Less Meds

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September 13th 2010 4:39 am
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So its Monday and Sumi is down to pain meds once a day. She is quiet and not her normal bouncy, vocal self. Over the weekend she only played a little bit and was upset when she couldn't go to the park. She crates herself instead of sleeping on her couch or one of the many dog beds. I think she needs to be medicated at least twice a day.

Has anyone had any experience with this (nerve damage & managing the pain)?

I'm trying not to let her she me upset but its not as easy as it sounds. I want my crazy harle back.

Leave A Comment | 2 people already have

Barked by: Winston (Dogster Member)

September 13th 2010 at 5:10 am

We think you should give her what she needs. Agree that you should start smaller and work your way up, but keep her comfortable. Worry about the other stuff later.
Glad to hear from you, but not glad this is the situation. Give her a kiss from us.

Barked by: Tallulah (Dogster Member)

November 25th 2010 at 10:32 am

Hi, sorry to hear Katsumi's not feeling so well. :(

Tallulah used to be extremely playful and bouncy. Earlier this year she suffered bouts of pain: she'd limp (hind legs) and would squeal when trying to get on her couch, the bed, and eventually couldn't even go up the stairs.

The vet said it was some unstable vertebrae pinching nerves. Tallulah was even scared of doing things because she didn't know when the pain would come.

She was on pain medication (Rimadyl, 150 mg twice a day) and the vet told us to restrict exercise and exertion. We followed this treatment for about a month, after that we stopped the rimadyl because she was doing much better. We've kept her on a low exercise regime ever since (only walking, no running or prancing around) and reduced the amount of climbing (she now sleeps on floor-level beds and mattresses). With this she seems to be doing OK, but we have to be careful; the other day she ran and gave a few twirls and she came home limping and having trouble again; a week of rest was needed to get her back in shape.

So yes, pain medication will help (we even tried acupuncture, helps with pain but is not a real cure) but in the long run, only keeping Katsumi from exerting herself too much will do the trick.

What we learned is that, even if the dog wants to go out, run and play all day, she has no concept of her body's limitations, so it's very easy for her to hurt herself. And yes, Danes are a somewhat delicate breed when it comes to muscular and skeletal problems. So it's up to us humans to adapt the dog's lifestyle and routine to their body's limits.

It's a difficult process, as we saw with Tallulah. and she'll be miserable when she wants to go play with her friends and you just can't let her because you know she'll come back hurt and limping. Holding one of these great dogs back is heartbreaking, but risking them getting injured is even worse, because then you can see the fear in their faces, and that is just not worth the risk.

But eventually she will get used to it. What matters is to keep Katsumi in good health, even if she has to change her activities. And though hard, it's also up to us humans to realize that our dogs will age and stop being able to do some things,and to change our expectations accordingly. Because as long as you're there for each other, you know Katsumi will have all the love she needs, and be there for you in return.

Hope Sumi continues to do better, we'll keep in touch!

- Tallulah and Family