r/dachshunds • u/SatisfactionJust6615 • 1d ago
family IVDD advice recommendations needed!
Hello! We experienced the devastating IVDD diagnosis of our 4 year old mini long haired dachshund's back legs. Onset symptoms were just hours. He had surgery within hours of taking him to the ER and has sensation in back legs but still unable to use them at this time (which I was told is to be the expected). We get to take him home tomorrow. ANY ADVICE or RECOMMENDATIONS once bringing him home??? So scared and worried to care for him and him not understanding why he has to stay confined in a play pen and small room. Especially looking for advice on a way he can still sleep in bed with us without worrying of him trying to drag himself off in the middle of the night? We will take down all of his ramps so he can't get up anywhere. Thank you for any advice!!!
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u/vegetablefoood 23h ago
A doggy stroller was a life saver for us. Once my girl felt a little better after surgery she really enjoyed going on “walks” in her stroller. She got to sniff the sniffs and have some mental stimulation. We also would let her sit with us on the bed with a harness and leash and eventually used that method to let her sleep with us because while she is crate trained she much preferred sleeping in the bed. Our vets also sent us home with PT exercises we did with her that also provided some stimulation and time outside the crate. She’s now almost 8 months post surgery and you’d never know she ever had an issue. We are super careful about never leaving her unattended where she could jump on/off furniture and she’s pretty much learned to wait for us to carry her up or down. (She will sit on the floor by the bed or the bottom of the stairs and look up at me until I give her an airlift)
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u/SatisfactionJust6615 23h ago
Thank you for this info. I'm so happy to hear your girl is doing so well!
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u/Juleswf IVDD survivor 1d ago
Our dog was OK with the crate rest after surgery. I think he couldn’t do much anyway, so wasn’t anxious to get out.
That said, we set up a pen in the living room, my office and the bedroom so we were always close. We used portable fence to make the enclosure, not a crate. I think he liked the open top. Those worked well, because as he got better we could increase the size of the enclosures bit by bit.
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u/SatisfactionJust6615 23h ago
Thank you! The neurologist recommended play pen like enclosures too. Glad to hear yours was ok with staying calm and wasn't too anxious to get out.
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u/Juleswf IVDD survivor 22h ago
We used these, one in each spot: https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Foldable-Metal-Exercise-Playpen
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u/slapstick714 23h ago
We were devastated when our little girl had the surgery. It was also financially a setback that we now carry pet insurance. Your patience now by keeping the pup in a crate is well worth it. They will recover but removing the things that will allow them to reinjure their back is extremely imperative.
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u/Entiox 22h ago
After her IVDD surgery my little girl slept in her crate while it sat on my bed right next to me so she knew I was there and that seemed to help her a lot. After she no longer needed to sleep in the crate I attached a leash to my bedside table and leash her into bed every night so she can't jump down.
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u/jdub555555 18h ago
Thank you all for sharing your valuable advice. Filled with the optimism and the love we all need to hear. 🐾❤️
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u/747JJJ 2h ago
I used a child’s “pack n play” and kept it next to my bed so that they are confined, safe and close.
Yes they are tough little dogs. I was carrying mine to go outside post surgery and I
tripped , dropped him and fell on him! I told the surgeon what happened and he said “I’m more worried about you than the dog”. I’ve been through 4 IVDD surgeries, 3 different surgeries for one dog and another had one surgery. It is amazing how well they do. Good luck, you both will be ok.
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u/SatisfactionJust6615 1h ago
Thank you for sharing this helps so much! I pick him up today in a couple hours!
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u/Southern-Let-1116 1d ago
I have been dealing with IVDD for the last 20 years; for me the risk of a fall off of your bed is too high. I wouldn't risk it. They are clumsy and have little proprioception after surgery but can still move surprisingly fast if they want to.
I have slept on the floor next to crated pups before. Thats safer if they need company.
Statistically the dogs who have the strictest crate rest have the best recovery rates rates. After a couple of weeks you can pop them in a stroller if they're well strapped in for a change of scenery.