Hurt again

We took Lucas back to the Hospital.  (March 23).   When I came home from work Thursday night, he had torn a box that I would keep his toys in.   We figured this was how he got ‘hurt’.    Every time I would pick him up he would scream.   Ugh…that scream is heartbreaking.   I feel his pain in my heart like someone is stabbing me.   The doctor put him on “conservative treatment” and gave him Tramadol, methocarbamol and metacam again.

Never again…

Back to crate livin.

Sorry Mom

March Update

Its been 3 months now since his 3rd back surgery.  He is recovering better with each day.   I don’t do much therapy on him now since he doesn’t need it.  His doctor has him on a strict daily walking exercise and wants him walking up to 15 minutes everyday, but we are taking it slow with reaching 5-7 minutes for now.  I hope to hit that 15 minutes once summer comes.

Other then that nothing else has changed with him.  His appetite has leveled back out since I have him on a schedule now.   Still emotional then ever but getting better with me leaving him.  Still plays with his toys, and barks like crazy as if he was trying to have a conversation with me.   He’s one happy go lucky dog.

He was on the outside gated area, while i was in it.  I think he still saw himself as ‘locked up’.

 

 

January Update

Lucas had his 6 week check up this past Wednesday.   The surgeon said hes improving very well!  I’ve never seen Lucas like a doctor so much…he even gave the doctor a kiss on the lips!   He said we should increase his activity up to 15 minutes a day.   Which i’m glad because lucas has been begging for a ‘longer’ walk outside instead of just ‘in & out’.   I still have him confined to a little area in my apartment and probably will for a long while.

Have you ever wondered what your dog does when you leave the house?   Well, we have always wondered what lucas did.   Last January we think a baby gate fall on him which made him have stage 2 paralysis and there are other times we think (noticed) he pees/poops and we’ve had number of chewed up electrical cords. He’s even tried chewing through a wall!   I decided to download the app called “icam”.  i can watch him wherever, whenever i leave him.  I can also watch it on any computer, like at work or at school.  Its perfect and only $4.99!!

So far lucas only sits on the rug next to the door and barks/crys/howls.  He does this for about 2 hours, then lays down.   But always when i come in, hes over in the living room with harley (toy) in his mouth and acting like hes been sleeping the whole time!  lol.  He obviously still has separation anxiety, and i dont think any medication or training will help him. (we have tried it all!) He’s just the dog that doesnt like to be left alone.  Now if only i could take him to work!  Maybe i should try getting a job at Google.

Few pictures from the past few weeks:

Pee Pee.

Look at that perfect standing position!   Just think….4 weeks prior to this picture, he couldnt even stand!

Notice his blue eye?

He likes to sleep on his back….all the time!

His newest toy named “carrot”.  Its the same one like Bolt has!  If you havent seen Bolt…please do watch it!  Its a great movie to watch with your Dog. (and kids)

Below is the first 2 minutes of the movie Bolt.

My story behind getting Lucas

I was that girl that was always afraid of dogs and would run if i seen a dog ‘loose’.   Then i met a dog named Sophia (swiss mountain dog) and she was scared of everything that moved but wasnt scared of me.  I instantly loved her and started to want a dog of my own.   For about 3 years I saved everything i could for a dog, every once in awhile i would beg my sister to take me to the pet shop to see what they had but none that stole my heart.  I began to give up and stopped going to the pet shop.

Around the time of Dec 15, 2003, my mom needed to go into hallmark for a last minute gift while me, my sister and my dad went next door to petsmarts.   While looking around the fish area, a girl holding the cutest baby dachshund ever walked by us and i just had to pet him.  She told me a litter of these just came in at the pet shop.  The next week i begged my sister to take me everyday to see these dachshunds.  There was originally 4 in the litter and 3 left at the store; black one (boy), dappled one (girl), and the red one (lucas).  I fall in love with the red one the first time i set eyes on him.  He was mine, and I was his.  Every time i would leave him he would put his paw on the glass window and just cry.

December 23, 2003, i went into the store to see him and saw an older couple holding him and calling him “teddy”.   I instantly got ill at the thought of someone else owning him and knew i had to buy him that day. I put half of the money ($300) to “hold” him for a week.   The pet store owner gave us an option of keeping him there or we take him home since it was xmas time and pay the remaining money in a week.   It was just me and my sister that day, and so we decided to take him, and then we drove away with him in my lap.   10 mins down the road we were deciding how we would hide him over Christmas holiday.  We decided to take him back to the store because it would of been a disaster!  One week went by and i was completely ill the whole time.  I’ve never wanted something so bad before.  It felt like my heart was breaking.

December 30, a week later and the last day he would be up for “hold”,  I begged my parents to take me to say bye to him.   We got there and let my father hold him and something just clicked and i knew he had to have him too.  Neither me nor my dad was walking out of the store without this dog.  But there was one major problem….getting my mother to agree.  She used to live on a farm, she learned to never get attached to any animal and never have them in the house!  After about an hour and the store about to close, she finally agreed and we paid the other half of the $ to make him OURS!  A month later my mom finally warmed up to lucas and loves him like a hes her grandchild.

We got Lucas from a place called Delilah’s Pet Shop.  He was rather expensive ($600), and was supposedly “AKC registered and came from a line of champions.”  I laugh now at that statement, its more like he came from a line at the puppy mill.   But i dont care where he came from.  I love him and i believe we were meant to be together.    There was alot of heartaches during that time; watching others play and name him but it ended with him in my arms forever.

Few baby pictures:

First picture ever of my Lucas.

2 months old!

9 months old.  His hair is more blackish tone…but months later he turned RED!

2 years old.  He LOVED this soccer ball!  He used to be the best soccer player!

3 years old.  This is his best friend Tipper.  She came over the day we got lucas and loved him and treated him as if he was her own puppy.  They were inseparable from that day on.   This past August Tipper was put to sleep for a tumor on one of her organs.  She was 14 years old.  R.I.P. Tipper…I will always be grateful for the love that you gave to me and lukie.

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!! Its just me and him this Christmas.  Santa came and brought a tube of toothpaste.  Lucas was more excited about the ornament on the tree and the toothpaste box.   Nonetheless he had fun even though it latest less than 5 minutes.

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree

Little blurry but this was his first reaction to the tree.

 

 

 

 

Day 19: Bulging Disc

I got a panic phone call tonight from my parents telling me that Lucas had a bulging disc.  I was very shocked and confused.  This last surgery the doctors called my dad instead of me during his time in the hospital….so i did not have a clue what was truly going on or what the doctors had discussed with him.   I suppose during one of the phone conversations, there was a discussion on disc T11 and how it is bulging.   I…the caregiver, the “physical therapist” did not know this until one hour ago.   I’m not sure why my parents kept this from me or why the doctors did not discuss it when we went to pick him up.   I guess i can not be upset or mad.  It just changes a few things.   In the last post i talked about how i put the gates up, but now i think its best if he stays in his crate 24-7 and only out to do his physical therapy and potty breaks.   It will be hard putting him back into the crate after a few days of “freedom” but i know its best for him even if he doesn’t like it.   On the bright side, its Christmas tomorrow!!  what will santa bring lukie?

Day 17: Staples out.

Staples are out!!  This time i asked to keep the staples.  The nurse looked at me weird but thats okay.  The surgeon said hes doing very well and making ‘big steps’ already!  im like…i know. lol  Please tell me something i dont know…like is this going to happen again?!?   There are not many people that can afford three back surgeries for their dog and the dog is either put to sleep or paralyzed for the rest of their life.   They say lukie is very very rare and the doctor said there’s a big chance this will continue to happen again, but we just never know.  I hate that he has his disease but there are far worse things he could have.   Today i put up the gates so that he can move around a little bit more.  I am thinking this should be where he stays at all times even after the 6 weeks is over.  Freely having the whole house isn’t always the best thing for him because he likes to show off by playing ‘catch me if you can’.

ahh i have the cutest dog ever!

Third scar  😦  but pretty soon you wont even be able to tell.

Last 2 weeks we been sleeping in the XXL size crate in living room (& i on the floor!) …now its back to sleeping in his “night time” crate in the bedroom.

Lukies new living area. He tends to like it alot more then staying in that crate 24-7.  For some reason this pic makes my living room look alot bigger than it is.  I promise you that area is very small.  (sorry my place is such a mess!!)

 

 

 

 

Stages & Success rates for dachshunds with IVDD

Stages of the disease:

Stage I: disk disease produces mild pain and is usually self-correcting in a few days.

Stage II: disk disease causes moderate to severe pain in the neck or lumbar (lower back) area.

Stage III: disk disease causes partial paralysis and results in the dog walking in staggering or uncoordinated movements.

Stage IV: disk disease causes paralysis but the ability to feel is present.

Stage V: disk disease causes paralysis and loss of feeling.

Stage: Recovery without Surgery, Recovery with Surgery

II: up to 1 week 80-90%; With surgery – 90-95%

II: past 1 week; 60-70%; With surgery – 90-95%

III: without-30-40%; With surgery – 85-95%

IV: up to 3 days < 25%; With surgery – 85-95%

IV: past 3 days < 20%; With surgery – 60-70%

V: up to 24 hours < 5%; With surgery – 50%

V: past 24 hours < 5%; With surgery – 20%

It’s important to get your dachshund to the nearest specialty hospital as quick as you can esp. if signs are progressing fast.   Never “wait and see”!!

**There are so many dachshunds put down because of IVDD!  But I am here to tell you there is NO REASON to put your dog to sleep!  Dogs can live life just as happy with or without their hind legs!!**

Day 11: Fast Recovery

Lucas has amazed me by how fast he is recovering from his third back surgery.   He’s starting to take big steps to get out of his crate, just yesterday he was dragging them out.   Today his back is really been itchy which is good, it means everything is healed and staples are just about ready to be out.

Even tho “locked up”, he still loves play time.

belly rub!

Day 8: First steps

For the past 2 days straight Lucas has been in his crate 24-7 sleeping.  The only time he’s been out is when he needs to potty or to do therapy.   All that rest must of did some good because he took his first steps today.   I have been doing ALOT of therapy also, which helps.