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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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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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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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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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Andrew | 5 years ago
We Believe Our 3 Year Old French Bulldog Has IVDD Related Issue Based On The Exam At …

We believe our 3 year old French bulldog has IVDD related issue based on the exam at the emergency vet tonight.

We want to do everything we can as soon as we can. I spoke to a neurologist who said they won’t see him until he is referred by his primary vet. Just within the last 8 hours of this happening it appears he has loss all use of his hind legs. I’m not quite sure if this sign of paralysis or what I should be looking for. He is panting quite a bit from the pain so I’m assuming the paralysis hasn’t kicked in. We were given two prescriptions to follow through with until we can get him into a doctor on Monday. Is this going to be soon enough? We have pet insurance but also want to be sure it will cover the cost of the surgery if needed.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In almost all cases you can be referred by any vet you see. So call the ER vat back and ask them to refer you. If they cannot ask for your money back as they are not much help and then find an ER with a specialty referral associated with it. This can be found in almost all large cities and every veterinary teaching hospital. For these cases seeking surgery time is critical. If you are not prepared to have surgery (usually due to cost which in my area is about $7-10,000) talk about starting conservative medical therapy. Good luck. Let me know what happens.

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Ebony | 5 years ago
My Cat Got A FLUTD Diagnosis Yesterday Morning After Spending The Night In The Animal Hospital …

My cat got a FLUTD diagnosis yesterday morning after spending the night in the animal hospital because they were checking for an obstruction. He hadn’t obstructed, but they couldn’t get enough urine for a urinalysis, so when we picked him up yesterday morning they gave us a container. I got a hair under 3ml, dropped it off and was told they’d run it and let me know if it was enough but I have yet to hear if anything has come from it. He’s on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant. He’s a very vocal and clingy cat, but he’s been very quiet since we brought him home. He produced a decent amount of urine yesterday, but he hasn’t done more than a little dribble for about 4 hours now. I was told, if there were no additional or worsening symptoms, to bring him in immediately if this reaches 12 hours with no output. He doesn’t yell or talk or grunt when he’s in the litter, just stays there for a while and scrunches his back up as he tries to go but can’t, and will turn around frequently. He’s walking normally and isn’t having trouble getting to sleep, he’s eating normally and drinking frequently.
I was advised to start a vet prescription diet made up of 90% Hills Science Metabolic Urinary Care + CD dry food and 10% wet food, but the vets didn’t have any and after making a few calls around, was told my best option was to order it online and wait. Waiting is very stressful, and I’d really like to know if there is anything else I can do in the meantime to prevent any further discomfort or an obstruction. I would also like to know if there is a safe way to get him to the animal hospital the fastest. I’m worried if he’s obstructed, picking him up and carrying him or putting him in his cage might cause even more pain or make his urethra rupture.
Any additional tips or advice is very much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but in these cases the only way to really know what is going on in the bladder is to palpate your cat to feel the size, firmness and pain in the bladder. I teach my clients how to palpate and I also advise giving at home sw fluids OR best yet hospitalizing with iv fluids until the urine runs clear and the patient is pain free and comfortable. I think that at this point if you are worried it’s best to see the vet ASAP. I also think it is important for the urinalysis results to be known. Lots of cats have cystitis and not a Urinary tract infection. Different things and therefore different treatment plans and options.
    Let me know what happens and above all else ask the vet to give you a diagnosis and both a short and long term treatment plan and help in getting through it all. If they aren’t helpful go elsewhere. These cats need a lot of oversight and assistance. You need to have a vet who will fo all of this for you.

    Best of luck !

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Jasmine | 5 years ago
My Dog Is On Day 9 After Being Diagnosed With Ivdd . He Was Walking A Lot Better …

My dog is on day 9 after being diagnosed with ivdd . He was walking a lot better after losing mobility in his right front and back leg but today it looks like he’s losing the mobility in his 2 front legs all over again. What happened?? He was doing so well. His pain looked like it had gone away and he was sleeping through the night without the pain killer.

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is a hard question to answer for a few reasons. One we hardly ever get a confirmatory diagnosis on this disease. To do that you would need an mri or ct and an csf tap. Without them we guess that it is IVDD which is the most common cause of acute paralysis or weakness. So trying to understand what is or isn’t normal when we aren’t sure of the diagnosis is difficult.
    If it is IVDD then yes it is not uncommon for them to get worse as we try to get them better. The worsening can occur because more of the disc is slipping into the spinal cord area or because another disc is also slipping. Or because the damage to the spinal cord is progressing. Please call your vet with any questions or concerns or changes to your pet. They can help. Best of luck.

    1. Jasmine Post author

      Does this mean a longer recovery time? He is now on day 15 since he went down. I have him on around the clock Gabapentin and galliprant which seems to help . He’s still very wobbly and can only walk a few steps before falling.

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Jasmine | 5 years ago
Hi, I Have A 15 Year Old Chihuahua Named Peanut. He Was Diagnosed With IVDD On Sunday. …

Hi, I have a 15 year old chihuahua named Peanut. He was diagnosed with IVDD on Sunday. He is able to stand for 30 seconds on his own and can walk a few steps before falling over. His right front leg and right back leg are the main limbs that knuckle over and give out when he stands. He can’t get himself to an upright standing position. He is currently on Gabapentin and galliprant. When the pain killers don’t have him knocked out he is crying and whimpering. He looks like he is pain and can’t get in a comfortable position . He is eating and drinking water. He is able to use pee and defecate on his own but most of the time does it while he’s laying down in his pen.

I feel so bad for him I’m honestly just crying all the time because it hurts to see him in pain and I feel helpless. I try and let him stand and walk for a few
Minutes a day with my support but should I be letting him walk? Or should I be trying to make him rest more? Also he doesn’t let me switch the side he lays on. He only lays on his right side . I know Dr. Krista said we need to switch the aside they lay on but he looks like he’s in more pain when I try to switch him to the left.

Any advice , thoughts, or feelings? I really just needed to not feel so alone in this.

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    I’m so sorry you are going trough this. Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos regarding ivdd posted, and you might find them useful. Another thing to maybe try as far as getting him on his opposite side- when he has his pain killers in his system and is sleeping for close to it, perhaps gently maneuver him to the another side and see if that works any better. If he is not giving up, please don’t give up either. Best of luck to you both!!!!

    1. Jasmine Post author

      Thank you so much for the advice! I’m going to continue to fight with him as long as he can. He still looks like he’s trying his hardest!

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Alexandra Fishman | 5 years ago
Post Bone Marrow Biopsy Pain Management
Treatment Cost (USD): $387.25
Post Bone Marrow Biopsy Pain Management
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Alexandra Fishman | 5 years ago
Sepsis Turned Fatal
Treatment Cost (USD): $5946.00
Colby presented with a 104.7 degree fever, extreme abdominal pain, Hx of immunocompromised, and abnormal blood work.
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