Christmas dinner
Thankyou to the knock in Rockingham for allowing my precious boy to join us all for dinner. Frankie was on his best behaviour 😊 beautiful dinner and yummy cocktails
9 days before struck down with IVDD
Came across this video I sent to a friend 9days before being struck down with IVDD. Frankie never liked the cold… 😂 and didn’t really want to venture out of the caravan.
Back again at lunch.. unsuccessful
Quenda hunting
Every morning at 5:15am I’m woke with a grunt and a whine, followed by a grunt with a nose poke. I’m under strict instructions that the ears and belly must be scratched. Otherwise there’s much more grunting. Then I must get him out of bed. He is very demanding. Don’t dare lay there and take your time.
Check for poops, express his bladder, put his harness on then we must go quenda hunting! This is a big must. This is his morning priority. Half an hour I spend hunting out these little critters and every morning it’s always unsuccessful. But guess what… there’s always lunch time and afternoon time. And don’t forget the next morning. It’s like ground hog day 😂
Frankie enjoying his cooling Matt that I splashed with water 💗
2-3x a day we do this. Massage all through his shoulders and down along his back, legs etc. I make sure to spend 5mins each side massaging his shoulders and back. 5mins just on his legs. (Each side) 2mins with the electric tooth brush right up in the middle of his pads. Then 5mins each Leg of ROM and stretches. All up each session is a relaxing snooze fest of about 45mins. He just loves the electric toothbrush all over his body. (And no I don’t use it to brush my teeth 😂)
Frankie may never walk- wee or 💩 on his own accord. But I’ll give him every opportunity for a good 12months to help fire up and stimulate those nerves. He’s such a good little boy, and everyday he’s here fighting is a blessing 💗💗
😂😂 Frankie 2years ago. He loved riding in the tractor with me
Positives about Frankie’s stage 5 IVDD and being in a wheel chair.
1. He can roam freely
2. I can sit and relax while he roams freely and not be stressing where he’s gone
3. When someone drives in he can’t run off to bark and greet them at a rate of knots 😂
4. I can still be sitting and relaxing just watching hehehe
I just love how Frankie wears his blanket
And he’s off 😂
5mins a couple times a day in the wheels. Stimulates him, and keeps him active.
Need to make sure he has his sniffing time… in hope that he can find the sensation to weeeeeeeee.
Cleaning and changing Frankie’s bandage on his cystostomy tube. He’s such a good boy. We have to do this 2-3 times a day
Frankie had his last check up at waves. Unfortunately still no change with having any feeling etc. but other than that they are happy. They used him to take photos for cystostomy tube care so they can give to owners on how to care for it when there dog goes home. So Frankie is the face of the cystostomy care manual for owners 😂
We have had brown urine still, and this is from his excitement of jumping like a seal in the pram and barking his head off and irritating the tube which is stitched to his bladder wall. As long as it runs clear again, this is normal. But we look out for any signs that it could be possibly something else when it does happen. A lovely client of mine is now going through the same thing now with her sausage. Statistics show this happens in 1-4 dachshunds. Which is terrible. IVDD is genetic! And with how popular these dogs are now, and the amount being bred, this is why we are seeing this happen to often.
Here’s some info below
Back X-ray Scoring: Assessing IVDD Risk in Dachshunds
Dachshunds are susceptible to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) due to their unique body structure, with an elongated back and short legs that stress their spinal discs. To promote healthier dachshund lines, it's important that breeders consider back X-ray scoring as a critical tool to assess IVDD risk.
Understanding IVDD in Dachshunds
IVDD is a degenerative condition affecting spinal discs, causing pain, mobility issues, and even paralysis. The dachshund's conformation makes them prone to this condition, which has a hereditary component. Hence, it is important that all breeders aim to identify and minimise the risk of IVDD in their lines using back X-ray scoring.
What is Back X-ray Scoring?
Back X-ray scoring involves radiographs of a dachshund's spine to assess disc condition and spinal health. Scores are assigned based on criteria like disc degeneration, bulging discs, and vertebrae abnormalities. Lower scores indicate a healthier spine and reduced IV
Someone was very unsettled last night. Kept grunting and growling at me. I don’t know how many times. I put him to sleep on my lap, then put him back. Or walked over to try pat him to sleep. He kept quickly looking back at his feet or cystostomy tube. It all resorted to me sleeping in the lounge room on the dog beds next to him 😬
He’s a very demanding sausage 😂
