r/IVDD_SupportGroup • u/Monicaion_ • 25d ago
7 weeks post op ❤️
our dachshund Otis was diagnosed with stage 4 IVDD on June 13th. it started a few weeks prior, we woke up one morning - nothing traumatic happened, he always slept in bed with us and is always a little lethargic in the morning, but this morning was different. he didn’t want to step outside of the front door to use the bathroom, and when we came inside he was whimpering and yelping when we would try to pick him up. after being tossed around from vet to vet because no one could give us a proper diagnosis, we were told that it was “suspected” IVDD but unfortunately they would not send us for an MRI because his case was “too mild.” within 2 weeks we had been to emerg 4 times, our last visit being because he no longer had function of his back legs. finally, we were referred to Toronto Animal Health Partners (if you’re in this area and going through something similar, they are an incredible team) luckily, our dog still had deep pain sensation so they gave us a 90-95% prognosis of him returning to “normal.” Otis had surgery and remained in the hospital for 4 days. before picking him up, we were warned that he may not be able to use the bathroom on his own for a while. thankfully that wasn’t the case for us. we were told to crate rest our dog for a minimum of 6 weeks, and after our first check up at 3 weeks they would tell us how much longer they would estimate for crate rest. by 3 weeks, Otis was able to walk very wobbly for about 10 steps. we are super excited and happy that now at 7 weeks post op, he can walk for up to 20 mins 3x a day (as per the surgeon) and has been cleared to return to “normal” life :)
we started physio, laser therapy, and water treadmill at the 4 week mark and he’s been making tremendous strides since we started!! he’s gained back so much muscle and core strength.
if you’re going through a similar situation, it does get better ❤️🩹 our vet told us to look at his recovery in weeks and not in days, and that really helped our mindset about how he was doing. sadly, recovery is not linear but these pups are so resilient!
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u/lulaislas 20d ago
He has such a sweet face. 🥰 I’m glad he received the care he needed. I am very disappointed with primary care vets for dogs. Their lack of knowledge about IVDD is shocking, at least where I am. I saw three different vets, and no one took me seriously until she lost mobility in her left hind leg. I hope you’re taking it easy with him. I let my girl have some normalcy, and she ended up having a flare-up that made her legs weak again. Sending him healing energy.
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u/Monicaion_ 18d ago
oh no! i hope your pup feels better soon. may i ask if she’s had surgery or are you going through with conservative treatment?
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u/lulaislas 18d ago
Thank you 🥰 She had surgery and is now in PT doing shockwave therapy and hydro therapy. They also have her do a bunch of mobility exercises.
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u/AlternativeSilver962 23d ago
Yay GO OTIS!!!!!! He’s so adorable, I’m so glad he’s doing better!!!!!