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On Friday my 6yr old mutt Carlito went “down” with IVDD. Back legs paralyzed. Dr Krista’s YouTube vids with the beagle were helpful but they started on day 10. Day 17 was a success to see him walking, I’ve been crying a lot but that gave me hope.
My dog Carlito and I are on day 3, start of day 4. Went to emergency vet immediately on Friday they diagnosed but didn’t prescribe- I called on Saturday morning because he was in much pain and the vet I talked to said she would have prescribed and wondered why I didn’t get anything. had to go back the next day for gabapentin and codine. So- got a late start on meds. Saturday afternoon started meds. Carlito only wanted to be in a “sit” position, which was rough on his two front legs which are curved and a bit -let’s be honest-malformed. I had a scarf I would hold under his armpits to relieve his legs and take the weight. Made a traction thing in his cage for a bit but I stopped keeping him in the cage as moving him was painful (for him) and difficult for me. He weighs 45lbs. He looks like a mini pit bull in the face and chest, but with a long body and short legs. He’s athletic usually. Fetching maniac. Chasing all wildlife. This is extremely upsetting.
I used banfield vets for first 3yrs, then moved so I just got his annual shots from the humane society. I don’t have a relationship with a vet. I can’t move him so I called a house call vet service and have one coming today.
Carlito is drinking a little water and urinating, but won’t eat food and hasn’t pooped since Friday when I found him.
I’m worried he hasn’t pooped, but he only ate once, I believe early Saturday (1am).
His penis is exposed and I’m worried about that. Pain? Infection?
I am mostly worried about him walking again.
He slept in a laying down position last night. Maybe that’s progress?
He cried out and bit me when I moved him Saturday morning so when I moved him once Sunday I put a muzzle on him and moved him from the floor to a bedding situation. I am hesitant to move him but I worry about his back legs and circulation?
He tenses up when I attempt to put my arms underneath him and resists my lifting him. I saw on the vid that you touched the place where -butch? The beagle- disc was out. Carlito has a mid back disc injury. Should I be patting him there? To send him the message that I will be conscious of this injury spot? I’ve been avoiding this because I though it would cause pain.
Also, should he be prescribed a stool softener? Steroids? Anti-inflammatory? I only have the gabapentin and codine.
What should I be doing at this stage for his back legs? Please advise. I have not really slept. I can’t afford surgery. I will put any and all vet bills and supplies on credit cards to get my good boy better. I just want to know what to do.
We have a new puppy, a 9wk doxipoo, he seems extremely lazy and doesn’t ever really want to move unless we make him. Even when he goes to the bathroom, he goes while laying down and it doesn’t seem to phase him? He doesn’t cry or whimper.. just lays there. His eating schedule has been quite unpredictable as well. At first I thought that he just needed an adjustment period to get used to his new people and place but now I’m getting worried. Shouldn’t he be playing more than this? Or at least have some interest in exploring? Should I be worried about Parvo or another sickness?
He came from an in-home breeder and I haven’t been able to get ahold of her since I became worried.
I would get to the vet immediately! Puppies should not be lethargic like that. And the fact that the person you got the puppy from is not getting back to you is concerning. Let your vet know your suspicions when you make the appointment so that they can be prepared. Best of luck. I hope things turn out ok.
Yes. I would be worried. Any abnormal behavior, especially in puppies this young , makes me very very worried. It’s time for a visit to the vet ASAP. I hope they check a parvo test and fecal. Along with physical exam and temp. Please go today. Let us know what the vet says.
Vet said could be PARVO, anemia from fleas, parasite or a congenital defect since he was so much smaller than the rest of the litter.
We’re hoping just anemia from fleas since that’d be easiest to treat
I have a one year old lab basset hound mix and I am a diabetic and I would like to train her to bark when ever my dexcom beeps Incase I don’t hear it but I’m just not sure how to train her to do that thank you
Good morning. There are a few ways to train your dog. Easiest way is with treats, if they are food driven. Decide on the signal you would like for your dog to give you and start there. Do you want your dog to come to you and put their paw on your lap, sit in front of you, etc? Then start working on that. While working on that, have the sound of the alarm from your monitor go off so that your dog associated the action with the sound and the reward. Start slow and small. Be sure to reward right away. Once you guys master sound/sit/reward, you can work on things from there. There are a lot of YouTube videos on training, and there are some very good dog trainers in our area- R Dogs and Polite Pooches our of 4 Paws in forest hill come to mind. Best of luck!!
My 6 year old Bijon Shih Tzu is a very active dog and has been running, jumping, and using her long legs her whole life. Just a couple of days ago she was about to push off her hind legs to run up the stairs as she has done thousands of times before and immediately screeched and ran off limping and then ultimately losing control of her hind legs. After a few minutes of resting she was hobbling along but was able to stand on all four. However the morning after she could not stand any longer on all four and los control of her hind legs. The Vet says she has IVDD and gave us options of surgery, treatments or putting her down. I couldn’t fathom that idea since she isn’t in pain, still wags her tail, still drinks, eats, and goes to the bathroom. I’m in desperate need of some support and help. She is a trooper and I know this cannot be the end. She is currently on meds from the vet and going in today for acupuncture treatment. She is left in her cage and we try to keep her resting as much as we can. I have watched Krista Magnifico’a videos on this subject and hoping my dog can recover as the beagle she cared for did.
Hello.
I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I have a lot of information on my YouTube channel and blog.
Please go there, read everything,and explain to your vet how you feel and if they aren’t supportive find one who is. These cases take a lot of time and TLC but many can recover if given the chance.
Heres the link to my blog; go to it and search “IVDD” https://kmdvm.blogspot.com/
and use YouTube too,,, my channel has lots on Hank,
Very best of luck!
Krista
Can you help me with my case please
I have a 5 year old male Maltese and all he does is bark we have tried everything I have done training with him I have tried anxiety meds for dogs I have tried bark collars thunder vest and even leaving a tv on with dog music a blanket with my scent toys bones and nothing at all works and my neighbors get really upset and complain about his barking and have even threatened to call animal control but I don’t know what to do any more please help
Hello,
I firmly believe that every dog barks for a very good reason. The challenge is spending enough time and effort to figure out what they are trying to tell you.
Start at the vets office with an examination and diagnostics. Look for any signs of pain, infection, allergy, inflammation, discomfort, etc. I always (ALWAYS!) also do a rectal exam to check anal sacs. Then we talk about the home life environment. How much exercise and attention is your dog getting? Has anything changed in the household? A recent arrival or departure? Anything?
If the barking is becoming obsessive and troublesome talk about seeing a behaviorist and starting anxiety medication. Medication should only be used after everything else is ruled out and a behavior modification plan is underway.
please keep us posted on your progress.. good luck! I hope that everything works out ok
My 3 year old cat has a red bump on his arm, any ideas? He is acting normal, eating normally and doesn’t mind when I touch it. Thanks!
Hello,
In general bumps and lumps are pretty close to impossible to diagnose with a photo. In many cases an aspirate or biopsy is needed to definitely diagnose it. My best advice is always to see your vet and inquire about removing it before it becomes a problem. Let us know what happens.
2 months old male kitten with first vaccination only, one scaly patch near take.
Hello,
Can you elaborate more on this and formulate it into a question please ?
My dog is constantly humping stuffed animals and another male dog. What do I do?
Humping is behavioral. Corrections are key, here. How old is he? What happens if you firmly tell him to stop?
SO I noticed my kitten has a UTI and I couldn’t afford to do a bladder express surgery so I brought him home and I came across a video of sometimes you can express the penis to see if the calculi comes out and if it does you don’t need a catheter. So I gave it try at home and some white stuff came out like salt and he peed so much! What a relief but then this morning he was straining again and I helped him again and more white stuff came out (they look like white salts) I am trying to figure what is this white stuff and I am thinking it’s the magnisum that I am giving him since he can’t walk due to Bengal polyneuropathy. How can we flush him out ? Does he need surgery to remove these white specs? What antibiotics should we get to help him with pain? I need help please
It looks like that is crystals. I would advise you getting to the vet and talking to them. Until then, I would make sure he is hydrated and drinking LOTS and possibly continue expressing and hopefully more will continues to come out. Even if he starts urinating on his own, I would get a visit to the vet. Let us know how Hong’s are going.
What kind of medication should I get ? If he is able to expel them would he be okay? He is able to pee but he keeps straining I believe trying to expel them out ? if he is expelling these crystals can it do harm to his penis?
Rectal prolapse…
I’ve taken in a little kitten that kept on visiting us about two weeks ago.. He’s about 15 weeks old. Took him to vet for first visit on July 5. He’s always has a slightly protruding rectum. Vet said probably from straining because of parasites. Gave him Profender – purge dewormer- and Revolution Plus. Could still see tapeworm segments even two/three days ago. Rectum looks good in the morning and then once he has a bowel movement his rectum prolapses – looks like a red Cheerio (for size visualization). He has a vet appointment next Friday. Should he go sooner to the vet? What can I do in the meantime? Saline rinse? Sugar water soak? Vaseline? Or nothing? Thanks!!!
Hello,
As long as it is going back into the rectum I would just keep monitoring. It usually prolapses a little after a bowel movement. If it comes out and stays out, like long and tubular versus donut or cheerio, then hopefully it will resolve with time and appropriate diet and anthelmintic (anti parasite) treatment. I recommend a very good age appropriate diet and recheck fecal exams. If it comes out keep it lubricated and we your vet ASAP.
Thanks for the response! He had a bowel movement a bit ago…and there was another tapeworm? segment on his anus 🙁 And it seems that his prolapse is looking redder, but not sure. My other concern is that I’m supposed to go out of town tomorrow and wonder if he should possibly go to after hours clinic.
Hello
I have information on ivdd on my YouTube channel and my blog kmdvm.blogspot.com. Search hank or ivdd. I also think that it is super important to have a vet available daily for the first week or two. If you have been happy with your housecall vet use them. But you need help this first week dusky
If your dog isn’t eating regularly they won’t defecate regularly. . So I think you need to get the pain under control first. I also always recommend wet food. It’s easier to eat and softer to pass. Ask about option for pain and even a referral to a neurologist. I also always advocate for the Facebook group called dodgers list. They are super helpful.
Hi-
So sorry that you are going through all of this. I would start with the house vet that you have coming over, since you do not yet have a regular vet. Ask them and share your concerns with them. I would mention the research that you have already done online as far as treatment options go. See what information and knowledge they have to share. I would also start asking around for opinions on local vets who are close to you… in case your visit with the vet you have making the house call does t work out. Dr. Magnifico has many videos on this and she also has a blog that you can look up for advice. I would definitely discuss pain management with the vet, options for how to help maneuver Carlito, stool softeners and possibly vitamin supplement until he is eating better….. I hope this helps. There are many knowledgeable friends on this sight. I am hoping someone that has had more experience with your situation logs on. Best ofluck to you and carlito!!
Thank you for the replies. I really like my visiting vet. She prescribed prednisone and I’m adding Pepcid. Carlito is on Gabapentin and codine. So hopefully the steroid helps calm the inflammation. This is Day 5. He pooped a little yesterday. I’m getting better at expressing his bladder on a schedule. I put a muzzle on to move him so he doesn’t bite, and while that helps me confidently pick him up for pee/poop check I wonder if it silences his pain cries so maybe I can’t know as well as before if what I’m doing is causing pain. I have a pretty good idea of what positions are painful for him but this positions seem to be changing as the pain meds kick in. He seems more depressed than scared now, but that could also be the meds.
He also seems weaker, he seem less able to “stand” or support himself in a sit position on his two front legs but again, maybe it’s the pills.
I have a rear leg sling coming on Thursday. (Day 7) and think if I put that on I can have Carlito start “standing” and possibly walking on his front legs again. WHEN is it ok to start that movement? How regular should that be? I’m going to research PT that I can start at home.