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Old July 5th, 2008, 05:24 PM
CPL Peanuts CPL Peanuts is offline
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Intervertebral disc herniation

Our cocker spaniel Kayla was diagnosed yesterday with intervertebral disc herniation. Slipped disc is what the vet told us. We could see it on the x-rays. It happened so sudden. One day she was fine, chasing gophers in our backyard. The next she can barely walk without yelping. The vet put her on a steroid, and said we should notice a difference in 24-36 hours. But her condition has worsened. She no longer tells us when she needs to go pee, she just does it. She has no appetite. We talked to the vet, again today 36 hours later, and she said most likely it comes to 2 options. To have a surgery, or to .....i tear as I say this, put her asleep. Surgery where we are costs $4000, money we just don't have. We don't wanna see her suffer, but at the same time we want to make sure its not too late.......any help comments or just overall support to us would be greatly appreciated. We feel so helpless so, and I feel like the bad guy, because we might have to put her down.
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Old July 5th, 2008, 09:00 PM
SnowDancer SnowDancer is offline
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I am sorry, and believe me I know exactly how you feel. My experience with disc paralysis is limited to mini Dachshunds - but way too much experience. Before surgery became an option - Dachshunds were confined to crates, put on steroids and as movement returned (if it did, I am sorry to say) the pups were moved to increasingly smaller crates to restrict movement. The worst thing for the pup to do is to feel over confident and start moving about. We went through 3 periods like this, until neck discs also became calcified and surgery became an option - this was 1989 - and then my guy's back went so we had full body surgery. But all discs were affected. From the sounds of it, your pup has only one affected disc - which I am in no way minimizing, except that it sure sounds to me as if there might be some hope, but of course the location of the disc - and if X-Rays are correct and it is only one disc - will be determining factors. With my second afflicted Dachshund we have to jump forward to 2003 - he had Stage II disease which does not present in the same manner - but nuclear fluid drips on to the the spinal cord causing spinal cord death at point of drip. We did not know this going in and had to decide immediately if we would go ahead with surgery - he paralyzed in 15 minutes so different from first guy. What is most important if you try the steroid route is that your pup be crated as noted above, carried out to do business (may need help - vet can show you where to press on bladder etc.) - and remember, your pup does not know of need to "go". This could go on for a number of weeks. And, yes, surgery is expensive. In Toronto for emergency surgery cost is now about $8,000. The surgery would be performed by a neurosurgeon, not by your regular vet and would require a consult I expect. If you can handle the cost, you might ask your vet to keep your dog at the clinic while taking the steroids. In my first dog's day, this was how it was done - each "event" requiring a stay of 2 weeks. I know what you mean about being fine one day and then Boom. With Dachshunds it is just a matter of walking down the hall. Please let us know what happens with your pup. Disc problems are beginning to affect an increasing number of dogs and it scares the heck out of me. We now have an American Eskimo and I know of 2 Eskies who recently had disc related paralysis.
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Old July 5th, 2008, 09:36 PM
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mona_b mona_b is offline
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I am so very sorry about Kayla...:sad:

By any chance would your vet consider a payment plan?What are the chances of her recovery after the surgery?What ever you decide,know that you are not a bad man.Some decisions we make are not easy.But we try and do the best we can.

A slipped disc can happen in any and every breed.They can turn or jump the wrong way and that's it.Same with a human.

I know the pain she is going through.I have three discs that are deteariating(sp?I can never spell the word)..And I take pain killers to kill the pain,everyday.:sad:

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Old July 6th, 2008, 07:48 AM
SnowDancer SnowDancer is offline
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mona_b - I can answer the question re recovery - no guarantees - just hope for the best - and sometimes the damage to the spinal cord is greater than X-Rays show and/or more discs become affected - unless of course you start off with every single disc in the body being calcified as with my two special guys. But I would say with one disc chances are excellent. A payment plan of course if vet would go for it - or follow my instructions of absolutely no movement plus the steroids. The preferred method is that the dog stay at the vet's doing the crated period so as to be 100% certain that dog keeps still - much harder to do at home - bad enough than when dog comes home that crating still has to continue for a couple of weeks. Hard to know cost though - when my first guy had his 3 events, his 2 week periods at vet's were not cheap, but in those days, you basically paid a boarding fee, plus cost of applicable nursing/meds. Now so many vets have gone to a flat fee of $135 to $175 (at least in Toronto) - so even if dog is just sitting there (e.g. when my Eskie had a virus 3 years ago) the cost per day was $135 - quite a shocker. This is sure a factor when adding up the cost of the surgery - although these days, neuros perform the and dog is home in 4 days - and I am talking worst case surgery - scary as well. I hope the little cocker makes it. And you are so right about every breed seeming to suffer back problems these days - absolutely NOTHING scares me as much as a back problem in a dog - I know there are other horrible things that happen, but for me, this is it.
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Old July 6th, 2008, 09:46 AM
CPL Peanuts CPL Peanuts is offline
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Kayla update

This morning I woke up, and no change in her. Last night she was panting so hard she was crying. We are just waiting for the vet to call back. We hate to say it, but it doesn't look really good. We are just hoping for a small miracle in the next few hours. Thanks for all your nice comments and support.....I still feel guilty but she is in so much pain its not fair.
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Old July 6th, 2008, 10:02 AM
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mona_b mona_b is offline
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Awwwwww poor Kayla.Sounds like she is in alot of discomfort

It must be really bad if she is just peeing without letting you know,and not eating.

I hope all goes well with the vet.

Please let us know what happens.

Also,please don't feel guilty.

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