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New member worried about SM - updated

My heart is out to you....so sorry you got this news. Glad you have resources though and are not alone in this. Please know I'm thinking about you and Rex.
 
I am so sorry to read your up-date.

At least you now know what you are dealing with.

Time and time again others like to dismiss SM, like earlier on in this thread, but I would with a Cavalier, and especially after losing three with severe SM, always think of SM first.

A scan/MRI is relatively easy to perform, unlike years of meds/operations/treatments etc which can do more harm than good to any Cavalier.

Ketty I hope that Rex will be kept comfortable with meds and that you will keep in touch with us regarding his progress.

Please inform the breeder of this outcome, they should be interested to know.

Alison, Wilts, U.k.
 
{{{{{{{{Ketty & Rex}}}}}}}} I am so sorry to hear of his confirmed SM :(

Like the others have said though, at least now you will be able to start him on the correct treatment.

Will you be able to inform his breeder? I hope he/she takes note and has a conscience :flwr:

As for Rex, I wish him many happy pain free years on medication and that he & your Mum have many more happy days together xxx
 
I am so sorry for the positive diagnosis. Now you will know what you are dealing with, and be able to treat it. Hope all goes well for your little man.
 
Well Rex is now on Neurontin as well as the ordinary painkillers, and seems to be feeling a little better day by day. He has gone from a dog who refused to leve his bed to one who yesterday was yapping at the gate to go for his walk - great news.

It does, however, seem to be 2 steps forward, 1 step back in his progress, so I thought I would ask for some advice.

It seems like one day he's feeling better and asks to go out in the garden, then the next he wont go out at all (even for the loo). Then he asks to go for a walk the next day, then the folowing day won't go out at all again.

Is this normal? Do they just have good and bad days? Or shouldn't he be doing too much exercise and are we letting him overdo it?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

I would also like to pass on my mothers gratititude to those of you that helped us find the right answer for Rex, as its clearly making such a difference now he's on the right meds :flwr: .
 
Glad he is doing better.

Yes this is normal, many SM dogs have good and bad days. I'd take him out only when he wants to -- that is him telling you it's a good day and he can manage the pain.

Often there's more improvement as neurontin gets into the bloodstream ovr time. While it helped Leo from day one, quite dramatically; he now has it well in his system and can go without for a day and do well, if I forget a pill. This isn't true of all dogs; some definitely are ready for that next pill after 8 or 12 hours, but he's proof that they do build up a level in the bloodstream that gets it to work more effectively.

Stone Lion will suggest upping the neurontin dose if it does not work well, probably; be sure to stay in touch and let them know if he isn't responding as well after a while or doesn't seem to get quite enough pain relief. I had to adjust dosage up and down over about two months to settle on a good dosage for Leo. Also neurontin can work less effectively over time, requiring a larger dose. This sometimes happens with people who take it. What is his current neurontin dose?
 
Just an update on Rex.

He came to stay last weekend and it was the first time I'd seen him since christmas when he was so unwell.

He is now on the SM meds and he is a diffeent dog. You can still see he's stiff / strange in his back legs and he does prefer to stay inside sometimes rather than have a walk, but he's just so much better.

He was very excited to be here and see his lovely lurcher lady-friends and was very waggy and generally a much happier boy.

Thank you again for helping me sort him out - I can't say how grateful I am and its been worth every penny of the MRI when you see the difference in him.

Fingers crossed he stays this way a while.

Ketty
 
Wonderful news Ketty. Thanks for giving us an update on Rex - I hope he has many more comfortable years ahead of him :flwr:
 
Rex continues to improve little by little - I think some of it is psychological as he stops being scared that he's going to be in pain like that again.

He is now going out for his walk pretty much every day and he is no longer refusing to go out when he needs to so Mum's mop arm is getting a well earned rest!

Best wishes to all

KT
 
I am so happy thet Rex continues to improve. Thanks for the update and please keep us posted.
 
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