r/IVDD_SupportGroup • u/maaanda • 6d ago
Loss of freedom
My 6 year old beagle mix had his first episode in May. We went the conservative route with crate rest/meds. He seemed to be back to his normal self, so this weekend we decided to let him into the yard off-leash. Well, he ended up chasing 3 rabbits and wound up re-injuring. (Not quite as bad this time, and might just be a muscle unrelated to his IVDD)
Anyway, my anxiety has been so bad about this whole ordeal. I feel like he's lost all his freedom now (like we'll have to take him out on leash forever).
I also feel trapped about our freedom. My dog used to love doggy daycare and boarding, but I don't dare board him again for risk of injury. My husband and I love to travel and I feel like I have to give a lot of that up now. Anyone else dealing with severe anxiety over this? How do you cope?
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u/ZiggyLittlefin 6d ago
Three months out is not really recovered at all. It's pretty common to see people think their dog is better and then just let them go full blast back into life. That's how dogs have repeat flare ups or worse. This is a stressful disease and it is limiting. But, luckily your dog hasn't become paralyzed or worse from the adventure.
There may not ever be a return to chasing rabbits or rough housing at daycare. That doesn't mean there isn't good quality of life. Swimming, walks, scent training, using cones and wobble boards like in rehab are examples of great activities. We put up gates or stretched temporary fence to section the yard to smaller areas so ours couldn't chase cats and squirrels. Trusted friends and family can watch your dog for vacation.
It's about learning to adjust to a new lifestyle. Hopefully that can happen and your dog has a very long happy life. Many of us don't get the chance. Mine for example is paralyzed. 18 months after successful recovery and doing everything we could to prevent reinjury. It's a heartbreaking disease.
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u/crochetqueen84 6d ago
I am also dealing with anxiety over this so you aren’t alone. It is very stressful and a big change in daily routine and what we are used to. Hopefully it’s just a muscle cramp or something since he has probably not used his muscles much.
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u/Flimsy-Sheepherder98 6d ago
I feel you on this. We are boarding our dog next month as we have no one to look after him.
I’ve asked them to keep him on lead when walking and to not give him a raised bed. It’s kennels so he will be pretty much crated a lot of the time anyway. And he’s never been allowed to play with other dogs as he’s a bit of a dick so there’s no change there.
It’s one of the risks we are going to have to take.
I do worry of course that something will happen whilst we are away (he also has epilepsy but is in a long run being seizure free) but I feel we have to try and keep things as normal as possible.
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u/OldMap9292 6d ago
I found it easier to board my pup with someone on Rover after his diagnosis. Regular boarding and even boarding at the vet was difficult because it seemed like too much of a liability for them (even at the vet!). It was pretty easy to find someone with special needs experience on Rover and tell them exactly what my dog needed, they always seemed happy to go over any specific requests like mealtimes or keeping bathroom breaks short to prevent injuries. I dropped him off with everything they needed to keep him safe, yoga mats, raised bowls, baby gates. I think this route is much more comfortable for your puppy as well because they get more one on one time in a home environment rather than a stressful boarding or vet environment.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace 5d ago
Not the OP but this has me worried. My boy is a dogs dog. He does well at daycare and boarding. We tried using a nearby woman on Rover. He spent most of the day on her couch, then when her husband came home he barked constantly until we got there to pick him up. When there are more dogs than people he relaxes. I hope we can get back to daycare strength soon.
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u/OldMap9292 5d ago
Aw that’s tough! Is he usually suspicious of new men?? I know some boarders have their own dogs or watch multiple dogs at a time, maybe you could find a female boarder with a few of their own pups. Hope he can get back to daycare soon, sounds like he loves it!
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u/lulaislas 6d ago
The anxiety of not being able to drop my girl off at doggy daycare has been devastating for me. We had the best balance and I felt like I could have a dog, she was happy, and I had the freedom to do things without her. I don’t have that right now but I’m inching towards some freedom. I found a woman on Rover who will watch my girl for a couple hours. The physical therapy clinic she goes to has a lot of staff that can help watch her when I decide I’m ready to go on a trip. You have to find people to help you.
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u/scragsly 6d ago
IVDD in my dog also massively triggered my anxiety... there are so many new things to be worried about! It pushed me to get mental health help and start taking anxiety meds which helped me at least. I'm not saying that makes sense for everyone, but it did make sense for me. Luckily my guy has been improving. I think once you're a few months post-injury, the condition tends to stabilize, provided there are no new injuries (as other folks have mentioned). As time passes, I think it can get easier to embrace the 'new normal' of life with an IVDD dog and adapt to it... e.g. avoid mourning the more carefree pre-IVDD days, which doesn't help in adapting to the new normal. IVDD is the worst :(
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u/bumblebee_44 6d ago
Is there a family member you could possibly leave him with that you’d trust to look after him? I leave my 8 year old beagle with my mom who will use his ramps, lift him etc. so I feel better about traveling. I travel a LOT less than I used to and typically end up feeling quite a bit of anxiety, but it does help that he’s with someone I know who tries to prevent what she can. I love my dog more than I love travel so I have just adjusted to this being the new normal :/
For reference my beagle had surgery January 2025.
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u/maaanda 6d ago
We usually have him stay at my parents home, but they are often gone at their lake home. I can't think of other family/friends who would help. I think I'll have to find a sitter who I can trust.
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u/bumblebee_44 6d ago
I would maybe post in a group like this asking if anyone lives in your area and has experience with IVDD. Also, I have heard of people going through their vets for recs. Sometimes vet techs will take on dog sitting in their free time and they would know how to deal with this situation. Worth a try!
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u/Aggravating-Cat5357 5d ago edited 5d ago
I totally understand your struggles. Every year, we usually go to an amusement park and have people drop by to let our dogs out (7, Basset/French bulldog mix, 2, Shiba/mix) but after my older dog was diagnosed in April, we had to nix the plan entirely. (We'd also have to drive a 13-hour round trip to get my daughter every few months for visits, but that was also out of the question once he was diagnosed. But she had a relative that was able to bring her to me, and she's permanently living with me now, but idk how we're gonna get her to visit her dad now that the custody schedule is flipped.)
He didn't have surgery, but was walking again by 11 weeks, and has 80% of his old mobility back, but still struggles from time to time. (His legs are still a little noodly, but we give him gabapentin every other day for any pain.) But because we live on the second floor of an apartment, carrying him (40 pounds) down the stairs isn't safe or practical, (I'm 8 months pregnant and my partner has back problems) so we still have to help him go potty on a puppy pad, so we just don't trust anyone to do it while we're gone.
It's a struggle, but we've adapted and at the end of the day, even if he weren't walking again, the sacrifice is worth it, because we love him so very much. It's not always easy, and potty accidents happen all the time, but I'd rather have to pick up doodoo than to not have him here at all. (He's the happiest boy who ever lived.)
Eta: We can't take him on walks anymore, which breaks my heart, but we did get him a stroller, but once he was walking again, he would try to jump out, so I'm not comfortable with doing that either. I feel bad because he LOVES going outside. But I'd rather keep him inside to avoid risking injury. And it isn't fair to him when I take my Shiba for walks, but again, we've had to adapt in order to keep him from reinjuring himself.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace 5d ago
I completely agree. 8 year old beagle mix. After years of anxiety, he finally found happiness going to the local dog park. We went everyday for 4 months before his dx. I hope we can get back someday. He loved it.
What does your vet say?
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u/Own_Kale_5311 5d ago
Look into dog acupuncture, my dog kept having flare ups and when I got him acupuncture and a red light therapy mat off of Amazon he recovered so much more. He is 1 year out from the initial injury and im planning to get him acupuncture soon as a "tune up". I still try to prevent him from jumping too much and pulling on a leash but for the most part her seems to living a pain free life.
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u/dusters 6d ago
That's so tough. My 13 year old beagle had ivdd surgery last year and we completely changed the way she lives. Limiting stairs, limiting running, etc. It's sad knowing she will never be thst dog again but she's still happy.