Frankie 3 days after surgery

Bringing Frankie home after surgery over 3 1/2 years ago was a pretty scary and daunting experience.  I was uneducated in Intervertebral Disk Disease and was not sure where to turn for help.  I researched the internet and found Dodgers List.  They were a life saver and brought me much peace.

Since all of that has happened to Frankie I often refer people to Dodgers Listbecause they were so helpful to me.  I’m also always willing to talk with anyone going through this to offer my support.  Just recently I had someone whose dog was diagnosed with IVDD, but sadly the spinal chord was dying, and that is something from what I understand, not much can be done about.  But it prompted me to want to once again share the resource of Dodgers List.

One of the most essential things you MUST do when your dog has surgery or is trying to heal from a ruptured disk is STRICT cage rest.  So often people think it is mean to do this to their dog.  It is hard for owners to realize this is the BEST thing they can do to help their dog.  Keeping them calm gives them the best chance at recovery.  Having them in a crate that is movable from room to room so they can be with you is a good idea so they don’t feel lonely.  If we put ourselves in the dogs shoes (or should I say paws) and our back needed to heal, we know for ourselves we would need to be still.

Dodgers List website is jam packed with many great articles on care & crate rest, getting up to speed on IVDD, physical therapy, supplement & diet and nutrition.  You can also join their newsletter of which there is a small fee, but it is well worth it.  They also offer a yahoo group which you can join and ask questions to get help from others who have been through this.

Even if your dog has never experienced IVDD it is a great resource to peruse through and become familiar with the disease.  It is quite common in the dachshund, so best to know what it is about.  Not all vets are versed in IVDD and that is when sadly, with owners not knowing the options available, the dogs are put down.  IVDD is not a death sentence.  These dogs, like Frankie, can and do live full, happy, long lives.

Please do share Dodgers List website with every dachshund owner that you know!!

Frankie TODAY… HAPPY!