Baxter isn't much of a jumper, so I was surprised when I caught our boy doing this in the heat of a squirrel hunt yesterday afternoon. I didn't think much of it then, but now at midnight, I can think of nothing else. With his tail kept tucked for most of the evening and having mildly whimpered when we must have picked him up incorrectly, something is definitely up with the little shaver. Yet he didn't flinch a bit when I walked my fingers down his spine, still has feeling in his toes, still can walk as normally as he always does, with exception to that tail being tucked. Is he merely putting on a brave face or does he have injuries far more severe than he is letting on?
Our previous experience with back injuries were obvious examples of knowing when to seek emergency care. Unsure of what to make of Baxter's mild symptoms, I called the emergency specialty hospital just now and they agreed that Baxter could wait til morning to be seen by our regular vet. I dearly hope our little boy's injuries turn out to be nothing, yet I know we will love him and care for him all the same no matter how this turns out.
12 comments:
Put your fears to rest at least for tonight. He'll get a check up and you'll know for sure. Tulip is my first doxie so I haven't had experience with back injuries. I try my best with maintenance hoping to lesson the odds.
Keep us updated! Our little guys are very much loved.
Rhett has been known to jump off the couch the wrong way and tweak something. A little rest and half a baby asprin (doctor's orders) have set him back on track. Looking forward to hearing Baxter is a-okay!
Molly has had a couple of episodes with hurting her back, but it's never been anything "serious" (i.e., surgical, crippling, etc.) The vet puts her on pain meds and anti-inflammatories and she gets better in about 10 days. There have been some instances in there that were extremely tough for us - her shrieking if you picked her up (when you had to), or sitting and shivering in such a way that you knew she was in pain. That part is so hard as an owner - you want to help, but what can you do other than push the meds?
Please update as soon as possible; I'm sure it's going to be OK, but I want to hear it from you (and Baxter)!
Shoot, I can't remember what it's called but my sister's hound has had the same problem. The vet said it was from over wagging. It was really painful for him and the last episode required pain meds but he recovered fully to wag another day.
Keep us posted on Baxter. Lulu sends good thoughts!
Oh Baxter---we're sad to hear you feel bad. Rest up and you'll be squirrel jumping (with us) in no time!
Kate & Allie the hot-dog sisters!
Praying that only Baxter's pride is hurt (the squirrel did get away, didn't he?)
anybody heard yet how Baxter is today?
Hi, Baxter!
I have my paws crossed for you!
I sure hope it is nothing serious!
Please, let us know ok?
Take care
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza
My darling doxie Annabelle has had this problem a couple times--she has a habit of letting her tail stick out between the bars of her cage and forgetting that it's like that...then tweaking it when she moves. Also over-wagged once. All times I was in a blind panic thinking that maybe she'd hurt her back. And each time, baby aspirin, rest, and a heating pad do the trick and she's back to her wild waggy self in 2-3 days! Hope Baxter is feeling better soon!
Keeping Baxter in our prayers tonight. My little Hauns has had a couple episodes of back pain, but rest, steroids, and pain meds have done the trick so far. Hope Baxter is feeling better soon!
BTW, just love your blog...and Baxter is such a handsome boy!
Thanks everybody for all your kinds thoughts, prayers, and wishes. I kinda was hoping he'd end up with a diagnosis of stubbed tail because it just sounds so benign and embarrassing but it's not quite that. Yesterday night as I wrote this post all I could think of was IVDD and though I am grateful that there are plenty of resources for IVDD, I was sadded by the possibility that my little buddy's yippee skippee days might be coming to an end. We have a lot of experience with steroids from our days with Kep and Padua, and I would like to avoid it as long as possible. The good news, which I blather on about today, is that Baxter's symptoms subsided as the day progressed and well, the at least for now neutral news is that his neck is the likely source of his pain. We're currently treating him with just rimadyl for two weeks. It might be disc related, but it might be muscular. If his issues flare up again in the future, we'll know it was the former. Only time will tell.
PS - the thing that was really getting to me yesterday night is that time can be of the essence in a serious back injury. If your doxie ever seems wobbly, contact your vet immediately. The sooner steroid therapy is initiated, the better chance at recovery and avoiding paralysis. Baxter was never wobbly, which is what confused me. He could even perk out of it mostly if given the right food motivation. Could a tucked tail be a precursor to wobbliness? At least in Baxter's case the answer was no. But I thought it worth a mention for folks who haven't as much experience as we do with hanging out at the vet's office. The temptation is to wait it out, but do so only after having checked in with your vet. It's totally worth the time to call and even the price of an office visit to be told it's nothing, rather than know later on that early intervention could have minimized problems.
I hope that sorta makes sense. it's totally time for bed! thanks again everyone for caring. :)
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