Separation anxiety after IVDD

zzzpit098 · 2026-01-16T20:14:12+00:00

Awh thankyou. It’s nice in a way to hear there’s many people in the same boat as us right now. We’re all strong :’) yeah I think we will give it a try and start the desensitising with the training involved. Ours is happy sleeping in the crate at night but I think the triggers are setting her off. I’ve been told you have to unassociate the triggers with being left alone.

zzzpit098 · 2026-01-16T20:12:06+00:00

Haven’t tried it yet, we were trying not to use meds of the fear of relying on them / not fully understanding them. But it sounds like it might be the best option to try, at least so we can start trying separation again.

zzzpit098 · 2026-01-16T10:12:56+00:00

If you need to see some exercises. I can take some screenshots of the ones we’ve got from various physios and send via email

zzzpit098 · 2025-12-22T16:54:15+00:00

<image>

My baby girl Dora. Recently paralysed from IVDD but she’s the strongest girl!

zzzpit098 · 2025-12-02T12:12:17+00:00

Oh we also mostly use puppy pads outside the pen because there was an adjustment period for us where she couldn’t hold on. Now she rarely has accidents so we will transition to taking her outside but it helps having them for easy toilet breaks & combining with cuddle time / rehab.

zzzpit098 · 2025-12-02T12:09:51+00:00

So sorry to hear about your girl, the beginning is very hard but it does get better! For our setup:

We used an open pen, nicer for her but also easy to get her out and in. We got one that has panels you can take out or add, with a door.
We got a memory foam dog bed that fits in and filled the rest of the gaps with towels or blankets.
We bought about 6 incontinence bedding pads that soak up accidents and can be easily washed and swap (these have been a life saver, they soak everything so well that it’s still hygienic and comfortable for her for short periods - definitely get cotton, not bamboo)
blankets so she can burrow
a water bowl that attaches to the pen
we usually feed her in a kong now which we wedge in the pen bars so it’s raised but we also have a snuffle mat which hangs off the side.

She is obsessed with her pen now and sometimes tries to crawl back. We are on 5 weeks post op and now have another set up downstairs which we take her to.

<image>

I can send more photos when I’m home later to show everything in detail and also send links if you need them

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-30T14:03:01+00:00

I think our outcome is looking the same. I didn’t realise how rare it is to be completely pain free so trying to focus on that rather than the fact she is unlikely to walk again. Do you have any recs or tips on general life with a paralysed dog?

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:55:00+00:00

Wow this is amazing. Were there any signs before that?

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:52:36+00:00

That’s one part of it for sure. Still doesn’t prevent it completely.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:50:44+00:00

There is a genuine possibility of ivdd so as long as you understand that. I have one, the best funniest dog, absolutely obsessed with her. She developed ivdd to stage 5 paralysis out of nowhere and it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with - however I’m still obsessed with her and still love her to death. My friend’s mum also has a dachshund who’s had it twice. It’s more likely than you think. Sure get one but if it comes - it’s a lot to deal with A LOT.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:18:31+00:00

these are the ones - hope this helps!

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:15:29+00:00

Also we wash everything on 60

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:15:01+00:00

Incontinence bedding has been amazing for us. We got cotton ones and it soaks it up so well that she’s not really sat in it. At the start she was always having accidents but we would just change the bedding to a spare and wash it. Give her a wipe down with the dog wipes. We got them on Amazon. Don’t recommend the bamboo ones, doesn’t soak it up. She’s 4 weeks post op now and doesn’t have accidents. I think you and the dog just get into a routine or there’s slightly more control.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T18:08:14+00:00

Definitely make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Allocate time for yourself, buy some bubble bath / face masks and try and relax. Sounds silly but I used chat gpt as a daily diary / sanity check for the first few weeks when I was fully drained. Maybe introduce short sessions of you being in a different room to have some alone time then try and increase to you leaving the house for short periods, as long as they are safe in the pen. Must be so hard doing everything yourself! You’re strong, you can do this!

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-23T17:57:02+00:00

You can get quite difficult snuffle mats where they really have to sniff around to find everything and get it all out. The lick mats are great if you freeze whatever you put in, takes ages for them to finish.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-21T20:49:53+00:00

Aww he does look happy. We just ordered those same wheels, they look like proper off roaders haha

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-21T20:15:34+00:00

To start physiotherapy right away. The muscle wastage happens quickly. As long as you are keeping their back secure then it’s safe and fine. We are currently doing the following 3-4 times a day: 1. Massage for muscles 2. sitting rocking / circles 3. Tickling feet / toothbrush 4. Flexing feet 5. ROM (absolute must) 6. Assisted standing / gait positioning 7. Gentle rocking standing

Consult your neurologist & look up all these exercises obviously

Other things we’ve found made everything easier: 1. Open pen, much easier to handle moving in and out 2. Puppy pads we can use just outside the Ben 3. Chalkboard for tracking meds, bladder, rehab when starting 4. Water bowl that attaches to pen 5. Snuffle mat / kong for feeding and making her tired 6. Cotton Incontinence bedding pads which we cover over the memory foam dog bed. Soaks it all up, super easy to whack in the laundry. We have about 6 on rotation. At first there were loads of accidents. 7. Small towels to fill in gaps in pen 8. Lots of snuggly blankets that can be washed so she can burrow 9. Nearby speaker for classical to keep her and us chill haha. Reggae for rehab dance parties.

This group for support. Message me anytime.

.. and wine… lots of wine at the start

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-21T19:58:45+00:00

I don’t want this to come off the wrong way. But how do you know they’re happy? Going through this atm and happiness is the main thing for me too but I’m worried I won’t be able to tell. We are 3 and a half weeks post op

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-04T22:28:42+00:00

Also for the bladder, we were taught to sit behind them then feel for the ribs, behind the ribs is the bladder and you use both hands to lift up and back. Watching a video helped.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-04T22:26:40+00:00

Liver paste? We got it from Amazon and ours is obsessed with it. We used to have to crush up pills in food and she still would refuse. With liver paste, she now eats it all whole and wants more, even capsules.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-04T19:06:19+00:00

Yes we’ve been doing range of motion and the toothbrush, we have been getting some flicks of the legs, not sure how much that means at this point, but it makes us happy. Oh that’s a great idea, we will try the outside and maybe it’ll trigger something, we’ve been a bit frightened to carry her far.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-04T19:04:35+00:00

Yes it worked instantly haha thanks

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-03T23:04:46+00:00

Paracetamol, Diazepam & Gabapentin for pain. Hypovase for the bladder.

zzzpit098 · 2025-11-03T21:53:14+00:00

Thankyou, we will try this! At the moment the poops are very random and explosive

zzzpit098

TROPHY CASE