3 Weeks Post-Op Report

We are happy to report that Cody is now standing on his own and can even take a few steps without his walk-about-harness for support. They are wobbly steps, but steps all the same. He loves the fact that he has some mobility back, when it's time to go outside for a potty break or when we do his physical therapy exercises and let him walk around the house his tail wags in such excitment. It's such a heartwarming sight and we could not be happier for him!

He had his first hydrotherapy session at Flying Cloud Vet last week and Sandi said she that he did great! She's thinking he'll need about 10 weeks of rehabilitation to build up his strength but we'll see how he progresses.

Being that he's getting his energy back it's getting harder to keep him on 'crate rest' but we are sticking to it the best we can to ensure he has the best recovery possible. We do cheat a little by letting him lay with us on the bed once in a while but it's just for a short time.

We'll never know for sure, but given he had no deep pain sensation, had complete rear paralysis and was past the 24 hour time frame when he went in for surgery, we credit the stem cell treatment for giving him the chance to walk again. We are so grateful to the U of M for having known about this study and giving us the option to try it with Cody. 

For those Dachshund parents out there, if you ever have to go through IVDD and spinal surgery be sure to ask about stem cell therapy. I haven't seen many IVDD forums talking about it. My guess is that it's so new that not many people are aware of the benefit.

Cody & His Potty Pads

Cody makes me laugh - He really hates the fact that he has to lay on potty pads now and last night I caught him expressing his anger....Hang in their Cody, you're getting stronger every day and soon you'll can say bye bye to those potty pads forever. (Pawscrossed)

Christmas Progress Report

Merry Christmas!

Cody was so excited to open his stocking from Santa this morning. Here he is sitting on daddy's lap!

Cody continues to progress in his recovery from his IVDD surgery, he is not strong enough yet to stand or walk without the help of the walkabout harness own but he is getting stronger everyday.

We are continuing with his range of motion exercises and take him on multiple short walks outside.

Given he is on crate rest most of the day he gets so excited when it's time for his walks. We love seeing his tail wagging in excitement, especially since just a few short weeks ago he couldn't wag his tail at all.

Cody is starting his Hydrotherapy sessions on Thursday. Unlike most Dachshunds, Cody prefers land to water so it will be interesting to see how he does.


A Christmas Gift from Health Paws

On Christmas Eve we received a letter from Healthy Paws about changes in our insurance plan. As I read I was totally expecting them to say that are premium was increasing due to our recent claim but nope, it was just a letter to say that as of January 1st, they would be covering alternative treatments that included: Hydrotherapy, Acupuncture and other rehab services, what great news!

Deep Pain Senstation is Returning

Cody's post-opt check-up yesterday at the University of Minnesota went awesome! The doctor who did Cody's surgery was very pleased with his progress. He is starting to get some of his deep pain sensation back. Given that, the doctor said she was confident he would be walking again. She didn't say WHEN that would be but Adam and I both know that would be an almost impossible question to answer anyway.

We also met with the canine rehabilitation group and they taught us some new range of motion exercises to do at home. Rather continue with rehabilitation therapy down at the U, we opted to do rehab with Sandi McDonough at Flying Cloud Animal Hospital. She's local to us in Eden Prairie and honestly, is older and has more experience. We are hoping to start up right after the Christmas Holiday.

We were sent home with the instructions of getting him into a rehab program as well as to continue with the new exercises we were taught.  Part of Cody's at home exercises includes short walks outside. To help support his back-end while walking we purchased a walk about harness that he dosen't seem to mind one bit. We also use Pawz dog boots to prevent injury to his back paws (since they drag behind him much of the time)

When Cody is not doing his rehab exerises he still needs to be resting in order to continue to heal. Crate rest may be hard for some doxies but we are finding it's not all that difficult for Cody. Pre-injury he used to sleep most of the day anyway. As long as we are in the same room with him he seems pretty content.

Since Cody is one of the first Doxies to try stem cell therapy for IVDD the University of Minnesota wants us to keep them in the loop of his progress as well as meet with them on occasion to do their own follow-up checks. Cody may just make it into one of their famous case studies, wouldn't that be cool!

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Rocks

When my husband and I adopted Cody from Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota one of the first things we did was research pet insurance companies. We didn't know a ton about Dachshunds back than other than that they were very susceptible to Intervertebral Disk Disease or IVDD.

IVDD  is a debilitating and costly disease that affects many different breeds including Dachshunds. Knowing the cost associated in the surgical treatment of IVDD we did not want to be in a position of not being able to provide care because we could not financially afford it.

Researching Pet Insurance is Daunting

I'm not going to lie, researching pet insurance was a daunting task, especially because you can't always believe everything you read. (I work in marketing after all and a marketers job is to make everything sound great) When deciding on a pet insurance policy you have the same things to consider as any other type of insurance policy:

• Cost
• Deductible
• Policy Limits
• Coverage
• Reimbursements
• Restrictions
• Ease of Use

After researching online and reading reviews on Angie's List we decided on Healthy Paws. The plan we choose costs $44.58 per month, has a $250.00 yearly deductible and pays out a 90% reimbursement. The plan covers everything except routine vet care. This includes genetic conditions as long as they were not pre-existing.

Submitting Our First Claim

Cody's IVDD surgery was our first claim in the almost 2 years since we'd had insurance and was going to be a BIG test as to just how good our policy was. In all honestly I was prepared for having to go through a bunch of red tape. I just didn't believe filing a claim and getting reimbursed was going to be as easy as it claims it would be.

Healthy Paws Reimbursement

The total cost of Cody's IVDD surgery and hospital stay was $6,279.53, this included a CT scan, MRI and his stem cell harvesting and shot. Submitting a claim was super easy and I'm not just saying that. We sent everything in on Monday December 10th and 1 week later we had our reimbursement checks in hand. Here's how our payout worked....

Kudos to Healthy Paws

In addition to their super simple claim filing process, we called customer service a few times since it was our first claim and I have nothing but great things to say. Good customer service is hard to find these days and their phone reps were very helpful. They kept us in the loop every step of the way via email.

Thanks Healthy Paws!

Cody Wagged His Tail

Adam and I took Cody outside for the first time today to go potty (we've just been letting him go on his potty pads in his crate to avoid unnecessary movement) We used a scarf to support his back-end and let him walk around in the front yard for a few minutes to sniff around and low and behold he started to wag his tail in excitement! At first with thought it might just be involuntary movement that happens when he has to go #2 but nope, it was clearly voluntary and it wagged the entire time we were outside. Yay for Cody! I sure wish I would have had my phone with me to take video but of course I did not. If Cody had it his way, we'd still be outside but doctors orders he is only allowed a few minutes of exercise a day..

1 Week Post IVDD Surgery Update

It's been 1 week since Cody's IVDD surgery. We continue to do the passive range of motion exercises for 5 to 10 minutes multiple times a day. He seems to be starting to resist somewhat which is a good sign. We're waiting for the 'ok' to start laser therapy. According to some studies, laser treatment is said to help control pain and stimulate nerve regeneration and tissue healing. However, no studies have been done on how stem cells react to the laser therapy and we certainly don't want to do anything to harm the stem cells!

Cody has his first post op check-up on Wednesday, where we'll meet with the physical therapy group for a consultation and treatment plan recommendation.

I think Cody is starting to like being waiting on hand and foot, we've given him the nickname of 'Prince Cody'...Look at that face though, how can you NOT love that bugger to pieces.

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Cody is currently 5 pounds overweight, mostly due to that damn Hills Perscription diet food crap (ok, and maybe a few extra treats) so in addition to recovering from surgery we are also working on weight loss. Decreasing his food intake by 10% was recommended and we've been following that pretty strictly. Cody like most Dachshunds love to eat so it's difficult not to give him treats when he looks at us with those little Brown eyes but we're being tough. Extra weight is not good for any dog, but it's even worse for IVDD dogs.

Cody's Personality Is Back

It's been 6 days since Cody's back surgery and I am happy to report Cody's personality is starting to shine through - Yay! Previously he was just too sedated from all his medications. Speaking of meds, I thought I'd list out what he was perscribed in case anyone going through a similiar journey wanted to compare.

Codys Medications

• Metronidazole (Flagyl) 250MG - 1/2 tablet every 12 hours - Used to reduce inflammation & help with diarrhea.
• Gabapentin - 100 MG - 1 Tablet every 12 hours - Used to treat chronic pain, particularly of neuropathic origin.
• Tramadol - 50 MG - 1/2 Tablet every 8 to 12 hours - Used for Pain

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No signs of neurological improvement yet but when doing Cody's bicycle exercises, his back legs seem a little less limp and we also thought we saw his tail move - maybe it's just our 'wanting' so badly to see signs of improvement. Regardless we're hopeful, with IVDD healing takes time and patience.

Cody's Bassinet

Cody hates crates, he is absolutely deathly afraid of being 'enclosed' - our assumption is it brings back puppy mill memories for him. He also does not like being in anything covered and always has to be next to me.

That being said, we struggled with how we were going to implement his 6-8 weeks of strict crate rest. Our poor guy has enough to deal with without the added stress of being crated. My husband and I put our heads together and designed a homemade bassinet that would allow Cody to get through his rest period safe and comfortably.

Here's Cody's homemade bassinet. Cody and Mom both love it! Its 30x24 (just enough room to allow him to stand and and turn) made roofless with wooden dowels on the sides. We cushioned the bottom with memory foam inside a water proof dog bed cover. Then we put a pee pee pad on top and used blankets on the sides to support his back and head. The front is made of plexiglass (picture on the left is before we upgraded to the plexiglass) and a piano hinge so it can be opened and closed as needed.

The bassinet sits inside a platform with wagon wheels so we can move Cody about. Although we limit moving him to the bedroom at night and to the living room during the day. The platform is the same height as our bed so he feels as if he is still sleeping with 'the family' and I can easily tend to him at night.

The sides are 10 inches tall so he is unable to place his paws on top and attempt to jump out. This is not a concern now since his backside is paralyzed but once he gets feeling back we'll have to watch and make sure it's still safe. My husband and I both work from home so Cody is never left unattended, so this works perfect for us. If we worked outside the home we would likely have to go the ex-pen route.

Day Two Spinal Surgery Post-Op

Taking care of a Dachshund right after spinal surgery is a lot like taking care of a newborn. While Cody can go to the bathroom on his own (without us having to manually express him) he has no bladder or bowel control, so much like a baby we are cleaning and changing out his bedding 5 to 6 times a day. He'll whimper when he is uncomfortable and we'll adjust his position. I can't imagine what it's like not to be able to move your lower half.

Each time we take him out of his crate to clean his bedding, we do 'bicycle exercises' with each of his back legs as part of physical therapy. Once we hit the two week mark his therapy will be more aggressive. We are meeting with someone at the University of Minnesota to discuss what type of rehab program would be best for him. My assumption is some type of hydrotherapy but we'll see what they say.

Aside from that, Cody still has no deep pain sensation (that we can tell) but that's to be expected. Cody sleeps most of the day due to all the pain medication but when he's up, he's happy and alert.

Back From the Hospital - Yippie

We picked Cody up from the hospital today!! Cody has a long road ahead of him but with physical therapy and patience I have every hope he'll be walking again.

He was greeted home by a kiss from his big Yellow Lab brother and is now resting comfortably thanks to all his pain medication. He'll be on crate rest for the next 6-8 weeks with rehabilitation starting at 2 weeks. Although he does not have any pain sensation in his back legs he's urinating all by himself which is great news. It also means that we don't have to manually express him as long as he keeps it up. Feces just comes when it comes so we're expecting to have to clean up quite a few messes. We're going to get him some diapers but for now since he's crate bound we want to let him recoup and get re-used to his surroundings before adding anything else that is likely to stress him out (Like Diapers)

My husband is currently making a doggie bassinet that's the same height as our bed so he can sleep next to me safely at night. I'm not sure whose spoiled more Cody or Mommy...

For those Doxie parents curious about the expense, our cost was just over $6000.00 - Keep in mind that includes the stem cell therapy we opted for as well as some time spent in the Emergency Room. The good news is when we adopted Cody we immediately purchased insurance through Healthy Paws in preparation for this very thing. We are not expecting the stem cell treatment to be covered of course but all the basics should be reimbursed back to us.

More to come....stay tuned!

Today's a Happy Day - Chods is Coming Home!

The U called at 10:30 with wonderful news. Cody's stem cell injection went well and he is even going pee pee on his own! The doctor warned us that this is very unusual. (but good) If neurological function is going to be restored (which only time will tell) it usually returns in this order.

1. Deep Pain Sensation
2. Tail wagging
3. Bladder and bowel control
4. Leg Movement, then ability to move into a standing position,
5. Wobbly walking
6. Being able to walk with more steadiness and properly place the feet.
7. Ability to walk unassisted and perhaps even run.

She said they were going to do some more tests and that we can come visit him today at 3:00. At that time we are going to get all the post-operative care instructions and training on how to manually express him. Even though it appears he is able to urinate on his own it will still be important to manually express making sure all the urine is emptied from his bladder. If we are comfortable with everything, he can come home.

She also warned that because he does have some bladder function 'expressing' will be more difficult for us.

Oh well, I'm willing and determined to learn whatever I need to in order to bring my baby home. I am just SO THANKFUL the surgery and stem cell injection went well.

I'll post pictures once he's home!!

IVDD Diagnoses

Cody Before Surgery

I am not a patient person so waiting to hear the results from Cody's CT scan was agonizing to say the least. The call came at 10:30 pm. They did not see anything in the CT scan that would indicate a disk rupture but his symptoms were not adding up so they would like to do an MRI in the morning.

Since we were  told that the CT scan would tell them if surgery was necessary I took this news as a somewhat positive sign. BIG MISTAKE!


Thursday December 6th

10:00 AM we get a call with the results of the MRI. Guess what? Disk Rupture and Surgery ASAP. (Mind you we brought him in at the 9 hour from symptoms mark and it was now a full 24 hours) The first thing that came to mind was did this additional time decrease Cody's chance of walking again?? I couldn't help but wonder why the most advanced surgical center for animals in Minnesota did not have the ability to do an MRI after hours, we were in the ER where time sensitive surgical procedures happen all the time. But now is not the time to dwell on that.

Cody underwent his surgery today and did great according to the doctor. We opted for the additionally stem cell injections (studies have shown stem cell injections increase the chances of mobility) so tomorrow he will go under for a second time to receive his injection. Last we heard we are going to be picking him up sometime tomorrow evening. I cannot wait to see my little guy!

Now we are busy preparing everything we'll need to help him successfully recover. I am trying to prepare myself for what I will see (shaved back and huge incision) but somehow I have a feeling even though I know what to expect, it will still be very emotional seeing him in that state.

More to come...stay tuned!

IVDD - A Dachshund Parents Worst Nightmare

Cody - Before Surgery

This is Cody, our beloved dapple Dachshund. My husband and I adopted Cody from Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota after falling in love with him as a foster and earning the title of 'foster failure"

I decided to document our journey after reading Nathan's blog that documented his journey. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences.

Where It All Begins

Cody sleeps with us and every morning wakes us up by showering us with kisses. Unfortunately that didn't happen Tuesday December 4th. We didn't think anything of it at first other than commenting to each other how 'unusual' it was.

I proceeded to let both dogs out to go potty (we also have a Yellow Lab) and noticed that on the way in Cody came to a dead stop right in front of the small stair into the house. (red flag #1) I lifted him into the house and gave them both breakfast. After breakfast Cody normally goes back into the bedroom and hides under the covers. Instead, he laid on his brothers bed. (red flag #2) When I called him to come over to me he didn't want to move. (red flag #3) By this time my husband agreed something was wrong. Back injury came to mind immediately but then wondered how that could have happened. We are so careful, we have doggie stairs and ramps everywhere and he was in a puppy mill for the first 5 years of his life. After our second potty break I knew 100% we were dealing with a back issue when I saw he was very weak in the back-end. I called the vet right away. We use Chanhassen Vet in Minnesota - awesome place!

The vet did his exam, and did an X-RAY (worthless in detecting IVDD, more on that later) Since Cody still had some neurological function the vet thought there was a possibility things could improve treating him with 24/7 crate rest and meds. Of course that was in the event he did not get any worse. Which of course he did.

Wednesday December 5th

Cody was no better. In fact; he was worse, as the day progressed his back-end became completely paralyzed. I knew from reading that once complete paralysis sets in time is of the essence. For the best recovery success rate after surgery you have a window of 12-24 hours before the possibility of walking again dwindles greatly. I immediately called our vet, gave him the update and he called the University of Minnesota Veterinary Center.

We arrived at the UofM at 7:00 (9 hours since the complete paralysis symptoms set in) They took him back to be examined right away doing some of the same tests our local vet did. Their recommendation was to do a CT scan and that would tell them if his injury was one that could be corrected surgically. We asked why not an MRI and they told us that no one was available after hours for an MRI but assured us that the CT scan would tell them what they needed to know (Which turned out not to be the case) My husband and I had to leave Cody there, we had agreed to proceed with surgery if necessary.

I knew I would be in for a sleepless night, leaving my baby was VERY difficult.