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Surgery For Lumbosacral Stenosis?


Guest neenieca

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Guest neenieca

My Murphy just turned 7 years old and has been diagnosed with lumbosacral stenosis. (Not with a CT scan, just using Dr. Stack's pressure test.) While he's always had some issues with his hind end, this has progressed severely in the past 3 weeks. First he just couldn't jump or sit and was wobbly and fell a lot, dragged his feet. Now, he can barely walk, let alone get up, and can rarely support himself to poop or pee outside. He's not incontinent yet, though. He just holds it and tries again later. He's still alert and happy with bright eyes and full appetite. He just can't really move.

 

I've recently relocated from CA to Oklahoma (for a job) with the pups, though, and I've had a hard time finding a vet who knows both greyhounds and LS, so I'm not really sure that I trust what I’m hearing or that I’ve tried all options besides surgery. Honestly, nobody’s really told me anything about what’s going on with him, but have followed my direction of potential LS. They gave him Dr. Stack’s shot almost a week ago (at my vehement prodding), but it was done by a vet who hadn’t given the shot before. He’s not responded to it at all. I have an appt with a different vet tomorrow, one whose clinic DOES see greyhounds, and I’m hoping he’ll know more about this.

 

But given the fact that Murphy can’t get up very well, if at all, this seems really serious. It seems like the options are surgery or let him waste away until it’s time to put him to sleep? Is that even right? I just…I just really don’t know what I’m doing. And I don’t have a lot of money, but I love this dog, and he’s way too young to end his life, and I'll get him the surgery if that's what he needs.

 

So, the question is, what can you tell me about surgery for LS? Does it work? Any experiences? Would you do it? Is there something more I’m missing? Can you think of something else I should be testing for? This has happened so suddenly for LS.

 

Thank you,

Jennie

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Someone will pop up here soon to tell you about surgery, I hope. Meanwhile, I'll just share that our LS dog was diagnosed a year and a half ago and has been doing very well with monthly acupuncture & chiropractic. It's delivered by a sports-rehab vet with holistic inclinations who used to be a full-service vet. She is fully certified in both acupuncture and chiropractic. You can find certified vets like this with an Internet search, and I'd be glad to help you if you wish. There are lots of people on GT who also treat this way.

 

Our thoughts are with you. Hang in there.

Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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Hi there. Our 13 year old Lab has LS and since she is older we decided against the surgery for her a year ago. The vet did not think it would be a good outcome for her, at her age. Her symptoms do not seem as severe as Murphy's though. She does not have good control over her back legs, but gets around OK. Her problem has been becoming incontinent, but only with poops. We can live with that, as her poops are solid and easy to clean up.

 

I wish you lots of luck with Murphy!

Tin and Michael and Lucas, Picasso, Hero, Oasis, Galina, Neizan, Enzo, Salvo and Noor the Galgos.
Remembering Bridge Angel Greyhounds: Tosca, Jamey, Master, Diego, and Ambi; plus Angel Galgos Jules, Marco and Baltasar.

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Guest gryhnd3

Our girl was diagnosed when she was around 7 also. We had an MRI done - everyone thought there was a disc problem and we were ready to operate (with ortho vet that sees a lot of greys - all the ortho cases off the track from our adoption group). When I brought her in that morning, he decided he wanted to do a myelogram. He did that and called me and told me she had narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis). He told me that there was a surgery for it, but he didn't feel she was a candidate since she was mobile, and most of the dogs he operated on would have to be carried into his office. I also got the impression the surgery was no guarantee - I realize none are - but I guess it may not have really high success rate as to resolving the problem completely. If I recall correctly, I think he had said that it would progress at a slow rate and she'd probably pretty much live out her normal life to some degree.

 

We never tried depo-medrol injection. She was on dexamethesone for quite a while, then switched to Deramaxx (along w/ Tramadol). We were doing Adequan injections for the last year or so, I wish I had started them sooner. We had tried acupuncture before she was diagnosed and it didn't help. We had also tried a chiropractor. She had also broken a back leg twice, had pins in that leg, very bad arthritis in her toes, etc. She was a tough girl with a really strong will to live and be happy with us, and the sweetest dog I think we'll ever have. We had to let her go this past summer at age 12, the pain just got to be too much one night and we had to let her go the next morning. She never had any accidents in the house, was able to go to the bathroom outside okay, though her legs would shake. Her days would really vary, one day you'd think she was feeling worse, wouldn't walk around much outside, then the next day she'd be traveling all over the yard.

 

Can you talk to your adoption group about which orthopedic they recommend and then see him/her for an opinion? Oops - just reread and realize you've moved - maybe you can contact an adoption group in your new state?

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The shot either works or it doesn't. Thank goodness it worked for Rex like a charm.

 

I tried Chiro for another spinal problem of Rex's against my vets advice and should have thrown my money in the street. In addition I will never forgive myself as I am sure the guy hurt him as he had to muzzle horizontal Rex to stop him from biting him. My vet suggested accupuncture as it has a much better clinical track record.

 

Best of luck. Where are you in OK? Closer to OKC, Dallas or another city?

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No advice, just :goodluck and :grouphug

Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13), Grey Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09)
Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23)

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Guest bigorangedog

I don't want to scare you, I just want to make sure you cover all your bases here. My boy Tanner, who has been gone one year this week, presented with symptoms that we thought were LS for a long time. We even did a depo-medrol shot and acupuncture, but nothing helped. Finally, we ended up xraying his hips just to see if something else could be wrong, and we discovered that he had bone cancer in his hip (not a common location in greys). By the time we found it, it was too late to do any radiation/chemo/etc for him, and we lost him about a week later.

 

I SINCERELY hope that it is nothing like this for your guy. But just wanted to say that if you haven't done any xrays of his hips, spine, and rear legs, please do them. Our other boy Crisco that we lost in September had similar symptoms and had osteo in his spine.

 

All the best to you, and I hope you have a great outcome for him!!

Jen

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Guest spider9174

What about taking her to OSU for evaluation? For surgeries like that, you may want to have a facility that is geared up for it. Not saying that others aren't, I'm just partial to vet schools for that kind of stuff.

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Guest smarthound

Acupuncture and Rimadyl kept our Baldy on his feet for two years after his diagnosis. We also used a sling on the days he had trouble walking.

 

You might try working with a Holistic Healthcare Veterinarian. Here is a website with a directory. link

 

And this is the link to the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture link

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Guest neenieca

Thanks, all, for your replies. After a week of tests, we now know it's not LS at all - there was no evidence of it on the CT scan. A spinal tap revealed that it's meningitis! His symptoms don't necessarily match the descriptions of meningitis I've read, but hopefully we'll find out more today about what's going on. I'm relieved that this seems to be something more easily treatable than LS. Reading what you all said about LS, it just doesn't fit Murph: since Jan. 20, he's gone from active and jumping and sitting, etc., to immobile in his hind legs and incontinent. It happened so much faster than what you all described. Anyway, thanks for the good thoughts, and I'll keep you posted!

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Oh my. Hoping your boy can be successfully treated!

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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