[Dailydrool] Back surgery

[Pam McQuade]

<<I've read your message about back surgery several times.? It's filling me 
with total dread.? >>

I debated about writing about Abner's experience, because I was afraid this 
would happen--I didn't mean to terrify, just give you issues to bring up 
with the vet. Maybe I need to give you the good side and a bit more 
information.

Abner can run, gallop, dance, pretty much the way he used to. He's been like 
that since a few months after his surgery. When he's tired, his rear legs 
stick out to the side a bit, if you look at him from the rear. Other than 
that, he looks fine and moves well. Not having surgery would not have given 
him thse abilities--I'm sure we would have ended up putting him to sleep. 
>From the beginning Abs was a very nervous dog, I've never had a dog quite so 
fearful of everything--you might call him neurotic. I wonder if that's the 
largest part of his problem.

It's important to find out just where the two discs are. If they are close 
together, your rescue may be able to have them fixed at the same time. Abner 
had one in his mid back and one near the base of the spine--they just could 
not do two such widely spaced discs. The surgeon did the worse one--I think 
it was the lower one. You'll have to ask your vet about where the discs are, 
how bad they were, and what can realistically be done. Since you obviously 
need to wait to do surgery, you'll have to ask the vet what the outcome is 
likely to be. Doing a surgery quickly is best--but I've heard so many 
Droolers say they had dogs that never had the surgery and eventually 
recovered, so I don't know that surgery is the only option. I think you need 
to look at the overall health of the dog, too. A dog with pneumonia surely 
can't undergo surgery.

On top of that, make sure you have someone who specializes in this delicate 
surgery. Before the surgery is done, they may want to do a myelogram. This 
is not a cheap test, but it does help them identify just what needs to be 
done.

One thing I really wasn't impressed with when Abs was in rehab was the lack 
of understanding about the basset personality. They told me they understood 
the basset stubbornness. I'm not sure they did. Not having things go his way 
was probably a big shock for Abner--and something he hated. I wonder if they 
pushed him too far, too fast. He hurt, and no one was being understanding, 
I'm sure. They had a schedule to keep to and no time for recalcitrant dogs. 
While I was visiting him, I saw other dogs who had the surgery. The initial 
rehab is not an easy thing, but as time goes on, it improves, if you can 
hang in there. That was one of the most important things I learned when we 
were caring for Abner at home. If you have someone fostering your rescue, 
they will have to commit to the long haul, which is very demanding. But as 
things improve, it's so good to see the hound walking again and gaining back 
its usual personality.

Of course the fact that I dropped Abner on the steps and once dropped the 
top of his metal cage down near him didn't help calm his nerves. I didn't 
hit him with the crate--it just slipped down and formed the long side of a 
right-angle triangle. But after that, he hated metal crates. We had to get 
him a soft-sided one, and he's been fine with that. He's not "crate 
aggressive," as the rehab folks told us, just metal crate aggressive. But he 
really didn't like being locked up in a crate for weeks, while he was 
involved in rehab. At the center they put him in a wood-sided area, and when 
I visited him he was fine. But he may still have given them a bit of a run 
for my money. He was not happy! By the time we got him home, I don't think 
he did a lot of crate time. I think I mostly kept him in the kitchen, which 
was a lot easier on him, though the vets did not feel it was ideal--the less 
they move, the better. Abner's not afraid of our ex pen, which I have also 
used on him at times. Just being locked up tight in metal seemed to give him 
a problem.

I think a more mellow dog than Abner might do well with the surgery, though. 
I know some folks on the Drool have dogs who have done well with back 
surgery. Maybe we need to hear from them!

I hope your rescue does well, whatever the decision. If I can be of any 
help, just e-mail me off list.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets