Question for the neurologists

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I have a dachshund who had IVDD surgery in 11/11. He is a very nervous dog -

always has been. Used to run and hide under the couch at the drop of a pin.

Now, he can't get under the couch, so he shivers and shakes ALL THE TIME. The

owners had discussed Prozac with their general practitioner soon after his

surgery. The vet did not want to start any anti-anxiety meds because he was

afraid of interfering with the nervous system during his recovery period.

He has made progress - yet slow. I was seeing him in Dec and Jan and then he

has started up again with acupuncture and hydrotherapy in the last month. He

has deep pain and conscious proprioception on the left, not on the right. When

in the underwater treadmill, he moves his hind legs well on his own (left better

than right). He still needs his bladder regularly expressed, but may be

starting to alert the owners that he needs to have a bowel movement (he has

barked several times before passing stool, but it is not consistent).

In addition to his surgery in Nov, the owners had a baby in February. He's

starting to adjust, but the first 2 months were rough for him. I think this dog

could greatly benefit from something to address his anxiety. Is there a

contraindication for starting any antianxiety meds for this pup? I was unaware

that it could interfere with his recovery - so please help my ignorance if that

is the case.

Thanks for all of the input,

Tina

[Guest guest]

Dear Tina,

I am not a neurosurgeon however there are many other non- drug choices for dealing with anxiety. Many alternatives exist depending on a few factors. Is there anyone close who practises Chinese medicine/ nutritional medicine/ cranio-sacral/ homeopathy? All these are very effective and may help speed the recovery.

Dr Toni Lynch BVScHons GDChiroCertAyurTLC Veterinary Rehabilitationph 0408 743 595toni.tlc@...

From: tina.fuoco

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 6:09 AM

To: VetRehab

Subject: Question for the neurologists

Hi All,I have a dachshund who had IVDD surgery in 11/11. He is a very nervous dog - always has been. Used to run and hide under the couch at the drop of a pin. Now, he can't get under the couch, so he shivers and shakes ALL THE TIME. The owners had discussed Prozac with their general practitioner soon after his surgery. The vet did not want to start any anti-anxiety meds because he was afraid of interfering with the nervous system during his recovery period.He has made progress - yet slow. I was seeing him in Dec and Jan and then he has started up again with acupuncture and hydrotherapy in the last month. He has deep pain and conscious proprioception on the left, not on the right. When in the underwater treadmill, he moves his hind legs well on his own (left better than right). He still needs his bladder regularly expressed, but may be starting to alert the owners that he needs to have a bowel movement (he has barked several times before passing stool, but it is not consistent).In addition to his surgery in Nov, the owners had a baby in February. He's starting to adjust, but the first 2 months were rough for him. I think this dog could greatly benefit from something to address his anxiety. Is there a contraindication for starting any antianxiety meds for this pup? I was unaware that it could interfere with his recovery - so please help my ignorance if that is the case.Thanks for all of the input,Tina

[Guest guest]

I think you actually need the services of a behaviorist for this little guy. Using pharmaceuticals alone without appropriate behavior modification never seems to work well. The owners may have accidentally made this dog feel unsafe and heightened his fear, and they may need help with that. Chris

Question for the neurologists

Hi All,

I have a dachshund who had IVDD surgery in 11/11. He is a very nervous dog - always has been. Used to run and hide under the couch at the drop of a pin. Now, he can't get under the couch, so he shivers and shakes ALL THE TIME. The owners had discussed Prozac with their general practitioner soon after his surgery. The vet did not want to start any anti-anxiety meds because he was afraid of interfering with the nervous system during his recovery period.

He has made progress - yet slow. I was seeing him in Dec and Jan and then he has started up again with acupuncture and hydrotherapy in the last month. He has deep pain and conscious proprioception on the left, not on the right. When in the underwater treadmill, he moves his hind legs well on his own (left better than right). He still needs his bladder regularly expressed, but may be starting to alert the owners that he needs to have a bowel movement (he has barked several times before passing stool, but it is not consistent).

In addition to his surgery in Nov, the owners had a baby in February. He's starting to adjust, but the first 2 months were rough for him. I think this dog could greatly benefit from something to address his anxiety. Is there a contraindication for starting any antianxiety meds for this pup? I was unaware that it could interfere with his recovery - so please help my ignorance if that is the case.

Thanks for all of the input,

Tina

[Guest guest]

anyone think this is a dog that might improve with a Thundershirt? $39.95 http://www.thundershirt.com/?gclid=CMzjspm6lbACFUOo4AoddF5M2wJanet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMR6794 Canyon Road Sanger TX 76266 To: VetRehab From: cfuocovmd@...Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 20:09:02 +0000Subject: Question for the neurologists

Hi All,

I have a dachshund who had IVDD surgery in 11/11. He is a very nervous dog - always has been. Used to run and hide under the couch at the drop of a pin. Now, he can't get under the couch, so he shivers and shakes ALL THE TIME. The owners had discussed Prozac with their general practitioner soon after his surgery. The vet did not want to start any anti-anxiety meds because he was afraid of interfering with the nervous system during his recovery period.

He has made progress - yet slow. I was seeing him in Dec and Jan and then he has started up again with acupuncture and hydrotherapy in the last month. He has deep pain and conscious proprioception on the left, not on the right. When in the underwater treadmill, he moves his hind legs well on his own (left better than right). He still needs his bladder regularly expressed, but may be starting to alert the owners that he needs to have a bowel movement (he has barked several times before passing stool, but it is not consistent).

In addition to his surgery in Nov, the owners had a baby in February. He's starting to adjust, but the first 2 months were rough for him. I think this dog could greatly benefit from something to address his anxiety. Is there a contraindication for starting any antianxiety meds for this pup? I was unaware that it could interfere with his recovery - so please help my ignorance if that is the case.

Thanks for all of the input,

Tina

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all of the ideas so far - the owner does already have a Thundershirt

that she was using prior to the surgery and now post-op to help with anxiety and

as a tool in his recovery. It helps, but minimally. She has also tried things

like Rescue Remedy, but to no avail.

I like the idea of a behaviorist - but honestly - I don't think it is in the

cards for them to pursue much more than they are already doing, given they just

added an infant to the family and they are doing all they can to help this pup's

recovery post-op.

I guess the main question I'm trying to answer is whether a medication like

fluoxetine will have a negative impact or slow the course of recovery for this

patient (which is already slow baby steps).

Thanks again for all of the advice - I will be sure to revisit the idea of herbs

and behaviorists, I'm just not optimistic the owners can afford to go those

routes given the time and money they have already invested.

[Guest guest]

I agree Jan,

A thunder shirt may be a life saver for this guy. It certainly helps my

dachshund deal with " scary " or stressful situations.

Laurie McCauley, DVM

>

>

> anyone think this is a dog that might improve with a Thundershirt? $39.95

http://www.thundershirt.com/?gclid=CMzjspm6lbACFUOo4AoddF5M2w

>

> Janet Steiss, DVM, PhD, PT, Dipl. ACVSMR

>

>

[Guest guest]

I completely agree with Chris' statement. It's so tempting to try to just use

medications, but that rarely takes care of the real problem(s). I do behavior

consultations and it often takes a full hour, sometimes more, (even after

reading their completed written history that I have them send to me ahead of

time) to get all the details of what/how the owners act/react at home. There's

that 'devil in the details' that can make all the difference in the world in the

client understanding how to interact with their pet. Jane

Jane Wittstock, DVM

Oklahoma

>>>>>>>I think you actually need the services of a behaviorist for this little

guy. Using pharmaceuticals alone without appropriate behavior modification never

seems to work well. The owners may have accidentally made this dog feel unsafe

and heightened his fear, and they may need help with that. Chris

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