Degenerative Disk Disease

[Bellaandhelen]

Last night I took Bella to the Emergency Vet:

My husband and I had gone away from Fri-Sun to a conference and my mom and dad came in town to stay with Bella and Baci through the weekend and took excellent care of them. When I got back Sunday evening, I noticed Bella looked a little sad, her eyes looked sad to me and she was kind of lethargic, but I just told myself it was because she had missed me or something. I tend to overreact, so I was trying to be rational. Yesterday morning she seemed fine - eating, drinking, and pottying normally and running about in the backyard, normal on our morning walk. I came home at lunch and she seemed very lethargic. Usually she follows me everywhere in the house and she just curled up on the couch after pottying and didn't get up when I went to the door to return to work- which is very unusual, but it was a bit hot in the house- I had to readjust the airconditioning and again I attributed it to something else. Yesterday evening, she ate normally for dinner. I gave her the command to "sit" after dinner to give her a bully stick and I noticed her right hind leg sort of slipped out from under her as she sat- my gut said it was funny, but I gave her the bully stick and just kept observing. Then we went on our evening walk. Bella's stool started out normal, but then got really yellow/watery and appeared to have blood in it. She stopped several times having this diarrea with a little bright red blood in it. As we were approaching our house, I noticed that she seemed kind of wobbly on her hind legs- something just wasn't right. As soon as we got back to the house, I grabbed my phone to call my vet and have him paged to ask him about these symptoms and whether I should take her to the ER vet. Then, Bella tried to hop up on the couch and couldn't; her hind legs seemed to barely be working, so I scooped her up and rushed over to the emergency vet hospital.
The vet did an exam, a fecal flotation, and then an x-ray. She suspects that Bella may have degenerative disk disease. She said there were 4 stages. Stage one is pain, stage two- when you bend her little back feet back, they don't immediately flip back. I remember she said stage four is paralysis. She thought Bella was somewhere between stage 1 and 2. Bella's hind feet would sometimes flip back quickly and sometimes there seemed to be a delay. Also the vet told me that her reflexes were faster than they should be- which made her think that she was in pain. And there was an area of her spine that seemed painful to the touch. She said there might be a pinched nerve. When she did the x-ray, she told me it didn't look as bad as she thought it would. I really had trouble understanding her explanation of the x-ray though, so I am going to take it to my regular vet to see if he can explain better to me. The fecal came back negative.
The vet gave her: Cimetidine Inj 150mg/ml cc's, Solu-Medrol 500mg/8ml Inj cc's, Robaxin-V Inj 100mg/ml cc's in the office last night.
She is now taking Methocarbamol Tabs 500mg, Prednisolone 5mg, Metronidazole 250mg, Sucralfate 1 gram tabs. I know one is a steroid, one a muscle relaxer, one to calm her stomach, and one is an antibiotic. The vet told me to keep her confined to a crate for 2 weeks and give the meds.

I am now just starting to feel like my brain is working again. I was hysterical last night. I almost feel numb today because I'm so upset. Plus, I'm lacking so much sleep, I feel really slow. I would appreciate any advice as to what next steps to take. I just want to figure out what's wrong for sure and to do whatever I can do to make her better. Do I just take her to my regular vet- and how soon? Do I need to find a specialist of some sort? She hasn't had any other diarrea since the walk last night- but I'm still wondering what could have caused the blood. She slept well through the night and seems to be in less pain this morning. It's hard on me to put her in the crate- she hates it, but if that's what she needs to get better I'll do it. I'm at work now and will head home to see her at 11:30am.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Bellaandhelen]

Oh- I wanted to add: I now am thinking back and there are things that make me think I overlooked stuff in the time leading up to this. There were occasions on a few walks maybe 2 months ago, where she seemed to pick up her hind leg a little like it was painful, but I would watch her closely after to see if she was hurt and she would seem completely normal. Also when I think back she has become much less active in the 4 months that I have had her. She used to love to make multiple loops around our neighborhood and about a month ago she started just sitting down and refusing to go around a second time- I just attributed it to the weather being hotter. Also, we added a brother for her 2 weeks ago and he is very active- weighs less than her, but she has been running around with him a lot and maybe that aggrivated her back or just made her symptoms come to the surface. Or maybe he jumped on her and hurt her somehow? I don't know.

[Datzie]

I'm so sorry to hear about Bella, I use to have a pekinese same thing happened to him, he jumped off the bed cried out and I immediately took him to the vet but it was to late for him, I ended up having to get him a doggy wheelchair, the first 6 months was trying as he couldn't feel when he had to go potty, there was a lot of cleaning done needless to say..I used diapers and even got him a baby bed so he could sleep near me and be able to see me, he adjusted well. They said I could have surgery for him but at the time 5000$ was way out of reach , I was given custody of my 3 small grandchildren and between him and the children , it broke my heart but I gave him to a pekinese rescue group ..he still lives with a family in Tenn. and I check on him and have seen pictures..he's 8 years old now and happy in his new family.

I know hearing this probably doesn't help you much in your concern, I know it is something inherited in pekinese but I haven't heard of it in Yorkies, maybe a second opinion from another vet?

[Bellaandhelen]

Thank you Datzie- I'm glad to hear that your little one is doing well as he can be in his new home. You made a sacrifice to give him that opportunity. I'm glad you get to still know how he is doing. I am praying that we will be able to get Bella feeling good and in as little pain as possible. I hope finding out about this now that there are options for stoping this before it comes to paralysis. I will do whatever I can do to make her better. I know my parents will help me out with costs if necessary, but we have some savings. I just wish I knew for sure what was wrong and how to fix it.

[Datzie]

We tried the medications, steroids etc..keeping him from jumping but once it starts its hard to stop it, and another thing is they couldn't guarantee the surgery, once he was paralized he wasn't in pain which was comforting at least, I hope things work out for you and Bella , I'll keep you both in my prayers.

[Datzie]

Also I'd like to add that Junior was a fighter and very strong willed, he survived Parvo and a blocked intestine as well when he was a puppy, the vet offered me the option of having him put to sleep..NO.. I took him back home with me and treated him like the baby prince he was, he was little super man and I'm sure bella will be just fine too!

[Bellaandhelen]

I was able to get an appointment with Bella's regular vet at 2pm today. He is in surgery until then. I hope to get more information from him then- take him the x-ray to look at. If anyone has any input on questions I should ask or tests that I should request he do, please let me know.

thank you so much

[Connie]

My daughter's yorkie, Kirby, had a terrible back problem a while back. He had much the same symptoms your Bella is showing, but not the bloody stool. Our vet did an xray and said it is hard to see, but Kirby had a bulging disk in his back. He told my daughter to keep him very quiet in a crate and gave prednisone and pain killers. He told her the prednisone will give him a sense of well being, but not to let him out of the crate because he will hurt himself further. I think they all thought he was acting fine and let him out and about. He ended up rupturing that disc and was in very tough shape for about 6 weeks. He had to be kept in a cat crate so he could not move. We carried him outside to go potty and then back into the cat crate he would go. We were allowed to hold him on our laps to give him a break from the cat crate. It was a long battle and several times we thought we were going to lose him, but he came through. He had paralysis in his back legs and would fall over when standing. His feet would also bend backwards. He is back to himself and has been fine since finally recovering. He walks normally again and is doing great.

I am praying that it isn't the degenerative disease and could be this. While it isn't fun getting them recovered from it, at least it can heal in time and they can be back to normal. It's possible Bella has a disc that is bulging and if kept quiet, it could heal without having to go through what Kirby did. Best wishes to you and get well wishes to your precious Bella! I'll be checking back for updates!

[TLC]

Hi there...

I got your PM and came right to this thread.

My parents went to the ER Vet (same as you), got the meds and xrays and told to keep Cole confined. After a a few days, they decided to call the ER Vet and get a referral to a Neuro Specialist (they skipped going to the regular Vet), as the Specialist would give better advice. The specialist did a very good exam and looked at the xrays and said he was fine, not sure what happened really. They weaned him off the meds, and started him on daily Cosiquin and are keeping his jumping to a minimum (just in case).

Please keep me posted on Bella and I will try to help in any way I can. I have to run to a meeting right now, but if you have any questions please let me know?? I did some intense research myself on the topic

[pookiebear]

I can't offer any expert advise as we have never experienced this before. I can only offer my sympathy, moral support and best wishes. Bless your heart, I know it's hard putting her in the crate. Please keep us posted on your condition, and Bella's condition. Will be thinking about you.

BTW, just curious to know how old Bella is?

[FlDebra]

Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear you and Bella are havingto go through this. I know how worried you must be. I have a 17 year old dachshund with a very bad back. I give her baby Motrin every once in a while to help. She has gone through the steroids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and other meds. Nothing seemed to help any more than a little Motrin. But we still try things occasionally just to see if something keeps her more comfortable. She gets a little surge of energy once in a while but mainly stays in her bed.

I bet Bella is just feeling it a lot more since you got her a playmate. They are a mixed blessing. I think company does them more harm than good even if they get a little sore from the extra exercise.

BTW I have degenerative disk disease and one of my ortho docs made me feel better by saying that DDD is really just the normal affect of aging. Everyone has it to some degree. Doesn't make it hurt any less, but it does make you feel like it is something everyone deals with. I know it is a bit different for our dogs but thought maybe it would ease the sound of it to hear.

Good luck at the vets today! Hope they give you good news and Bella will sail through this with minimum discomfort. Thoughts & prayers with you!

[Bellaandhelen]

Originally Posted by Connie

My daughter's yorkie, Kirby, had a terrible back problem a while back. He had much the same symptoms your Bella is showing, but not the bloody stool. Our vet did an xray and said it is hard to see, but Kirby had a bulging disk in his back. He told my daughter to keep him very quiet in a crate and gave prednisone and pain killers. He told her the prednisone will give him a sense of well being, but not to let him out of the crate because he will hurt himself further. I think they all thought he was acting fine and let him out and about. He ended up rupturing that disc and was in very tough shape for about 6 weeks. He had to be kept in a cat crate so he could not move. We carried him outside to go potty and then back into the cat crate he would go. We were allowed to hold him on our laps to give him a break from the cat crate. It was a long battle and several times we thought we were going to lose him, but he came through. He had paralysis in his back legs and would fall over when standing. His feet would also bend backwards. He is back to himself and has been fine since finally recovering. He walks normally again and is doing great.

I am praying that it isn't the degenerative disease and could be this. While it isn't fun getting them recovered from it, at least it can heal in time and they can be back to normal. It's possible Bella has a disc that is bulging and if kept quiet, it could heal without having to go through what Kirby did. Best wishes to you and get well wishes to your precious Bella! I'll be checking back for updates!

Thank you for your post- I also really hope Bella doesn't have the degenerative disease. Your story is important for me to hear, so I will continue to be strong and keep her confined in the crate. Thank you so much- I will keep you all posted.

[Bellaandhelen]

Originally Posted by TLC

Hi there...

I got your PM and came right to this thread.

My parents went to the ER Vet (same as you), got the meds and xrays and told to keep Cole confined. After a a few days, they decided to call the ER Vet and get a referral to a Neuro Specialist (they skipped going to the regular Vet), as the Specialist would give better advice. The specialist did a very good exam and looked at the xrays and said he was fine, not sure what happened really. They weaned him off the meds, and started him on daily Cosiquin and are keeping his jumping to a minimum (just in case).

Please keep me posted on Bella and I will try to help in any way I can. I have to run to a meeting right now, but if you have any questions please let me know?? I did some intense research myself on the topic

Thank you so much for responding- I just feel so helpless right now and want to make sure I do the right things for her and as quickly as possible. I think I am going to ask my vet for a referral to a specialist. A coworker told me you usually need to be referred, but I don't really know - I hadn't tried calling anywhere yet. And I wasn't sure what kind of specialist to go to- neurologist? ortho? internist? I'm still troubled by no explanation of why there would have been blood in her stool yesterday. Do you think I should start her on Cosequin? Do I need to wait until she has completed the medications the vet put her on? thanks again for your post.

[Bellaandhelen]

Originally Posted by pookiebear

I can't offer any expert advise as we have never experienced this before. I can only offer my sympathy, moral support and best wishes. Bless your heart, I know it's hard putting her in the crate. Please keep us posted on your condition, and Bella's condition. Will be thinking about you.

BTW, just curious to know how old Bella is?

Thank you for your support- I appreciate it. It's always comforting to know others care and are thinking of us.
Bella is approximately 2 y/o- we adopted her at the beginning of April from a rescue that didn't have a history on her. The vet estimated her age by her teeth. She has tended to have a sensitive stomach since we got her, but otherwise has been healthy.

[Bellaandhelen]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear you and Bella are havingto go through this. I know how worried you must be. I have a 17 year old dachshund with a very bad back. I give her baby Motrin every once in a while to help. She has gone through the steroids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and other meds. Nothing seemed to help any more than a little Motrin. But we still try things occasionally just to see if something keeps her more comfortable. She gets a little surge of energy once in a while but mainly stays in her bed.

I bet Bella is just feeling it a lot more since you got her a playmate. They are a mixed blessing. I think company does them more harm than good even if they get a little sore from the extra exercise.

BTW I have degenerative disk disease and one of my ortho docs made me feel better by saying that DDD is really just the normal affect of aging. Everyone has it to some degree. Doesn't make it hurt any less, but it does make you feel like it is something everyone deals with. I know it is a bit different for our dogs but thought maybe it would ease the sound of it to hear.

Good luck at the vets today! Hope they give you good news and Bella will sail through this with minimum discomfort. Thoughts & prayers with you!

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers and for sharing about your dachshund and your own story. I'll will make a mental note to myself that Motrin has worked so well for your little one so we can try that also. I really hope it turns out to be that Bella just got a bit too much activity and will heal up with some medicine and rest. Bella is only approx 2 y/o, so to me it seems very young - but who knows maybe they misjudged her age and dog do age more quickly than humans. And I still don't have any regrets about bringing home Bella's brother Baci- like you said- the company has been just wonderful for both of them. They adore each other- he now sits right by her crate while she is stuck being in there. I'll keep you updated.