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Buddy's Neck/back Again


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About 6 this morning Buddy yelped very loundly. It was must certainly a pain yelp, not chasing bunnies in his sleep yelp. When I got up at 8 he did the same thing as the last bout. He will not lift his head above his shoulders and he is hesitant to go down the steps to the yard. Groundhog day is tomorrow but we're having it here today.

 

Last time we went to the vet the day after Christmas and he got tramadol, methcarbamol and pred which ended up with a $200 e-vet billl on Christmas day as the pred had torn up his stomach. Lesson learned about Pepcid (which the vet never mentioned - I learned that from here). Then we went to the specialist who couldn't find anything wrong in a physical exam and didn't see anything that would warrant anything further. Our referral paperwork said neuro/ortho and we obviously just got the ortho guy as he couldn't stop talking about what an excellent job was done on Buddys toe amputation. To be honest, by the time our specialist appointment arrived I was thinking of cancelling it as he seemed fine, just like he did to the specialist.

 

Now we are back to obvious pain. Gave tramadol just after 8 and it hasn't seemed to help - am waiting until lunch at 11:30 to give the muscle relaxer. Have a call into the vet to see if he thinks he needs to go in. When I told Dr. Josh about his stomach problems he said he might be pred sensitive (?)...or maybe it is was just that big honking dose with no pepcid.

 

I don't know what to do. Run another course of meds because they fixed him last time (for a month), get him up to the specialist ($$$$) ASAP while he's still hurting? Obviously he is tweaking something in his back. My vet narrowed it down to just below his shoulders. He wanted to hold off on radiographs to see if he got better as he'd have to be sedated to get them. Maybe accupuncture?

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no advice but hugs for Buddy and you! :grouphug

Kim and Bruce - with Rick (Rick Roufus 6/30/16) and missing my sweet greyhound Angels Rainey (LG's Rainey 10/4/2000 - 3/8/2011), Anubis (RJ's Saint Nick 12/25/2001 - 9/12/12) and Zeke (Hey Who Whiz It 4/6/2009 - 7/20/2020) and Larry (PTL Laroach 2/24/2007 - 8/2/2020) -- and Chester (Lab) (8/31/1990 - 5/3/2005), Captain (Schipperke) (10/12/1992 - 6/13/2005) and Remy (GSP) (?/?/1998 - 1/6/2005) at the bridge
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -- Ernest Hemmingway

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I would save your $ on acupuncture and give him anti-inflammatories (pred if that's what works for him; with the Pepcid of course) and rest -- no stairs (to the extent possible), no leaping up on things, etc.

 

Once he seems 100% again, continue meds for 5-10 days. Continue rest for 3 weeks after that.

 

 

 

 

 

I can't recall if this is 2nd or 3rd time he's done this? If 2nd, I personally would give it anti-inflamm and rest one more go. If 3rd, I'd probably be inclined to see the specialist.

 

Hugs and best luck to youse guys!

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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Buddy. :( He was in so much pain I wanted to take him in. They had no open slots this afternoon but told me I could drop him off and they could look at him between appointments. On the way there his back left start jerking like it did before the problem seemed to move to the front half. It just happened as I was dropping him off Dr. Josh walked out and I said "come look". He looked at Buddys upper back and neck and said we needed radiographs of that half and he'd be ready between 3 and 6.

 

I just called and they said Dr. Josh had read the radiographs but would not release him yet. This worries me a lot. Waiting for a call....

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Ugh, waiting

 

I was hoping he might benefit from being on long-term anti-inflammatories. Our Kingsley was having what we thought were siezures, but the vet said," I think he's just in pain" and she determined he had some arthritis in his back. He has been on a steady-dose of deramaxx now rymadyl and we have Tramadol on-hand if he has an episode... but it has changed his life to have those anti-inflammatories on-board.

Amy and Tim in Beverly, MA, with Chase and Always missing Kingsley (Drama King) and Ruby (KB's Bee Bopper).

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MRI My Lady did the same thing and it got worse and worse. Did MRI yesterday and had surgery following. It was a ruptured disk in her neck. Very expensive, but the only treatment for my dog. It is a very painful condition for them.

 

Oh and we were on Rimadol, Tramadol and Gab for months with a "let's wait and see" program.

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Well, the radiographs were "fairly unremarkable" except for one potential problem area between C-4 and C-5. He said this may also be responsible for the not lifting the head as well as the back leg shaking as problems go down the spinal cord but generally not up. Buddy is now back on pred (WITH PEPCID) for another round. I asked about Deramaxx and he said for what he believes this is (sort of like when grandpa "threw his back out") pred is better. :dunno

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Poor Buddy. I hope the meds help him get comfortable quickly.

 

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