Ziggy the Cardigan Corgi - IVDD Update: 1 Month

Yesterday it was one month since Ziggy's surgery for a ruptured disc.

Last week I was really not feeling optimistic about Ziggy's progress.  This week, though, things are looking up.

I found a vet about 1/2 hour away who does acupuncture, and Ziggy had treatments (is that what acupuncture sessions are called?) on Wednesday and Friday.  The vet also suggested some additional physio/rehab work for me to do - to help with proprioception and nerve regeneration. 

I've incorporated these exercises into his routine (4-5 times daily at 5-10 mins a time) so now I do:

• Standing - we put place his hind legs in a standing position and allow him to support as much of himself as he can.
• Range of motion exercsies with the hind legs - bending and extending hocks and stifles - 10-15 times per session
• Pinching between the pads of his rear legs - not enough to injure him but enough to get a "pull the foot away" reaction.  This is to help w/ nerves/feeling and builds a bit of resistance when he pulls the foot away.
• Skin massage - I grab 2-3" of skin along his back and down the ribs and gently pull up and massage with my fingers for a second or so. This is to help w/ nerves/feeling and I hope it feels good to him, too.
• Massaging his rear toes. Nobody told me to do this, but I noticed that his rear feet are curled up a lot when he's laying or sitting, and it makes me feel better to gently straighten and massage the toes.
  
   

Here's The Husband helping Ziggy with his standing.
I usually try to have his pasterns more upright, but as he gets
tired, he sometimes sinks back like this.
Note the look of concentration on Z's face.

What have I noticed this week that is making me optimistic?

• He is able to stand with much less support.  Yesterday afternoon, he stood with no support from me for approx 5 seconds.  After that I had just gentle, one-finger support on one hip.
• He is stretching out his back legs when I pick him up from the crate - just like dogs often do when rising from sleep (!)
• I'm noticing much more reaction to my toe massaging and between-the-pads pinching.
• The Husband has noticed Z "paddling" a bit more when he's walking in his sling in the yard (the hind feet are off the ground, but moving a bit).
• Last night on the sofa Ziggy was having a good doggy dream and his right hind leg even moved a little.

I know that correlation does not equal causation, but I think that the acupuncture sessions really helped!  We're planning to continue these on a regular basis.  Right now the vet is recommending 2x a week.

Two early milestones we're still waiting for are  for Z to wag his tail (we're told this is a very positive sign) and  for him to urinate on his own (though I read this usually happens around the time a dog becomes ambulatory again).

Hopefully I'll have good things to post in next week's update!

Anyway, a week of good progress for Z.