’s Daily Canine Care? My 13+ year old Beagle has some health problems and bad teeth. He currently is on proviable-DC and also takes 1/2 tablet of pepcid AC with each meal. Because of his age and health problems he is not a good candidate for teeth cleaning. Dr. Jeff’s Daily Canine Care advertised that it includes a probiotic, will help with teeth care including bad breath and other additional benefits. Wondering if this is worth a try? It costs about the same as the proviable-DC.
Thank you

This is what they advertise
l-carnatine rendering
L-carnitine
Weight control and energy

sea kelp rendering
Sea Kelp
Supports teeth and breath

probiotics rendering
Probiotics
Digestive/immune health, anti-allergy

fiber rendering
Fiber
Bowel and colon support

omega-3s rendering
Omega-3s
Reduce inflammation, condition skin/coat

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In my opinion bad teeth only have one good option. Dental cleaning and extractions. Everything else over the counter is false hope and wasted time. Sorry. Brutally honest. I have done loads and loads of bad dentals on older dogs. Every single time I really fretted the anesthesia and every time I have seen these guys flourish after it’s done. The longer you wait the worse it gets and the more afraid you get about doing it. There is no other good option. Sorry and good luck.

Question
Profile Image
Cristina | 4 years ago
Hi! I Have A 5-year-old Beagle Who Was Recently Diagnosed With IVDD. 5 Days Ago, He Woke …

Hi! I have a 5-year-old beagle who was recently diagnosed with IVDD. 5 days ago, he woke up with pain, and things got worse when he tried jumping on my bed. He was in so much pain that I could barely move him. I took him to the vet, and they prescribed him methocarbamol, tramadol, and prednisone. I gave him his medication the first day, but it did not help at all, and he continued being in a lot of pain. The next day I took him back to the vet, and they hospitalized him for a day to administer the medication through IV. That seemed to help a lot because now his practically back to normal. I’m still giving him the medication that was prescribed, but I recently noticed he has begun to walk a little bit slower and is panting a lot. I’m worried that his reason for panting is due to him being in pain. Also, I’m scared that he will have another crisis and go back to being in the pain he was before. Can anyone give me guidance on how to care for my dog?

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    Have you relayed this information to your vet? And have they given any other advice or requested you to bring him back in? Other than medication, have you been told to do anything else? (Cage rest, etc?) I do know that Dr.Magnifico has a lot of videos on ivdd on YouTube and through her blog. It may be a good idea for you to check those out and see if any advice she has will be helpful to your pup. Perhaps talk about some alternative therapies with your vet as well to get their opinion. I hope things are ok.????????

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The first few days of this disease are so difficult. Please lean on your vet and tell them how much you appreciate their help. It gets better. But it takes time and dedication with determination. Be patient and ask loads of questions. I have a ton of information on my blog and YouTube channel. I hope it helps. I’m here too if I can help.

Question
Profile Image
Amorphous | 4 years ago
Hi, While Looking For Information About My 15 Yo Beagle’s Combination Of Symptoms, I Came Across …

Hi, while looking for information about my 15 yo beagle’s combination of symptoms, I came across IVDD and a youtube video about Hank by Dr. Krista Magnifico. Several years ago, my beagle started having short tremors that would last a few seconds. Those are fairly common now, occurring multiple times an hour. Last year, she became incontinent at night, and leaked sometimes during the day. She is on Proin for that, and it has mostly stopped that issue. And in the last few months, her legs have started giving out from time to time. She doesn’t seem to act like she’s in pain, though she pants a lot, but always has, especially in the evenings. I have some short videos showing the tremors and her legs giving out, and I can provide you a link to Google photos if Dr. Magnifico would view them and let us know if it looks like IVDD or not. Thanks!

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is a diagnosis that needs to be provided by an inperson examination. In some cases an X-ray can help and in others a CT is needed. Please don’t diagnose without a vet doing an exam on your dog.