Recovery after back surgery?
My corgi mix Schmoo slipped a disc in his spine on Sunday. My boyfriend and I rushed him to the emergency animal hospital and kept him there overnight, hoping he might improve. The next day, his condition was just as bad, and they advised we proceed with the MRI and back surgery. We took their advice, and Schmoo had his surgery yesterday (Monday). They found a huge stone of cartilage in between his spinal discs that wouldn't have receded if left alone, so the surgery was necessary. We were told that he was able to pee on his own on Monday night, which is excellent news since he's been unable to use his back legs since his injury. He has been peeing on his own ever since (well, just the two times so far) and has been moving his legs slightly while on short walks.
It sounds like we'll be able to pick him up tomorrow, and we're really excited. Because he was never fond of kennels, we got him a play pen that is in the corner of our living room. We bought some orthopedic pads, blankets, towels, a pee pad, and all his favorite foods and treats for his recovery, but since this is the first dog we've ever experienced this with, we're not totally sure what recovery will be like. I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this with their corgi and could offer me some insight. Thank you!Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Julie, The biggest thing is rest, confine him for the first 3-4 weeks, after that gradually increase his activity for the next 2 weeks. Remember your dog may be feeling great, but it does take time to recover. Keep the incision area clean and free from moisture. Make sure he pees 2-3 times daily. As far as weight goes, you'll want to keep Schmoo at a lighter weight, it'll be less stress on his back. You may also want to consider hydrotherapy for exercise, it is not weight bearing and promotes blood circulation. When he's back to his normal self in 8 weeks, you'll want to overhaul his daily walk, make sure he gets 45-60 mins daily rain or shine.
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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on
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Hi Julie,
Sidney had surgery for hip dysplasia back in August. Like you, we set up a playpen in the living room. It worked out great! My husband even went out and bought an orthopedic dog bed for him. I think Sidney felt better being in there since he was nervous about the other dogs sniffing or bumping his surgery area...he felt safe, and yet he was around his people.
Sid was a pretty good patient. He whimpered a little in the first few days, but after that he didn't cry or try to get out. He needed quiet time the first 2 weeks, then he could start taking short walks.
Make sure you give him his medicine on time and spend plenty of quiet time with him.
If you like, go to my page and read the blogs titled "Sidney's FHO journey", which tells all about his story from injury through surgery and recovery. We did do hydrotherapy and it worked wonders. Sidney walks completely normally and only gets tired on longer walks. Please keep us updated on how Schmoo is doing! I know it's hard not to worry, but it's amazing what vets can do these days, and with that corgi spirit, he'll be just fine!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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It sounds like you're doing everything right so far! I totally agree with hydrotherapy...it worked great after Seanna's ACL surgery. The playpen is great too...she actually liked it because the other dogs couldn't mess with her, but she could still be with us wherever we went.
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Permalink Reply by Julie Kebisek on
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Thank you everyone! We picked him up yesterday from the hospital. They told us he hadn't eaten or drank much at all during his whole time there, but the second he came home he drank a bunch of water and devoured his chicken and rice (in sensible portions, of course). He looks infinitely better since he started eating and drinking, and we're positive he loves his relaxation play pen area. He slept in a kennel last night in our room (we've only put him in a kennel once before and he freaked out, but last night he slept like an angel). He still isn't really walking, but overall he's doing very well. I have to keep telling myself and my boyfriend that this will take time, and we can't get discouraged that he's not walking yet. Our friend's Min Pin who hangs out at our house a lot has been so confused and concerned for Schmoo! But our roommate's Schipperke Frank seems to understand the situation and has behaved himself so well!
In a few weeks we are planning on taking him to the aquatic physical therapy. He was never fond of water but we think he will enjoy this. Thanks again everyone for your support; this has been so scary and stressful! We love Schmoo so much and I knew more Corgi people would understand our concerns!
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Sidney was never fond of water either, but the nice lady at hydrotherapy was no nice and sweet to Sidney, and gave him lots of freeze-dried chicken, so Sidney didn't seem to mind swimming much at all. He wasn't like those crazy labs, diving in like a maniac, but he did get to the point where he'd jump in and swim on his own :)
And now he doesn't seem to mind wading a creek, where before he would not even want to get his paws wet!
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Seanna didn't like the hydrotherapy at first either...but after lots of treats and praise, she got the hang of it. She finally just got the attitude like, "Alright, I know I have to do it, so let's just get it over with". I have a video of her in the tank on my site..
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