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Poor Gus

pippa

Well-known member
My poor Gus is not himself at all today:( He had back trouble (most likely discs but xrays when he was 2 yrs old were inconclusive) on and off, mostly off thankfully, when he was younger but there has been years between attacks.

He is 10 yrs and 3 months now and has got a little stiff in the last year or so but supplements worked wonders for him and brought him back to his lively self.

Yesterday he was very quiet and just sat around looking uncomfortable so I gave him something for pain last night but he is no better today and the poor little man is sitting against the press in the corner to hold himself up and won't move, he is falling asleep sitting up:(

I have an appointment at the vets for 11.15. please keep fingers crossed for us that it's nothing too serious....although I am thinking degenerative disc disease...

He is such a good little man and my first cavalier, we have him since he was 16 weeks and he is the gentlest soul.
 
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Thinking of you and Gus. You feel so helpless when they are like this. Hopefully the vet can give you something that makes him more comfortable.
 
Oh, I hope they can give him something to make him feel comfortable. Unfortunately, steroids were the only thing that worked for Oliver when his discs were bothering him, but at least it was only short term. Good luck today. Poor Gus. You feel so helpless when they won't move.
 
Well we are back home and the vet thinks he has spondylosis of the spine and at the moment has a disc compressing his spinal cord so he was in pain, he has to have weekly injections, can't remember the name of them (cart...something?) for a few weeks then monthly after that, he had one today and has metacam starting tomorrow for a few days and we have to keep him from climbing stairs and jumping on furniture, which won’t be easy when he is better! Lucky I’m off work still (with a similar problem) so can keep an eye on him! I have a stair gate at the bottom of the stairs and have been lifting him recently on and off the sofa when he wants to sit with us.

She said after a few days to walk him gently as a lot of owners make the mistake of keeping the dog from exercise altogether which is not good as it weakens the muscles. She also said to massage the leg muscles gently,BUT NO jumping at all anytime or stair climbing!
He is asleep now, he cried the whole time in the vets waiting room, because he doesn't like it! but the poor little man doesn't complain when he is in pain (more proof the dogs will fuss for little things but DO hide pain!)
She did the back foot test on him and he was having very little reaction:(
We were told that if at any time he sits down and won't get up to get him in straight away, not even to waste time calling first as he would need an intravenous injection that has to be given in the first few hours at any sign of paralysis, which is a bit scary but right that we are aware of it.

She was totally amazed that at 10yrs and 3 months he has a perfect heart and lungs:) Such a shame he is so healthy and has this disc disease.

I am very upset and my husband said here this morning that when the terrible day comes that we don't have our three doggies, he doesn't want us to have cavaliers again, as it is heartbreaking with all the problems they have, DJ and Pippin both have had slight back issues in the past and Pippin has his other health problems. Gus was my healthy boy and now this:(

Thanks for the good wishes x
 
Thank you so much for the link Pat,don't know why I couldn't remember the name of it, I will of course ask more questions next visit was a bit stunned today and more anxious to get Gus comfortable, do you have experience of degenerative disc disease or this drug?

Funnily enough I was diagnosed with early disc disease in my cervical spine recently, I'm 47, and I think I am more worried for Gus! Probably because I can of course verbalize my pain and stiffness and know what to do and not do. Poor Gus relies on us to see that he is doing ok.The vet did say that I seemed to have a fair knowledge of what was going on and said that I have kept the three of them a good weight so that is half the battle.
 
hi
so sorry to read about gus i hope he gets well soon
sending kisses and cuddles to gus from louie and his mum
 
Hello Pippa

I am so sorry for your little man Gus we all send our bestest wishes to him and you ,our little stars give
us all such an emotional traumatic roller coaster we do so hope hes soon back to giving you lots more happy days .
 
So sorry to hear about this - both Gus and for you. Do hope you will both be more comfortable soon.
 
Sorry to hear about Gus's disc problems, poor little fella. Jasper as been having cartrophen injections since he was 3 and a half, he as them every 10 wks or so. I don't know if it benefits Jasper (he as disc disease and HD) or not but as I understand it the cartrophen acts like a lubricant around the effected joints/area. You are not supposed to use Metacam with the Cartrophen injections I think its 3 days before an injection and 3 days after, Jasper as tramadol if he needs it at this time.

Gentle hugs to Gus and good luck keeping him rested when he is feeling better :) they are stoic little dogs, I hope you are feeling okay too.
 
Ebony was diagnosed with three degenerated discs and we found out when one morning she just couldn’t jump onto the sofa anymore and she really wobbled with her back legs when she walked. She was on strict crate rest and Carprofen tablets, we switched to Previcox. But after a few months she was ok again. But she is never again to jump on and of the sofa and strictly no stairs for the rest of her life.

Wishing Gus a speedy recovery.
 
she is never again to jump on and of the sofa and strictly no stairs for the rest of her life.

.

We were told the same for Gus, he is just having a fairly acute attack at the moment so is in pain and miserable but hopefully will be more himself in a few days.

Thanks everyone again for the good wishes it really is so helpful to know people understand what he and we are going through, and I know he will be his old self again soon but he just looks so sad now:(
 
You really do feel for them when they're clearly uncomfortable.
Sending gentle hugs to him and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Sins
 
UPDATE -Gus is looking much better and must be feeling better too as he was trying to jump on the sofa earlier, rather than waiting for me to lift him:), but I caught him in time, luckily I have baby gate for the bottom of the stairs to keep him down when he's feeling like climbing stairs, don't worry he still gets carried up for a snooze on my bed in the morning, while I shower, or if I'm tidying round or ironing! I bought another baby gate for across the living room door yesterday so I can leave the door open but he can't go in without one of us, poor fella probably thinks we are being mean to him... He went for a little walk today, a slow one and only 5 minutes but he seemed to enjoy it:)
He has 2 more days on metacam so hopefully he will still feel better when he is finished the course, and back to the vets on Tuesday.

Thanks again for all the support...
 
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Update on Gus

Gus was back in the vets today and she was very pleased with how he is. He is almost back to his old self:)

Getting hard to keep him off furniture now! I'll have to set him in concrete:)

He is off the metacam now and had his second cartiphen injection today, he has to get two more in the next two weeks but may not need the once a month injection after that as she initially thought last week as he is doing so well, She did say there is a risk it may happen again (as in the disc slipping) so just to be aware, but she said he can climb the stairs again after he finishes his course of injections, though not excessively.

He seems to have bounced back very quickly since last week when he looked so sad....he is looking bright and happy again. long may it last!
 
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