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Re: Jack has a couple of bad discs in his back!
We had our consult yesterday and I am happy to report that Jack and Dr. Kortz got on very well. This is my second consult with Dr. Kortz and in both he has wound up sitting on the floor at dog level, one of the many things I like about him.
He has asked us to "challenge" Jack this week with longer periods of exercise and see how he handles that as all of his tests of his reflexes, etc. gave positive results yesterday. Jack had been having a good two days after what seemed like a pain day.
If Jack winds up being in pain again, he would opt to prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory, prednisone... ugh... and/or gabapentin. And only go to a myelogram if there was some indication that the spinal cord was again having problems. We talked about the risks - of anesthesia and of a reaction to the contrast agent - of the myelogram.
He wants us to try to keep Jack's exercise to walking or swimming where he isn't hurling himself into the water as he usually does. I think if we wade out a way with him, we could make that work. Most important, he says, is to avoid things that flex the spine vertically or hoizontally.
Of course everything Jack does flexes his spine. His favorite thing in the world is to pounce on his toys!
After his appointment and a walk, we took him to the park in the evening and before too long his tail was tucked between his legs and he seemed sore. But today he seems okay... it is hard to know if what we are seeing is spinal or something else.
So for now we are upping his exercise with as little flexing of the spine as possible and will see how it goes.
The day before, we went to the same park and there were about 25 rabbits at the archery range! Jack was trilling like crazy - he's never seen that many rabbits in one place!
I think it will be weighing how many days are good days and how many are bad days. I suspect he's had this the entire time we have had him and that his seeming tired after a long hike was actually back pain. So we may be approaching what was normal for him and are just more aware now of what his being tired actually means.
Natalie
We had our consult yesterday and I am happy to report that Jack and Dr. Kortz got on very well. This is my second consult with Dr. Kortz and in both he has wound up sitting on the floor at dog level, one of the many things I like about him.
He has asked us to "challenge" Jack this week with longer periods of exercise and see how he handles that as all of his tests of his reflexes, etc. gave positive results yesterday. Jack had been having a good two days after what seemed like a pain day.
If Jack winds up being in pain again, he would opt to prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory, prednisone... ugh... and/or gabapentin. And only go to a myelogram if there was some indication that the spinal cord was again having problems. We talked about the risks - of anesthesia and of a reaction to the contrast agent - of the myelogram.
He wants us to try to keep Jack's exercise to walking or swimming where he isn't hurling himself into the water as he usually does. I think if we wade out a way with him, we could make that work. Most important, he says, is to avoid things that flex the spine vertically or hoizontally.
Of course everything Jack does flexes his spine. His favorite thing in the world is to pounce on his toys!
After his appointment and a walk, we took him to the park in the evening and before too long his tail was tucked between his legs and he seemed sore. But today he seems okay... it is hard to know if what we are seeing is spinal or something else.
So for now we are upping his exercise with as little flexing of the spine as possible and will see how it goes.
The day before, we went to the same park and there were about 25 rabbits at the archery range! Jack was trilling like crazy - he's never seen that many rabbits in one place!
I think it will be weighing how many days are good days and how many are bad days. I suspect he's had this the entire time we have had him and that his seeming tired after a long hike was actually back pain. So we may be approaching what was normal for him and are just more aware now of what his being tired actually means.
Natalie
I bet Jack was going crazy!
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