Disc Surgery On A 10 1/2 Yr Old, Now Other Issues

[ahicks51]

I just gave him his third drink, and that polished off the bottle of Ensure. So he's at 230 calories now! Hooray!!

BTW- anyone know how many calories they normally get in their food for a day? I have no idea.

 

For maintenance, about 1000-1200 Calories/day in a grey that age.

[Guest trevdog]

Continuing to send prayers to Max, it's good he's getting some calories! Maybe the injection helped and he will eat some solid food soon!

[Magdalyn58]

Sending lots of prayers for Max. I'm so glad that he's enjoying the Ensure!

[3DogNite]

When my girl had LP Tie back surgery, she didn't really want to eat when we got home, and she had several pills to take as well.. so I used the Fat Ball/Satin Ball recipe.

Raw hamburger, eggs (with shells) crushed total cereal, oil, molasses,, anyway,, small enough pieces and she was able to smush them down and eat on her own. pills went inside a FB too, made giving pills easier. she ate them everyday.. she also enjoyed the Ensure ~

 

good luck with Max!

[crazygang]

No advice just hope Max feels better soon....

[RobinM]

Please pick up some cow hoofs. Get some z/d at vet, it's prescription(it's easy on the tummy and easy to digest and for some strange reason, the dogs like it) stuff the hoofs, freeze them and offer.

 

Can't hurt.

[Guest greykat]

Thanks, everyone! I have great news! I was so happy that he finished the bottle of Ensure (I gave him his third and last bowl of it, which finished the bottle), and I took him outside for a pee. When he came back in awake and alert, I decided to try again w/ other food. At first I tried a big spoonful of a/d diet heated up, and he licked at it. Progress, but he didn't finish it! Plus my foster greyhound was miffed that he didn't get any of the a/d, so I decided to bring out the meatballs again. I heated up a few (they are just ground beef and brown rice balls baked), and I gave one to the foster first, right in front of Max. I then went and gave Max half of one. I turned back to look at my foster and give Max some privacy. And I heard sounds of EATING!! I saw that he finished the half, so I gave him the other half (and gave the foster another one, too). Success! Now Max has had a bottle of Ensure, some licks of a/d diet, and a rice/meatball! I'm stopping there for now- don't want to risk a repeat of the vomiting mess of Tuesday! But how great is that?!?!?! I'm happy with any signs that he's interested in the aroma and taste of food. Maybe it really was the injections and possibly the dose of Metacam that made today a better day for him!! I'm SOOOOOOO happy!!!

[Newgreymom]

Great update!!! Hope he continues to do well...

[Guest greykat]

Update: Max has now eaten two meatballs and about half a can of i/d diet. He just went outside and peed. He came back in and laid down and got a good drink of water. He ate all of this in addition to the bottle of Ensure today, and I spaced everything about 1 1/2 hours apart so he only gets small amounts each time. No vomit! It's all staying in his system. I'm so happy!! I hope we can feed more and more and get the bones hidden under some belly fat. Fingers crossed!

 

From your experience, approximately how long does it take to safely pack about 10 pounds on a greyhound? I estimate that's what he needs at this point. So scrawny!

[Guest greykat]

The little devil thinks he is much better. I let the foster dog out before Max since Max seems nice and restful, and when I looked in our side window I saw Max waiting for me at the door! :-\ It was nice that he had that much strength and energy to decide to do that on his own (he's needed prodding to get up and go out all week). Anyway, the bad part is that that required him going up 4 stairs, and he's not supposed to be doing any stairs or exercise. He had to go back down them to get to the lower level again, and I promptly took him out so he could pee. He was a little wobbly because he was trying to go his normal speed. Funny guy! Anyway, brought him back in after a pee, and he ate a little, then got up and walked to the door (the downstairs door- I put the baby gate back up so he couldn't do the stairs again). I took him back out, and he pooped for the first time in a week! So he fully digested all that food from yesterday!! And while it sure wasn't solid, it wasn't liquid, either. No diarrhea, no vomiting! I think this kid is really on the road to recovery now!

[Batmom]

That's GREAT news!

 

If he's holding food down, you can probably get the 10 lbs back on in a couple weeks -- 3-4 lbs. a week if you're being cautious. I would probably try dividing @ 1200-1400 calories into 4-5 meals a day.

 

Hugs and best luck.

[carronstar]

Great news!

[Guest grey_dreams]

Great news! So glad he's eating again!

[Guest trevdog]

Great news! Hoping for an update tonight!

[Guest Energy11]

Great news! Very very good! Way to go!!! :-)

[Guest greykat]

Today he ate an entire can of i/d diet (13 oz), a single serving pouch of tuna, and about 6 meatballs! He's still sleeping quite a bit, but I like that- it's better than being awake because he is so sick and uncomfortable. Have I mentioned how absolutely horrible Tuesday was?? Gosh, I really love life now. Yesterday and today have been just wonderful. I never knew I'd be this elated to see a dog eat.

 

The funniest thing is that he really thinks that he's back to normal- when I take him out now, he keeps pulling and trying to do his "poop trot". I feel so bad always holding him back, but it's for his own good. I just wish he knew why I was doing it. I can't wait until we get the "all clear" to start exercising again. I want to go on a real walk with him again!!

 

Nothing but good news here. I continue to pray it stays this way. Thank you all for keeping me sane and for sharing such great ideas!

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

So glad to hear your pup is doing better!

[crazygang]

Does the heart good to hear of improvement....

[Remolacha]

 

wonderful updates! sounds like he really is on the road to recovery now!

[Guest greykat]

Another good day. He has quite the appetite now! He ate a can of i/d and several meatballs, plus some Natural Balance Potato and Duck dry and wet food (just 1/4 cup of the dry for now). He keeps getting up on his own to go outside and to move from one bed to another. The best part is that he is now getting up just to say hi- he walked over to the couch to get some petting from me and my husband several different times today. And every time I'm in the kitchen doing something and he's standing, he waits and looks at me, as if he's asking for more food. This is so exciting!!

 

Okay, I have a few questions for you experts out there:

1) he went from a tired, weak, starving dog to a hungry and wanna-be peppy dog in about a day. He is still unstable, but he doesn't seem to realize it. He wants to move in the yard and is eyeing the couch like he wants to hop up on it. How long before his legs catch up with his mind?

2) the neurologist didn't seem impressed with Max's harness, even though it is the one I see most highly recommended by greyhound groups- the Premier sure fit harness. He wanted something padded and that put less pressure on his arms/lower neck/shoulders...? Not entirely sure, and the only specific thing he said was a car harness that Petsmart sells that is well padded and a "non-restrictive harness". I plan to ask him for more specifics, but I'm curious to know if anyone here uses one other than the Premier Sure Fit.

3) any idea when I should start expecting "normal" poop? I realize he just starting eating on Thursday, and his first poop was yesterday, but both yesterday and today is was like pudding, *just* firm enough to lift into a bag, but no shape whatsoever. I assume I need to wait a couple more days and introduce more dry food before I expect anything to take shape.

 

I guess that's it for my current questions. Mostly I'm just happy that Max's brain is back to normal, and that his body is slowly but surely catching up. Life is sweet!!!

[Batmom]

So glad to hear he's doing well!

 

We here have gotten firm poop on canned ID but all dogs are different and things like Ensure might lend less firmness. FWIW, when Joseph was on ID, he needed @ 3 cans a day to maintain.

 

I use Premier Surefit for normal walking but for support something with more padding underneath might be more helpful over the long term. I have a RuffWear Webmaster that I've used; your vet's recommendation of the car harness sounds worth checking out too . Probably depends on whether Max really needs support/lifting or just some hovering/steadying and a catch if need be.

[Guest greykat]

Thank you! That is so helpful! I will up the number of cans we are giving and will definitely buy that harness! I just looked it up, and it looks perfect! Especially if he continues to be a bit wobbly in his old age. The ability to easily lift him with the harness is great!

 

Thank you, thank you!!!!!!

[GreyPoopon]

I'm so glad he's feeling better.

 

I don't know the car harness, but the Ruffwear Webmaster worked really well for Cora.

 

Given all the different things you've had to feed him over the past few days, soft stool isn't surprising. As long as it doesn't deteriorate further, he'll be OK.

[Guest greykat]

another question: I'm now out of the i/d that the vet brought me, and Max surprisingly doesn't like the a/d. I'm starting to worry that giving him miscellaneous foods will keep his stool soft. I've been using what I have- the last of the "rice meatballs" (which is worry were greasier than they should have been) and the last of the i/d, some dry and wet Potato and Duck food, more tuna...

 

I bought more ground beef yesterday and am making another tray of meatballs right now (sans rice mixture, which is what I think absorbed a lot of the grease last time since there was hardly any grease on the pan). I'm cooking a big batch of white rice separately in the rice cooker. My hope is to give him essentially the diarrhea diet of cooked ground beef and white rice. I am wondering how much I should give him and how many separate meals. I have twenty medium size meatballs and plenty of rice. How much do you recommend if this is all I give him today (in hopes of firming up his stool)?

 

Thanks!!

[Batmom]

As long as he doesn't have totally liquid, uncontrollable diarrhea, I wouldn't worry too much about poop quality. Semiformed might be the best you get until his diet etc. stabilizes. That in itself isn't harmful .

 

If the beef / meatballs are pretty fatty, I'd probably give 1/2 - 3/4 pound of those and @ 3-4 cups cooked rice per day; more if he wants more. If less fatty, 3/4 pound - 1 pound of the meatballs and 2-3 cups of rice; again, more if he wants more.