Gretel has led a very active life hiking, paddleboarding, and traveling. Last Tuesday she experienced pain after jumping off of the couch. I could tell because she was trembling, was walking hunched over, and had zero interest in the squeakier toy she is obsessed with. She was showing classic signs of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) – a genetic disease that Dachshunds, and some other breeds, are prone to.
Things seemed to get better after about 20 minutes so I told myself that she just pulled something, even though I “knew” deep down that wasn’t it. I finally admitted that I wasn’t imagining things so I called the clinic that had seen her for the skipping leg last month. I described her symptoms and they said to bring her in right away. That Thursday, my constant hiking companion, and super athlete, was diagnosed with IVDD. The veterinarian prescribed tramadol for pain, prednisone for inflammation, and instructed me to put her on 6 weeks of strict crate rest immediately.
We’re super lucky that I caught Gretel’s IVDD before it progressed too far. There is a significant chance that she will recover nicely. It was still a crushing blow though. You can read more about what led up to the diagnosis, and how our huge summer plans came to a screeching halt, in my previous post about her IVDD diagnosis. The cold, hard truth though is that she may never hike again like we used to.
The support from our blog fans, and people in the Dachshund club I organize, has been generous, overwhelming supportive, and hope-inspiring. Still, there is part of me that wants to scream, “BUT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.” It’s not because they don’t understand what it’s like to deal with a dog with IVDD. Unfortunately, many of them do all too well from experience. It’s because I am still not quite sure they know how difficult of hikes we went on and just how important getting out in nature, and bonding, with Gretel is to me. I feel like if someone says. “don’t worry, you’ll get back to hiking” they are picturing a gentle stroll along a river. Have you seen our hiking reports? Our style is heading right up the side of a mountain. Maybe it’s just my sadness and frustration that makes me think they can’t REALLY understand but I cry a little inside each time I think about how drastically different our life may be.
After the vet confirmed Gretel has IVDD, did what I always do in crisis situations. Usually I go through a brief freak-out period and then move onto the second stage. Since I already “knew” she had IVDD for two days (I would have taken her in sooner but I had a human family emergency to deal with), there was no shock when the vet told me that is what she had. The second stage is where I pull myself together, get totally clear, and come up with a plan to move forward and toward our desired goal. It was happening right there in the hospital waiting room. I wanted to know how to fix this. Now.
Unfortunately, I had to wait 4 excruciating, anxiety-filled days for a plan. I made an appointment at the clinic to see the rehab specialist but I had to wait until Monday afternoon to talk with her. By then, I literally had two pages of notes and questions. My brain was scattered and numb for 4 days. I wanted so badly to be doing SOMETHING because being told to do NOTHING and waiting in limbo was killing me.
Anyway, I made it. I consulted with the Canine Rehabilitation Specialist at the Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle, Dr. Leslie Eide, yesterday. Dr. Eide owns two award-winning agility dogs, and is an athlete herself, so she is very familiar with an athletic lifestyle and sports injuries. One of her favorite things to do is work with canine athletes, either helping them return to sport after injury or developing a conditioning plan to help prevent injuries. I had high hopes that she would be a good match for us and I was not disappointed.
So what are our next steps in the IVDD journey?
We discussed a lot of options. We agreed that a MRI or CT scan was not necessary at this point. Those diagnostic test are most appropriate when it’s clear a dog is going to need surgery or there are a lot of ups and downs in condition without them getting progressively better. Stem cell therapy, although a potential option, would be complicated, expensive, and there is no reasonable guarantee that it would help more than some of the other treatment options. I asked about treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to speed recovery but Dr. Eide said it was a) not available in Seattle that she knew of and b) better for severe neurological cases. The last two options might be worth exploring if Gretel doesn’t respond to less invasive treatments but not something you typically do right out of the gate.
This is the treatment regimen we settled on to help get Gretel healed and out on the trails again:
- Very strict crate rest for another 10 days (2 weeks total) to allow her disk to develop the hard covering over it
- Continuation of the predisone and tramadol, tapering off for another 15 days, to manage pain and inflammation
- Walks in the doggy stroller as often as I can (I’m shooting for daily)
- Cold laser therapy to start immediately and then 2 times a week for 4 weeks to reduce pain and inflammation and speed healing
- Acupuncture if I choose to help with the body’s healing process. The frequency would have to be determined by the practitioner – it’s not something they do at the Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle – but could potentially be once a week for 4 weeks then as needed.
- Crate confinement for another 4 weeks if she is not receiving treatments or getting exercise in a very controlled environment like the clinic or home excercises.
- Walking on an underwater treadmill to start at 2 weeks, if Gretel’s condition starts to improve, to help maintain muscle mass and strength.
- A home program of exercises – exact program TBD – starting at the two-week mark if Gretel improves to help her improve things like her core strength and stability on her feet.
There are a few other things we are exploring but I don’t have enough information on them yet to share the details.
What challenges are we facing?
Having a plan feels wonderful. The thing is, a plan doesn’t always go the way you want.
Gretel may not progress in the way that they expect, leading to setbacks for us and further tests. One of my challenges will be to remain patient if I’m not seeing her progress as quickly as I would like.
Another challenge is the crate confinement and keeping Gretel mentally stimulated. Gretel is starting to feel better and it shows in her restlessness. Usually, you can quell and dog’s boredom with walks and games like tug or fetch. Gretel is confined to a crate though, and can’t tug on toys, so those options are out for us. There are puzzle games but Gretel likes to dig at, and contort her body, to get into them. That’s a no-go for her right now. The challenge for me will be to learn what kind of games you CAN play with a dog in a crate that will mentally stimulate them without the potential for physical injury. I have some ideas though.
Another challenge for us is what to do about her nails. Gretel’s nails have always grown fast. I need to clip them about ever 10 days to keep them from getting out of hand. Even with that, her quicks don’t move back so I can’t trim much off each time I do it. It’s more important now than ever to keep her nails as short as I can so they don’t interfere with her natural gait.
Well, she hates getting her nails done. By hate I mean turns into something from the Exorcist. It’s a physical struggle with her and it doesn’t matter whether I use clippers or a dremel. I can’t struggle with her when she is injured, and I certainly wouldn’t trust a groomer to do it (sometimes it’s easier if “not their owner” does it). The plan is for Dr. Eide to do it when we go in for hydrotherapy appointments but she can’t risk struggling with her either. If someone can’t get it done without a struggle, then I am not sure what we will do.
I’ll keep you posted on her progress, our challenges, and any other things that come up for us during this process. Hopefully Gretel will recover well and she WILL be out on the trails again later this summer.
Mary Hone says
At least you have a plan going forward, that helps a lot. I know how you feel though. When Torrey hurt her knee and couldn’t go for walks, or play frisbee it was really hard. For both of us. She was bored, and I felt horrible she couldn’t live the life she loves. Thankfully we are getting back on track. With Roxy’s back, it’s been easy to do the backpack thing and have her walk shorter distances. I know we talked about that, and it’s not a super option for Gretel.
A friend of mine who is a vet in Colorado suggested a book called four paws, five directions. It’s a chinese medicine book for pets and covers acupressure. You may want to look into that. I’m so sorry this happened to you guys.
Jessica Rhae says
I’ll check out the book. I’ve always liked the concept of sports massage and strengthening exercised for “sporting” dogs but never saw a real need for it. It looks like those days are over if I want Gretel to be able to hike regularly again 🙂 I definitely want to know what kind of manual therapy I can do to help her.
Deirdre Cooke says
Your plan sounds like a great plan! As for nails, I have 2 Doxies like you and nails have always been the bane of my existence! We found the trick was to do the pup most comfortable with nail clippings first, heap on the praise, treats and use 3 people!! One to clip, one to praise and hold, and one to continuously feed a kibble at a time into the ever hungry eating machine! By the time you get to the reluctant one they are practically begging to have their turn! Don’t go it alone, 3 people is best , 2 will do but the strongest must hold them still. (strong cuddles!)
Good luck!
Jessica Rhae says
We’re definitely going to have to make this a bigger production than it has been in the past. What exactly is going to work for us, I’m not sure yet.
Lisa West-Ownbey says
I think what you need to worry about most is jumping down. My boy was exceptionally smart and quickly learned to bark to be lifted up or down. I made a cube to assist him getting on and off the sofa.
He did have surgery which may actually have improved his long term condition. Most vets will not do surgery on a dog that is walking though. The surgeon said what he has at a year is permanent but he continued to improve and eventually I almost forgot about it.
Wadsworth went down at three and when he was 13 and months before we discovered he had prostate cancer which would ultimately take him, he hiked around Suttle Lake in Oregon. That’s about five miles with a lot of ups and downs but no scrambling and he did better than some of the humans.
Hoping for a full recovery.
Jessica Rhae says
Yeah, I think Gretel’s scrambling days are over. She loves it so though! I call her my little spider monkey. This girl can scale rock walls! Glad to hear your pup was able to get back to hiking.
Sheila Parks says
I’m a nurse at a sports camp for the blind, deaf-blind, and visually impaired, Camp Abilities. We teach our athletes that any sport is possible you just have to put modifications into place. It’s a mind set you put yourself in.
You have a lot of advantages by having a dog that you can carry if need be. Also one that is similar shape to a bedroll. Maybe do some contemplation of the worse case scenario, and work your way back from there. I have a Male smooth red that has been on crate rest. It’s hard to see how badly they want to get back to their activities. I wish Gretel God’s speed in healing! Perseverance will get you there!
Jessica Rhae says
Exactly. And that’s my mindset. Can’t really isn’t in my vocabulary but how is 🙂 We’ve always gone hiking prepared to carry one of the dogs if they were injured. Unfortunately, there is no great system for doing so (almost everything available or modified (like a pack) puts pressure on their spine. That’s a definite no-no here… especially over “bouncy” terrain. An emergency is an emergency but I am going to put more thought into what to do if there is one.
Tiffany Leedle says
I always feel MUCH better with a plan too. Waiting for your next blog post was hard enough, I can only imagine it was driving you crazy to wait to see the specialist. The plan sounds awesome! I know Gretel will progress quickly because it sounds like she already is. Let me know what you figure out about the nail grooming. All 4 of mine feel exactly the same way about getting their nails trimmed!
Jessica Rhae says
Yes, she is. You can barely tell there is anything wrong just looking at her. She’s getting restless and she started whining a bit in the crate yesterday. Oh, oh. I have a feeling this is going to be a long road 🙂
Stephanie says
I am so happy that you now have your plan in place and can begin to DO something (waiting just sucks)! I will be watching closely to see how Gretel’s healing progresses. As for her nails, my second rescue dog, a 35 lb JRT mix (read: terrorist), was VERY sensitive to having her feet touched. It took years for us to desensitize her enough to allow us to wipe her muddy feet when coming inside from a potty break in the rain. Nail trims were like a 4-H greased pig chase. I have never seen a dog contort in the ways she could! Enter Cricket’s “happy pills”. When our vet invited us to not bring Cricket back for a nail trim ever again after a biting and writhing fit, I called to ask if there was not something they could prescribe to calm her before the dreaded procedure. There was, and they did, and history was made. She would thereafter lie relaxed upon the table at the vet’s office. While she did not by any means enjoy the trims, she did endure them with little complaint. Perhaps exploring this might be helpful for Gretel too! Best of luck.
Jessica Rhae says
I think Gretel is going to need happy pills to stay in the crate the next 36 days. It’s not that she started whining yesterday but that she constantly sits, and tries to stand up on her hing legs, rather than laying down in a relaxed position. I don’t see how that can be helping her. Maybe being able to do her nails will be a bonus 🙂
Lauren Miller (ZoePhee) says
Poor Gretel! I’m so sorry you’re going through this and I really hope everything goes according to your plan with no set backs.
Have you seen Donna Hill’s activities for crate rest video on YouTube? You might find something there that you can do with her that would help you keep her mentally stimulated.
Jessica Rhae says
Possibly? I saw a video “20 activities for a dog on crate rest” but I have no idea who the lady was 🙂 I’ve got some things we are working on but NO amount of mental exercises are going to tire this girl out when she is stuck in the crate. It will more be a tool to refocus her when she starts whining.
Rose says
The MRI in Michigan is 3K. I know from experience. So good that your vet nixed needing one. My Bailey had a diagnosis of IVDD 5 years ago. With crate rest prednolisone and tramadol, she fully recovered. She’s smart and cautious now, but I always worry. It’s hard to slow down an active dog, but I know you can do it.
Jessica Rhae says
I am pretty sure it would have been covered by my pet insurance so money isn’t a factor for me. It’s still on the table for later down the road if she doesn’t recover as expected or has another, more severe, episode later. It looks like the medication and crate rest is doing it’s job though.
Kimberly Gauthier says
There is an essential oil called peace and calm that I use to settle my dogs down. It works magically. I put a couple drops in a diffuser and let it go to work. Our dogs are relaxed and resting in now time. I wonder if that would work for Gretel. I can tell you more about it when we meet for dinner.
Jessica Rhae says
I’ll check it out. So far, NOTHING natural has worked for her though. I’ve used oils, herbal teas, etc before with absolutely no difference. I still have hope though. I just ordered 3 more natural calming products. They are supposed to be some of the strongest on the market but we’ll see. This may be a case where “better living through chemicals” is our only option for keeping her restful enough to heal.
Lindsay says
So sorry to hear you are dealing with this. I can’t possibly understand what you’re going through because I have no experience with IVDD. I just want you to know I’m thinking of you and Gretel. I know she is in good hands and your plan sounds like a good one.
Do you have a post on which dog stroller you use? My dog is obviously not small but I’m curious. I’ve thought of getting Ace one of those soft, fold-up wagons.
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks Lindsay. I have not written a blog post about the stroller we have. It’s the NV No-Zip Pet Stroller from PetGear though. It’s one of the fanciest-schmanciest ones out there 🙂 A fold-up wagon is way cheaper. A few people in my Dachshund club have them. The bonus is that you can use it to haul other things. The down side is that it can’t handle as versatile terrain.
Hailey and Zaphod says
I read about this on my phone where I couldn’t comment. I am so sorry that Gretel is facing these challenges. Happy you have a plan and I am sure she will get the best treatment.
Michelle says
Sorry to hear about Gretel’s pain. It is so hard to be patient (for yourself and them), you see them responding to the rest and seeming to feel better, so you think letting them out of the crate and running around won’t hurt. Only to have them hurting again. It is so hard to watch them siting/laying in their crate while you are home instead of playing and running around like you are used to. Giving them meds regularly isn’t fun either, but you do what you need to to help them feel better. Nothing worse than when they cry. Our doxie Chopper has been having back issues off and on for a while. He and his sister too are little hikers/doxie mountain goats. I found that Chiropractic helped tremendously. Recently though, we have found a holistic vet that does acupuncture first to help the him relax then follows with Chiro. It has been amazing watching the difference. Try to stay patient and looking at your options. Best wishes for Gretel’s progress and thanks for sharing the information and stories.
Jessica Rhae says
I consider myself very, very fortune that I work with home. First, Gretel is used to laying around in the office for 5 – 10 hours a day while I work. I put her normal bed inside an extra crate I had and so it’s not like much has really changed for her. Because I am home, I also have the flexibility to tend to her more often. I can break up her crate time by taking her for a walk in the stroller or playing “games” with her. I am currently trying to teach her a new trick. When I see her getting too restless, I try to switch something up for her – a location, a game, etc.
I had years of chiropractic myself for my back and, truthfully, I don’t feel like it was that effective…. so I’m skeptical about it helping her. We are definitely going to try acupuncture though and I’m not totally opposed to having her adjusted by a chiropractor. I would want it to be someone familiar with IVDD though.
Love that your Doxies are super hikers too 🙂
Hannah says
Non-hikers really don’t get what rough-terrain hiking is about. No reason they should, but yes, very frustrating to have your concerns about oranges dismissed because apples should probably be okay!
I’m very interested in your experiences with the sports medicine vet. I’ve watched friends use similar practices for agility dogs and wondered if it would translate well for us, if ever needed…
Jessica Rhae says
Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing – this gal is a sports medicine vet and specializes in dogs that do things like agility, dock diving, etc. I’ll be keeping you guys posted about her treatments and how it goes for sure.
Mozzie says
I’m so sorry that you’re feeling that way! I really don’t know what else to say. I’ve written a post on my blog that’s a longer letter too Gretel which you can check out if you want but I just want to say that I’m so sorry that Gretel is going through all of this.
Chris from Boise says
Having had to crate-restrict one border collie (Obi -torn Achilles tendon) for eight weeks a year ago, and now our other BC (Habi – cruciate ligament rupture) for eight weeks (three weeks down, five to go), we send our deepest sympathies. Leg injuries, bad as they are, don’t hold a candle to back injuries. You have a good plan, and with your attitude things will go as well as they possibly can.
From our experience, mental exercise helped a lot; we concentrated on shaping “chin-rest on hand”, then “chin-rest on rolled-up towel”, etc. We’re also starting shaping nail-grinding with dremel with Habi who Suspects The Worst when it come to nails. The shaping started with the dremel in view – TONS of GREAT treats. Then bring turned off dremel closer over several days, using lots of treats, till we could touch her toes with it. We watched carefully to be sure she was relaxed, moving ahead as slowly as she needed. Then we re-started with the dremel turned on a long way away, TONS of GREAT treats. Then repeat bringing it closer – we’re still not at her toes yet but she’s able to be relaxed with it six inches away, which is great progress. It’s frustrating that her nails continue to grow as we work on this several-week training, but it’ll pay off in the long run.
Obi needed sedatives at night for two weeks to knock him out so he didn’t remove staples while we slept. (Mr. Contortionist removed the first set of staples the first night home, despite cone and hobbles). If you need them, and Gretel tolerates them, it can really help.
We LOVE our sports vet; Obi is sound on all four legs because of her, and we expect Habi to make a full recovery too. We started home PT this week, and she starts hydrotherapy next week.
Our best wishes for both you and Gretel!
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Chris. It sounds like you also have a good plan and in the hands of a good veterinarian. I hope your pup makes a full recovery. I’ve been working on some little tricks with Gretel to give her some mental exercises. The goal I am working toward is something I’ve wanted to teach her for a long time – to hold things in her mouth. We’re starting with a nose touch to my hand because I know that is something she will easily learn so it won’t frustrate me. Ha, ha. I can be impatient. There are several different ways to teach her to take something in her mouth and I was able to find a method I think will work for us. Unfortunately, teaching both of those things involves a reward of food. Obviously, I’ve really had to cut her calories down because she is sedentary. That means I haven’t been able to practice the tricks as often as I would like to though.
Denise Gruzensky says
So sorry to read about Gretel and your plight! How you describe the stages is so well put. I remember Harley’s diagnosis of Diabetes and then Cataracts. Each time there were tears, anger that such a precious innocent soul was having to go through it, research/research/research about how I could help improve his quality of life and then the lessons he taught me daily about his ability to adapt. These are not the same things you are dealing with but on some small level I understand the grief. Our fingers and paws are crossed with prayers up for Gretel’s recovery! We will be watching & waiting to hear. Also thanks to Mary Hone as I’ve ordered her suggested book looking for help with Shasta’s arthritis and Cushings.
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks Denise. I’m still trying to remain optimistic but I know she could have episodes on and off for the rest of her life and some could be more severe. Just one day at a time, right? I want to protect Gretel but I also want her to live a life she enjoys. I hope the book Mary suggested is helpful to you and Shasta.
Chris Anderson says
Jessica…2 of my Dachshunds have had laser treatment and go once a month for maintenance . Max was paralyzed in the beginning and is now almost 100%. I swear by the laser treatment and am now taking a foster dog for treatment and he is responding wonderfully. Best of luck to you and Gretel.
Jessica Rhae says
That’s great to hear. I’ve seen amazing results after just three treatments. It’s something I am definitely considering long-term to help manage her condition.
Dolly the Doxie says
Oh dear I almost missed this post! Jessica, I saw something at Global that may be a possibility for helping get her nails done. Jo Hunt’s client Kruuse develops a lot of vet care products. They showed be this cat bag, haha, that you put cats in at the vet so that you can examine them, give them shots, etc, without them fighting you. I had a cat, Peaches, that every time we showed up at the vet the assistants got out the Kevlar gloves, she was vicious.
Anyway, after getting to know you better at Global I can see you bouncing in the chair with impatience at the hospital and writing your lists forming your plan for Gretel. She is so lucky to have you! I am almost looking forward to seeing her treatments and how well she’ll improve. Have you thought of those balls with a treat inside or a Kong with frozen peanut butter to keep her stimulated?
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks for the tip on the “cat bag” I’ll try to track it down. I am not sure the premise of it but my vet did say that Gretel might do better with her nails being trimmed if she can’t see what I’m doing.
I do have a treat toy for Gretel. It was a lifesaver to help her get over the anxiety of being in the crate when I leave the house. She still gets one every time she has to go in the crate. Well, she used to. I can’t give her one every time now because I REALLY have to watch her calories. She usually gets one with a little bit of peanut butter smeared on the inside once a day to busy her for a while.
Pixel Blue Eyes says
I have a remedy for the nail trimming dilemma Jessica. I can’t stand to have my nails done. It freaks me out terribly so it’s a two person job at my house. I have back issues too, with two discs that are compressed, so for my nails, Mommy wraps we like a baby burrito in a soft blanket and only one paw gets to stick out. She has the blanket set up so I can’t see that Auntie Helen, sitting next to Mommy on the couch or bed, has the “implements of nail clipping & filing” ready in hand. So Mommy loves on my face and holds one paw at a time out of the blanket, holding my back against a pillow (all the while I’m a blanket burrito dog) and I can’t see Auntie cutting my nails. I can feel it and I occasionally try to pull my paw away, but Mommy has a firm loving grip on my arm. It works great then I get treats afterwards!! I hope this helps. And I pray that her treatments work for Gretel.
Love, Pixel
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks for the tips. We’re certainly not giving up 🙂
Sandy Weinstein says
my oldest dog does not have this but she has a bad disc that she go when she developed vestibular and went around in little tight circles. i use arnica, supplements, tens, acupuncture and the assis loop. i get upset with looking at her. she wears boots in the house b/c i have hardwood floors, i put down yoga matts for her. she is almost 15 yrs old now, deal, partially blind, but still has lots of spunk.
melf says
I totally get the sadness you feel about what this means for your future hikes with Gretel. It’s sad when a dog is injured and you can’t do what you loved to do together anymore. I am going through the same thing with Cupcake now and Daisy is not far behind. I cannot imagine not exploring and hiking without them.
Hoping Gretel continues to heal and that you can find a way to keep her mentally busy while on strict “bed” rest. Good luck with the nails too. That one is a challenge with Jasper every single time.
Feel better Gretel!
Juliet Whitfield says
Hello Jessica, Just wanted you to know that I am following and sending healing energy to Gretel and you. As a hiker, I would be so upset too, so I get that. I know this is a tough time, all you can do is just be and feel. Thinking of you all. Juliet
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks Juliet. That means a lot. Things seem to be progressing but I started doing some rehab exercises with her yesterday and it shows that she’s still experiencing some loss of feeling in her back legs 🙂 It has only been three weeks though… patience :/
Ana says
How did you end up handling the nail trims? My dog was just diagnosed with IVDD and your posts about Gretel have made this whole experience so much less terrifying!
J W says
Hi Ana. An IVDD diagnosis is a really scary thing. At least at first. I’m glad you found my post helpful. In regard to Gretel’s nails, I now have to pay someone to do them. I could probably spend months trying to condition her to let me do it but I don’t have the time and don’t want to take the risk. Grinding is better than clipping as far as being more efficient so I take her to the vet or Petsmart to get it done (Petsmart is cheaper than my vet but I sometimes have the vet do it when she’s in for an exam). If I was going to attempt it myself again, I would have her stand and lift her feet like the do at the groomer (kind of how they do with horses). She still struggles for me when I tried it that way but not nearly as much as holding her upside down in my arms like a baby to do it.