My Dachshund Gretel suffered a back injury and was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) in 2016.
Many friends and members of our Dachshund club have shared their experiences with IVDD and recovery with us through the years.
Listed below are 5 things I discovered essential to get through a back injury and the recovery period.
Photo Credit: Depositphoto/Imagemore
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1) Recovery Suite
That is the #1 thing that you simply’ll have to help your dog get well from an IVVD-caused back injury.
There might be a chronic time frame – normally 5-10 weeks – following an injury or surgery where you’ll need to maintain your Dachshund as immobile as possible.
The way in which you’ll do that is thru confining their movement to a small space, carrying them out and in of the home to go potty, feeding them where they lay or carrying them to their food dish, etc.
The small, confined space used to restricts your Dachshund’s movement is known as a “recovery suite”. It’s sometimes called “crate rest” because most individuals use a dog crate for this.
Click here for my tips about surviving crate rest together with your Dachshund
In case your Dachshund has not been trained to be comfortable in a dog crate, and/or has separation anxiety, this era of confinement could possibly be very stressful to your Dachshund…. and also you!
With every option below, it’s absolutely crucial that your Dachshund can’t rise up on their hind end and jump within the enclosure.
Options for an IVDD recovery suite
There are several options for a recovery suite but you could have one.
It’s paramount to your Dachshund’s healing and recovery.
Be mindful, the larger the space in your Dachshund’s recovery suite, the simpler it’s to your Dachshund to maneuver around an excessive amount of, or jump up on the perimeters, and never heal well or reinjure themselves.
But sometimes a compromise is essential to take care of your Dachshund’s, and your, sanity.
For those who feel too bad confining your Dachshund to a small space, if it’s too stressful for them, or in the event that they drive you nuts with whining and barking, you won’t keep on with the complete crate rest period beneficial.
My veterinarian told me that’s considered one of the first reasons that a Dachshund may proceed to have back issues throughout their lifetime – the crate rest wasn’t accomplished so the dog never fully healed – so please find what works for you and keep on with it.
A Dog Crate or Kennel
Use a small dog crate just large enough to your Dachshund to rise up and switch around.
Put at enough bedding or blankets in there for comfort and to further restrict the quantity of space your Dachshund has to maneuver around.
The advantage of using a crate is it’s the smallest of all the choices, which does a greater job at keeping your pup from moving around and likewise takes up less space in your own home.
As a bonus, that is something a number of dog owners have already got readily available.
A Portable Dog Playpen
The advantage of using a dog playpen over a dog crate is that your Dachshund won’t feel so closed in on account of the larger space and the undeniable fact that there is no such thing as a top (although this pen comes with a canopy that’s handy if you must bring the pen outside so your pup can get some fresh air).
But this larger space with no top comes at a price. The larger space means it could be easier to your Dachshund to maneuver around an excessive amount of, or jump up on the perimeters, and never heal well or reinjure themselves.
Filling the complete floor with blankets and/or a bed can assist your Dachshund settle and never move around as much.
The bonus with this selection though is you should use this portable, collapsible, covered playpen in the longer term other things like camping, picnics, or staying at friend’s houses.
A Dog Stroller
A dog stroller is basically a small dog crate on wheels. This implies you may wheel your Dachshund across the house with you as you go from room-to-room.
That is a great option for Dachshunds who’ve separation anxiety and may’t bear to allow you to out of their sight.
Be certain that you get a dog stroller that has a lid you may close it and one which is stable enough it’s unlikely to tip over.
We have now this all-terrain jogger stroller due to air-filled wheels and shocks make for a more comfortable ride and the rotating front wheel makes it super easy to maneuver.
For those who need a cheaper option, take a have a look at this urban dog stroller. It’ll be advantageous in the event you’re just using it across the house or on pavement.
A High-sided Wagon
Some people place their Dachshund’s crate on a wagon so that they can pull their dog across the house with them.
That is one other good option in case your Dachshund gets stressed and anxious after they are separated from you.
You may also place your Dachshund directly into the wagon and make them a cosy nest with blankets.
This might be essentially the most dangerous option for a recovery suite though in regard to your dog’s ability to leap out.
For that reason, a wagon with high sides, like this collapsible, folding utility wagon or this red metal wagon with side rails, are good options.
2) Something to Help Keep Your Dog Calm
Through the first week of crate rest, the prescribed pain and steroid medication will help keep your Dachshund calm and settled.
But after that, your pup may begin to get restless.
During My Dachshund Gretel’s 10 weeks of crate rest, I attempted a couple of different natural remedies but found that Vetriscience Composure, and Hemp CBD for dogs, were the natural calming remedies that worked best for us.
I’ll note, for each products, I needed to double the beneficial dose to attain a sedative effect.
Some people have tried calming herbal sprays, phermone diffusers, or other “relaxing” herbal remedies with some success. Those didn’t do anything for Gretel.
If natural remedies don’t work, I highly suggest asking your vet for a drugs that may keep your dog calm and still.
I don’t recommend “drugging” a dog unnecessarily but crate rest is unquestionably a time when one must do all the things they’ll to be certain that their dog stays still enough to get well.
3) A Do Not Disturb Sign
I don’t know a single Dachshund that won’t jump up and begin barking when someone knocks on the door.
You’ll want to attenuate that occuring as much as possible while your Dachshund is recovering from their back injury of their suite.
I purchased this Do Not Knock or Ring Doorbell, Dog Will Bark sign.
Not only did it it stop FedEx and mail carriers from knocking after they dropped a package off on our porch, it deterred solicitors and other unexpected visitors too.
It made our house so rather more peaceful, it’s been on our door for the last 5 years!
Along with the sign, we ask friends, family, and expected visitors to text after they arrive so I can open the door for them before they knock.
4) Dog Stroller
I discussed dog strollers within the recovery suite section above but I used a stroller along with the recovery suite for my Dachshund Gretel.
I used the stroller for when Gretel wasn’t resting in her dog crate.
It was a game-changer for each of our mental and physical wellbeing throughout the IVDD recovery process.
After about 2 weeks I got clearance from Gretel’s rehab vet to take her out within the stroller for “walks”. She was so completely happy to find a way to smell the fresh air.
I had a second Dachshund who needed regular walks and I felt extremely guilty leaving Gretel at home. I didn’t should once I could take her within the stroller.
I also used the stroller after we visited family and friends. It acted as a mobile recovery suite so I could bring her traveling with me like normal while keeping her secure.
I selected an all-terrain jogger stroller because our walks were often off pavement. It has air-filled wheels for all-terrain traction, shocks to melt any bumps, and a rotating front wheel that makes it super easy to maneuver (but it could actually be locked in place if needed).
Dog strollers aren’t low cost though. Especially the one we have now.
For those who need a cheaper option, take a have a look at this urban dog stroller. It’ll be advantageous in the event you’re just using it across the house or on pavement.
5) Light Therapy Device or Cold Laser
A part of Gretel’s treatment protocol included a series of cold laser treatments and I believe it was considered one of the keys to her complete recovery (from that injury).
However the treatments on the vet, especially if I continued them repeatedly throughout her lifetime to assist manage flare ups and inflammation, could be expensive.
It’s also inconvenient for me to take her to a veterinarian 3-5 times a month for treatments.
That led me to purchase a chilly laser to be used at home.
I purchased the My Pet Laser by Multi Radiance Medical.
In spite of everything my research, it seemed to be the closest thing to my veterinarian’s laser I could get.
Because I purchased it through Dr. Youkey DVM, I also receive ongoing support from her.
Note: If you must purchase the My Pet Laser, contact Dr. Youkey at Laserriffic.com and use the code LONGBACKS to get $125 off of the retail price of the laser.
I might be frank though: You pay for quality and this laser shouldn’t be low cost.
For those who need something that’s inexpensive, try the LumaSoothe Pet Light Therapy Unit.
Although the Lumasoothe Light Therapy device is cheaper, it also requires at the least thrice the treatment time to potentially achieve an analogous result as with the My Pet Laser (5 minutes vs 15 per treatment).
Even though it’s not a chilly laser or light therapy device, one other therapeutic option is the Assisi Loop®.
The Assisi Loop is a FDA-cleared Non-Pharmaceutical Anti-Inflammatory Device (NPAID®) that works of a principle much like acupuncture.
The Assisi Loop uses a targeted, pulsing electromagnetic field to create a response that reduces inflammation and pain and promotes healing.
Final Thoughts
The items above were what I discovered essential during Gretel’s conservative recovery period and keeping us each completely happy and sane.
For those who can only get considered one of the things on the list above, crucial thing is the recovery suite.
The remaining can assist but nothing will help but nothing is more necessary than keeping your Dachshund largely immobile while the spinal disk is healing.
But after get well, you’ll need some additional things to assist keep your Dachshund injury free.
One example is a system to stop your Dachshund from jumping off off furniture.
Chances are you’ll wish to update your Dachshund’s complement list too. There are several supplements that can assist with joint care and help keep inflammation in check.
For more information, try my IVDD resource page.
