Really upset...back injury in dachshund

[LKMang]

I don't post much, but the last 24 hours has been complete hell and I really need to find some support.

We have a dachshund, Domer, who is almost 5 years old and our baby! Last night, my husband and I ran out to grab dinner and came home to find Domer in my bathtub! He has never done this before and it was really strange to find him in there (we think he was trying to hide from thunder). Anyway, we took him out and he seemed okay, but was sitting funny. I took him outside and he was trying to walk but both of his back legs were giving out. It looked really bad and we drove him right to our vet (which is an hour away).

Once we got there, they quickly took him and started examining his back. We know how prone dachshunds are to back injuries. The vet thought it was bad and told us to take him to university of penn vet hospital right away. We were both so upset and had to have somebody else drive us there.

Long story short, they admitted him. Last night they thought surgery might be an option, but they wanted to monitor him and at that point, they said they didn't think surgery would be needed. We got to see him before we left and he was just so sweet. He was being really calm and looked comfortable, but when he saw us he started to move around and wanted to come home with us. It was heartbreaking, but we felt positive.

This morning we got a call from his doctor, saying that he was looking better and they were just going to continue to monitor him and give him anti inflammatory meds and that he could possibly come home tomorrow. We just called about 20 minutes ago, just for an update to see how he was doing. The doctor said that he is deteriorating quickly and he needs the surgery NOW. He is scheduled for surgery in a couple hours and the odds aren't great. There is a good chance he will never walk again.

I am completely devastated. This dog is our baby. I'm really just mad at the world right night. I don't know how he will enjoy life if he can't walk again. And I'm just so mad that he could go downhill so quickly. It just seems so unfair and i wish I could go back to last night and just stay home with him.

Sorry to write a book. I'm just devastated. Anybody have any experience with this?

[Foley42]

Awww I'm so sorry. Our dog is also our baby so I understand how upset you must be. I hope everything works out for the best. Keep us updated. {{{{hugs}}}}

[jesvet]

I'm so sorry!

Just remember this- it is not your fault. Doxies are SO PRONE to this sort of thing and it was probably the littlest trigger that in a dog without these proclivities wouldn't be a problem. And you are such a great owner for recognizing the issue RIGHT away and getting him the best care possible. Regardless of what happens- and I'm holding out hope for the best outcome- you really did everything right.

(((hugs))) and please keep us posted.

[Sophia]

(((hugs))) I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've been through this before, and I understand how upset you are.

My doxie, Mitzi, suffered a severe spinal injury in Dec. 2002, while playing with my other doxie, Milo. They'd been chasing each other around the house and she suddenly crashed into an end table. The injury was immediate--she started yelping and when I ran to her both hind legs were limp and dragging. I was panic-stricken, but DH (were were dating at the time) calmed me down and we took her to the vet who was kind enough to open after-hours. She had surgery the next morning at a specialist's office, and even though the injury was so severe that her spinal cord was compressed almost to the point of being cut, the vet encouraged us to do physical therapy exercises with her, which he showed us. I also learned how to empty her bladder by pressing on her abdomen a certain way. We did the exercises with her and by the following summer she'd started being able to wag her tail and flex her legs ever so slightly. I was optimistic she'd gain more control but didn't think she'd ever get close to 100%. She was still her old self, though--the happiest, sweetest little doggie. Unfortunately she died after being attacked by Africanized bees in our back yard while I was getting something out of the shed. Milo was able to run back into the house, but Mitzi was stuck, so I had to grab her and run. She had over 100 stings and died in her sleep that night, despite taking her to a vet immediately.

Here's Mitzi and Milo before the accident.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/456090798_8655eee9df.jpg?v=0

After her surgery with her back shaved.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/240/456090804_95840b8e3a.jpg?v=0

In her cart.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/456090802_ff8d75a304.jpg?v=0

I hope Domer's prognosis is a lot better than Mitzi's was, but even if it's not, he'll still be your same sweet dog--doxie's are almost all personality, and they don't lose that.

[rileyandfredsmom]

I am so sorry you and your pup are going through this....doxie backs are sooo difficult. Please keep us posted on his progress.

[MLA]

My thoughts are with you. Hoping that your fur baby comes through the surgery okay.

[LKMang]

Thank you all so much for your kind words. We just got an update that he is out of surgery and it went as well as could be expected. Apparently the disc that ruptured was very large (larger than in most small dogs), so I'm kind of sure this would have happened eventually. They are going to monitor him overnight and let us know tomorrow how he is doing. I swear, we jump everything we hear the phone ring, worried it is bad news. Before he went into surgery, they gave us really bad odds (like 50%) that he would be able to walk again, but it is looking better now. If everything is looking good, he could be coming home on Monday.

I am feeling relieved, but know it will be a long road ahead. They said that we need to keep him still for up to 8 weeks, which is gonna be tough with my active little doggie. But best case scenario, he could be walking again in 4 weeks.

I will keep you all posted!

Sophia Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am incredibly touched by it and Mitzi has such a strong resemblance to Domer. You are right, their personality will always be there. I can only imagine what you have gone through and I am so sad about what happened to her. My heart goes out to you.

Was emptying her bladder hard to do? The surgeon said he would teach us that before we take him home. What type of therapy did you do for her? The vet said that swimming would be good, so we are gonna try to find a small/deep little pool for Domer, cause he loves to swim.

Thank you again!

[Taylandra]

Hugs to you and Domer! Our little dachshund is our baby as well and I know how upset I was when he got stung by a wasp. I'll be thinking about Domer and I hope that you'll keep us updated!

;-)

[carrie9142]

Oh, poor little guy! You must be so worried. My little guy is my baby and I would be dying. I get teary eyed reading your story and Sophia's!! I will be thinking good thoughts for y'all. I hope Domer makes a speedy and full recovery. :)

[jesvet]

LK- Great news! And learning to express the bladder isn't too difficult. My boss is an orthopedic surgeon and she recommends ALL her patients get physical therapy post surgery. It makes a HUGE difference!

I see from your post you are in NJ- your surgeon may not have a specific person they recommend but here is a starting point for you if you are thinking of doing physical therapy:
http://landofpuregold.com/challenge-physical.htm#JERSEY
I believe most animal PT's incorporate swimming into the program. :D

[Katy]

LK, so sorry to hear about your little guy, Domer. While we don't have a doxie, my little guy also has back challenges. Luckily the anti-inflammatory meds and his other meds work well with him (this very thing could happen to him according to the back specialist). I'm so glad to hear that Domer's doing well after surgery. I'll send out some good vibes for a good, quick healing.

[Sophia]

LK, that sounds like really positive news! :)

Like jesvet said, learning to empty the bladder is pretty easy. You just put pressure on either side of the lower abdomen. Once they show you the technique you'll be surprised at how easy it is.

We did excercises with her legs, like pumping her legs bicycle style, putting counter-pressure on her feet as if she was standing, and other movements to keep her muscles flexible. The goal is to maintain muscle tone and flexibility and also stimulate the nerves to try to get signals all the way through. Despite the severity of Mitzi's injury, I truly think she was making progress about 5-6 months post-op. The key is to be patient. And if nothing else, you'll get tons of one-on-one time with Domer, which he'll eat up. ;)

[daener]

It's great to hear that the surgery went better than expected! I can't imagine going through the traumatic situation you are in. Our dog is our baby, as well, and I just can't even imagine coming home and finding him injured. I would probably have to be hospitalized myself after an experience like that ;)!!

Sophia's story was so heartwarming...I'm sure Domer will recover, as well. Sending positive thoughts to you, your DH and Domer!

[LKMang]

Again, thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I really means so much to me. We heard from the surgeon this morning and Domer is doing well. The plan is still for him to come home tomorrow!! I am both excited and nervous about it. We got him a wire crate to keep him in, which I know he is going to HATE, but I thought the wire might be better than a plastic crate. I am hoping to spend the week just sitting next to him. We are gonna sleep on the floor next to him for the next few weeks, cause he is so used to sleeping with us in bed. I know that is gonna be hard for him.

Sophia (or anyone else who has gone through this), what can I expect for the first few days? Honestly, I am so frightened that I will hurt him further some how. Any tips for keeping him calm? He is going to hate the crate. The doctor said that if we can keep him calm, then he is allowed to sit in our laps, but I am so scared that the doorbell will ring or something will spook him. How did you hold Mitzi? Man, I'm just scared of everything right now.

jesvet, thanks for the info on physical therapy! We spoke with the ER doctor about it and I definitely want to do it! We will talk more with the surgeon tomorrow about it. And my Domer just loves to swim, so I really think that would be helpful to him.

Thanks again to everyone!

[Sophia]

Glad to hear Domer will be home soon! :D

We used an old bassinet to keep Mitzi in. I put it right next to my side of the bed and kept my hand on her to make her feel more secure. As far as picking her up, I tried to keep her back as level as possible--I'd put one hand under her chest, one under her pelvis between her legs, and lift. I'd carry her and hold her right against my chest to minimize jostling. It might be easier with a female dog because there's no weenis to put your hand on. ;)

The water/swim therapy sounds cool--we weren't told about that.

[LKMang]

We picked up Domer yesterday and it has been a horrible time since. I am so upset. He last night he wouldn't eat or drink and kept moaning and crying all night. We cannot for the life of us figure out how to express his bladder. We brought him to a local er hospital last night to have him expressed, but there was no urine in him. This morning we brought him back and they put a catheter in him to empty his bladder. We were really freaked out and brought him back to UPenn hospital. They changed his pain meds, since his fendynal patch was supposed to be removed. They actually said that he has slight movement in his back legs, which I guess is really good at this point. I'm just totally upset and tired and freaked out about it. I'm so scared about trying the bladder again. I'm scared to hurt him and I feel like I'm failing him. I wish I could get him to eat and sleep.

And of course right now it is thundering outside and he is completely freaking out. We have him in the crate and he is scared to death. Can't he get a break!!!

[KrissyCat7]

I hope Domer starts to feel better soon. Poor little guy. You are a good dog mom and you are doing all that you can. I know how hard it is when you feel like you cant do enough. Domer will be in my thoughts!

[Oakley]

I'm so sorry! We have two doxies and one has had a back injury twice. We were lucky that he healed with prednisone and low movement, but after this last time he is not the same and walks differently. I'm dreading the day it comes to what you guys are facing.

I think that you guys are really doing the best that you can right now and should not consider yourself failures. Domer is very lucky to be taken care of so well and to have such loving parents. :)

When our doxie had to be crated for a month he also wouldn't eat. I resorted to hand feeding him, or mixing some dry food with wet. I would also have to hold a cup up to his mouth so he could drink from it.

He might be mad and confused that he is in his crate all the time, but he will get used to it and it is the best thing for him right now. I know how heartbreaking it is- I used to cry a lot during this time! Please feel free to vent away as much as you need to.

[MLA]

Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just heartbreaking to see our furbabies hurting and not being able to explain to them what's going on, isn't it? It sounds like you got good news from the vet, though, and I'm hoping that Domer will continue to move in the right direction. You're doing everything you can for him, and even though he's probably not real happy about it right now, in the end you'll know that you've done what's best.

[Sophia]

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. It'll get better. You're doing a great job and you're a great doggy mom. (((hugs)))

[jesvet]

You're doing great- this is the worst part.

[LKMang]

Thank you again for your support. It means a lot and makes me realize that the difficulty is normal and should be expected. Last night we took him to a new vet (our vet is an hour away from us and I wanted to establish a connection with somebody around here) to try the bladder expression again. The vet was awesome (thank you God!), but his bladder wasn't full enough. We took him home, fed him more chicken and broth (he is gonna be spoiled!) and had him fall asleep in the crate. It took a while, but he slept for a good 4 hours without crying at all. We took him out and had him lay with us on the floor and he slept the rest of the night with minimal crying. This morning we tried to express him and of course couldn't find the bladder. He was crying like he had to go, so we slinged him and brought him outside and he peed on his own!!!!!! My husband and I were both in tears!!! Not only is this a good sign neurologically, but it means we won't have to worry so much about getting him to a vet every 8 hours! I'm not gonna expect it to happen so easily every time, but it is such an encouragement. He is peacefully sitting in his crate, hopefully he'll be asleep any moment.

[sublime311]

YAY, Domer! How exciting that he was able to pee on his own!

I've been reading along but I've been too brokenhearted to post before - I can't imagine how hard this must be on you. You're doing a great job!

[jesvet]

He went on his own!!! YAAY Domer!!!! :D

[Katy]

Yay Domer!!!!

[Secret_Squirrel]

Aww, yay! I just found the thread and I'm so happy he peed! It sounds like he is on the road to recovery!

[Belm]

Good for Domer! I hope that today is going better as well. Keep us updated!

[Taylandra]

I'm sooo happy to hear that he is able to pee on his own! I'm sorry that it's been on hard on you, but it's great that you care so much!

;-)

[LKMang]

Thanks guys! Domer seems to slowly be making progress. He got his staples out last week and we are looking into finding a rehab place soon. He can't stand on his own yet, but if we pull him up he can stand for a little while. And I feel like his walking with the sling is improving a little each day. Its just gonna take a lot of time, I guess. I think he is getting more used to the crate, he has been pretty calm in there.

Thanks again for thinking of him! I'll keep you updated!

[jeneca128]

Just thought I'd bump this up. Our Doxie, Sadie, just had back surgery yesterday. We're really nervous about bringing her home and taking care of her. Hopefully she will recover well. She could still walk when we took her to the vet, but not very well.

Is anyone else still around these boards that has experience with this? How much function did your dogs have before surgery and after? We have two other doxies as well, and a newborn son (2 weeks old today) Are we getting in over our heads trying to take care of them all?? If so, I know MIL would gladly watch her, but we are hoping she'll be able to come home. :(

(Just got a call from the vet while I was typing this, and we can pick her up tomorrow at 11:15 ...yay!)

[salysaturn]

Don't have a doxie, but a neighbor does, and their dog went through a back surgery just before the holidays. I think he had a slipped disk?

He was very slow moving. He wasn't able to jump up (quite obviously), and just very calm. We were over about a few weeks ago, and he seemed a lot better.

[LKMang]

Aww, I'm so sorry to hear about Sadie's back surgery! Was it a disc? We went through this last July, so I am happy to answer any questions you have. I think it is very good that she could walk before the surgery! Domer barely had feeling in his back legs.

When Domer first came home, it was tough. The first night was the WORST! He was constantly crying, I was so freaked out that he was in terrible pain. We ended up bringing him back to the emergency vet where he had his surgery done the next day. Most of his reaction was from the pain patch that was on him (don't remember what it was called). Once they removed that and gave him a different pain med, it was better.

For us, the key was keeping him in a crate for almost 6 weeks. We would take him out to go outside, but everything else was in there. We ended up letting him eventually sleep with us. His crate was set up in the living room and we basically moved downstairs and lived there. We slept on the floor next to his crate, which kept him calm.

Going potty was another issue at first. They showed us at the hospital how to "express" his bladder. We had no clue what to do! We seriously brought him to the vet 2xs the day he came back to express him, but he didn't even have enough urine in him to do it. The next day we took him outside in the grass (with a sling on his back legs) and he peed right away! We just never gave him a chance.

Fast forward to now...Domer is doing great. He can walk fine, runs a little too! We took him to physical therapy for about a month, which I think helped. He can do a few steps, but honestly I'm very scared to have him do too many steps. One thing that is pain is that we constantly have to keep the sofa blocked with the coffee table to keep him from jumping on the sofa. And since Domer sleeps in bed with us, everytime he wakes up, me & my husband wake up to make sure he doesn't try to jump down. Eventually we will probably get steps or a ramp or something. But I would stay he is about 95% normal. He walks a little funny some times, but he can take walks and enjoy his toys.

If you have a crate/cage (we used a medium-size wire cage, he had enough room to turn around and move a little, we put blankets and his water in there), he is well contained and it really isn't too much work. You just need to take him outside or flip him onto a different side so he doesn't get bedsores (if he can't do this himself - Domer couldn't at first, but eventually was able to). They also gave us passive exercises to help him regain movement. Using the sling took some getting used to, but you will get the hang of it.

I read a lot on the boards at http://www.handicappedpets.com/. Definitely helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions. We are praying for Sadie!