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Christiana | 5 years ago
I Am So Lost In Caring For My Chihuahua/dachshund Mix. She Was Diagnosed With IVDD …

I am so lost in caring for my Chihuahua/dachshund mix. She was diagnosed with IVDD on Sunday December 15, 2019. Surgery was not an option financially so we opted for conservative treatment combined with acupuncture and the Assisi loop treatments. The one thing I can not get a definitive answer on if she needs to 24/7 cage rest of if letting her rest with us on the couch in the evenings okay. Some blogs says strict cage rest for 8 weeks and only out for potty time while many others suggest other treatment plans. I just want to know if I am hurting my fur baby by letting her rest on the couch with me or not. Since the start of her treatments she has gone from full paralysis in her hind legs and being in continent to being able to walk a little and has full control over her bladder/bowels in just a little over a week!

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos posted on YouTube that may be helpful to you. She has a lot of experience with IVDD and has posted blogs about it as well. Don’t give up- especially since your pup is showing improvement. Best of luck to you guys!

  2. Krista Magnifico

    In my opinion it is 24/7 cage rest unless they are in your arms ( while you are awake) or outside going potty. No expeditions. Ever. Because one accidental anything can result in reinjury and loss of any healing you have gained. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck.

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Lea | 5 years ago
I Have A 4 Year Old Miniture Dachshund That Suddenly Couldn’t Walk Anymore We Took Him …

I have a 4 year old miniture dachshund that suddenly couldn’t walk anymore we took him to the emergency room and they took some x Ray’s and stated that there were a couple disks that looked concerning. We were told to keep him in the cage for 4 weeks and see how things go 2 days he seems worse so we took him to the vet and they said make sure that he continues to eat and drink and urinate. IVDD surgery seems like one of our only options however, I dont want it to fail and have him be in more pain any suggestion?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I would say that in general veterinarians agree that surgery done as soon as possible is the best course of treatment for the next long term prognosis. I tell my clients that it is usually about a $7-10,000 endeavor. If this is not affordable (which is the majority of cases) to provide medical management and strict cage rest. And that they usually get worse over 3-5 days and not better. I also say to focus all your time and attention to basic husbandry. Keep them clean dry and pain free and monitor for urination. Also start PT in about day 4-6. Most pets don’t defecate for a few days so keep food watery and soup like. Time, safe housing (crate 24/7 except for bathroom supervised) and pain control are mandatory. After that patience. I hope this helps.

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Lisa | 5 years ago
I Just Had My 5 Month Old Kitten Spayed On Friday Dec 13, 2019. On Sunday There Was A …

I just had my 5 month old kitten spayed on Friday Dec 13, 2019. On Sunday there was a good amount of bruising. Today is Thursday and day 6 of recovery and there is a bump a little smaller than a ping pong ball that is under the stitch line. Does this look like it is just a fluid sac or do you think a hernia? She runs, jumps, is and has been very active, eats, pee, poop, everything else is normal. I push on it and no reaction from her, there is no fever to it either.
First picture is the bump on day 6. Second picture is her stitches on day 6 of healing. Third picture is what her belly looked like on Day 2 and 3 after spay.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Lots of kittens get some mild localized swelling at the incision site. But there is a little more bruising than I think is normal. I’m not particularly overly concerned if she is acting completely normal (eating, drinking peeing, pooping and active happy), but, I always always think it is best for the vet who did the surgery check any questions or concerns the pet parent might have. If you are a JVC client please let me know and I will have someone check tomorrow. Or i am happy to check on Sunday (open 1-3). We don’t charge for our own post op rechecks. Sincerely
    Dr magnifico.

    1. Lisa Post author

      That bruising is gone now, it was there on day 2 and 3 then started to fade away. I am calling my VET in the morning to check and see if they think she should come in or just wait and see if it goes away. I am in VA so I am not a client of JVC but I do have an outstanding VET who sees all my fur babies and did this surgery. She is just the first kitten who is this light in color so the bruising was shocking at first, and the energy she has is crazy. I have had one other female that I adopted before she was spayed but she was calm and the older cat we had did not mess with her during healing. This little spit fire I have now won’t slow down and our older cat and her love to chase, stalk, and rough house with each other so its been a rough time keeping them apart. My boys were easy as the incisions are smaller and healing was faster. I think she has a Seroma as its squishy and no pain when I push on it. I would guess a hernia would hurt and slow her down a lot due to pain.

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Terri S | 5 years ago
Hi Dr Magnifico. Our Once Feral Cat Daisy Has Been Going To Her Litter Box All …

Hi Dr Magnifico. Our once feral cat Daisy has been going to her litter box all day every 2-5 minutes trying to urinate. Only a small drop or two comes out. She looks like she is in pain. We brought her in a couple years ago for this. She is extremely hard to get in a carrier or trap to bring her in and she is untouchable, she is still very feral like.
Can you prescibe the same thing she was prescibed before? I am going to have a very hard time getting her in a carrier or trap to bring her in, and she needs medication ASAP.
Terri Stiffler

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am away from the office and on vacation.. but even if I wasn’t I would be very afraid that she might be blocked (unable to pass urine) versus having an infection or inflammation. If she is blocked she will need immediate assistance from a veterinarian. She may even need sedation or anesthesia to place a catheter. Certainly blockage is more common in males but we can’t assume she isn’t in an immediate medical emergency and that’s why we all get so worried about assuming it’s not something dangerous or life threatening and just prescribing blindly. Anytime a cat is in the litter box frequently and not producing much or any urine we worry about blockage.
    As you are a client of the clinic I will have someone call you tomorrow to discuss options. But to be on the safe side I have to strongly recommend she be seen. And I cannot even assure you that tomorrow is safe to wait for.
    I wish you all well and I hope she is ok. Please pm us on Facebook for private assistance.
    Sincerely
    Krista.

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Krista Magnifico | 5 years ago
First Sick Puppy Exam, Meet Denver. This Is A Story Of A New Puppy And His First Vet Visit Because He Wasn’t Feeling Well.
Treatment Cost (USD): $211.00
Denvers first exam was when he was not feeling well. He was having vomiting and diarrhea and not eating well.\ for about a day. As with all puppy illness it is really important to not wait long if they aren't doing well. Puppies are fragile and they can dehydrate very quickly.
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Krista Magnifico | 5 years ago
Bella And Her Pyometra Surgery. Pyometra Canine
Treatment Cost (USD): $1696.57
Bella is a 10 year old intact dog. Her dad recognized that she was not eating well, not acting like her normal happy self and slowing down. In veterinary terms we call this hyporexia, malaise and lethargy. Her most concerning and telling sign of her diagnosis was her mucopurulent vaginal discharge.
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Jasmine | 5 years ago
My Dog Was Originally Prescribed Gabapentin (50mg) Every 12 Hours But When I Went Back To The …

My dog was Originally prescribed Gabapentin (50mg) every 12 hours but when I went back to the vet they allowed Me to do every 6 hours instead because pain seemed to be coming back faster. Now it seems the pain meds are not helping at all even with putting him to sleep. Can I give it even sooner than every 6 hours? My dog is 8.10 lbs.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    You really need to discuss this with your vet as they know your pet best. Everyone/thing is unique and reacts in their own way. I would talk with the vet and also ask about other methods of pain relief. Best of luck.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    I agree with Sarah. There is the book instruction for a drug and then there is the real life patient specific advice. If gabapentin isn’t working ask for other options. There are always options.

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Nicole | 5 years ago
I Have A 12 Year Old Female Cat. She Was Obese For Several Years. I Managed To …

I have a 12 year old female cat. She was obese for several years. I managed to get weight off of her a few months before these issues. There has been a lot of urination outside of the box. The urination has been going on a long time and initially I thought it was behavior because I adopted a rescue dog in October 2018 she hasn’t been thrilled about the dog. Right around the time my cat turned 12 she started with the urination… February or March.

In the last couple of weeks her thirst increased significantly. Also just laying on her side on the floor, not wanting to be in her bed or on the furniture. She’s losing weight /muscle mass and she is hoarse. She is still eating, I had to coax her a bit one day so I made chicken broth from drumsticks she’s been drinking a good amount of the broth and ate chicken and her canned food. She’s actually been gulping the food down.

I can’t tell if this is kidney related or diabetes. I have not noticed bad breath. I am in a real bind and need to figure out what else to do for her till I can get money for a vet.

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  1. Laura

    Inappropriate urination is often the first noticeable sign something is wrong. Increased thirst means this has been going on long enough to be a total body problem. I would put a lot of effort into getting her seen sooner than later…going too long can and will cause further damage to her already very sick body.

    (Dr. M told me bad breath is kidneys. Expect a full urinalysis and bloodwork, plus the possibility of subcutaneous fluids and prescription diet.)

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Stan | 5 years ago
Does Congestive Heart Failure Lead To Seizures In Dogs?

Does congestive heart failure lead to seizures in dogs?

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  1. Laura

    I don’t believe so. As I understand it, syncope and fainting can be symptoms but are not the same as seizures.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Please call your vet. I would be worried about calcium, electrolytes and a whole host of other things that cause seizures .

Regular Vet Visit
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Krista Magnifico | 5 years ago
Cat Spay. Routine OHE. Meet Dash, About The Sweetest, Cutest Kitten Ever!
Treatment Cost (USD): $221.51
Dash was adopted a little later than most kittens are. She was vaccinated previously at anpther local small animal clinic. When her new family adopted her they brought her to us for an exam and pre-op bloodwork. Cost of the exam $45 Blood work (6 panel chemistry and CBC) $60
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