I've written before about a few supplements Claire's been on, but the physical therapist has prescribed four more, so I thought I'd recap what she's been on for the last two and a half weeks (and will continue indefiinitely).
When she was initially diagnosed in June, Claire was prescribed Prednisone to reduce inflammation and Tramadol for pain relief by the neurologist, with Gabapentin specifically for nerve pain, if needed. I started that several weeks into the process when I noticed Claire licking her side quite a bit, and refilled it once, so she was on it three-four weeks before I discontinued. The Gabapentin has to be made at a special compounding pharmacy as Claire's weight is so small, so it runs about $40 every two weeks.
The holistic vet put her on Traumeel, a homeopathic anti-inflammatory, and Dismuzyme, which contains enzymes to promote healing. She takes three tablets daily. The Traumeel comes from the vet as it's a concentrate that they mix. The Dismuzyme I found for half the vet price on Amazon.com.
The physical therapist has added Denamarin, which contains Sam-E, a half tablet daily, as well as Super B Complex and Vitamin E. She recommended the Nature Made brand of human-grade supplements because they are somewhat more regulated than other herbs. I added CoQ10 myself as I've heard other IVDD dogs taking it, and the vet said it can't hurt. I bought the Denamarin direct from the vet for the first time but will research to see if there's a better option. The company does have a rebate for a few dollars available here. The other supplements ran me about $80 at Walgreens but I've since found them at Costco as well. The PT vet also suggested we resume the Gabapentin as I mentioned Claire was still doing a fair amount of licking at her side.
So, Claire now starts her day with 1/2 tablet of Denamarin, taken on an empty stomach. I take a shower and give her a few minutes to digest that, then pass by with a Dismuzyme tablet. The Traumeel is also to be given on an empty stomach, so I go brush my hair and teeth, then give her a dropper of that. A few minutes later, I give her 1 ml of Gabapentin liquid. That finishes her morning meds. Sometime in the afternoon she takes another Dismuzyme tablet, and perhaps another dropper of Traumeel. With her meal in the evening, I add another Dismuzyme tablet and 1/2 of a B Complex tablet, which must be crushed or she'll leave it in her bowl. Every other day, I add 1 Vit E gelcap, 1CoQ10 gelcap. She's also getting a tablespoon of canned pumpkin with her dinner to help prevent constipation, and I cover her kibble with water to get some extra liquid into her. Quite the diet! It's really not as bad as it seems when it's written out, but she's getting used to eating something every time I approach her.
If your pet has IVDD, what changes did you make to their diet post-diagnosis? Please leave a comment on the blog.
When she was initially diagnosed in June, Claire was prescribed Prednisone to reduce inflammation and Tramadol for pain relief by the neurologist, with Gabapentin specifically for nerve pain, if needed. I started that several weeks into the process when I noticed Claire licking her side quite a bit, and refilled it once, so she was on it three-four weeks before I discontinued. The Gabapentin has to be made at a special compounding pharmacy as Claire's weight is so small, so it runs about $40 every two weeks.
The holistic vet put her on Traumeel, a homeopathic anti-inflammatory, and Dismuzyme, which contains enzymes to promote healing. She takes three tablets daily. The Traumeel comes from the vet as it's a concentrate that they mix. The Dismuzyme I found for half the vet price on Amazon.com.
The physical therapist has added Denamarin, which contains Sam-E, a half tablet daily, as well as Super B Complex and Vitamin E. She recommended the Nature Made brand of human-grade supplements because they are somewhat more regulated than other herbs. I added CoQ10 myself as I've heard other IVDD dogs taking it, and the vet said it can't hurt. I bought the Denamarin direct from the vet for the first time but will research to see if there's a better option. The company does have a rebate for a few dollars available here. The other supplements ran me about $80 at Walgreens but I've since found them at Costco as well. The PT vet also suggested we resume the Gabapentin as I mentioned Claire was still doing a fair amount of licking at her side.
So, Claire now starts her day with 1/2 tablet of Denamarin, taken on an empty stomach. I take a shower and give her a few minutes to digest that, then pass by with a Dismuzyme tablet. The Traumeel is also to be given on an empty stomach, so I go brush my hair and teeth, then give her a dropper of that. A few minutes later, I give her 1 ml of Gabapentin liquid. That finishes her morning meds. Sometime in the afternoon she takes another Dismuzyme tablet, and perhaps another dropper of Traumeel. With her meal in the evening, I add another Dismuzyme tablet and 1/2 of a B Complex tablet, which must be crushed or she'll leave it in her bowl. Every other day, I add 1 Vit E gelcap, 1CoQ10 gelcap. She's also getting a tablespoon of canned pumpkin with her dinner to help prevent constipation, and I cover her kibble with water to get some extra liquid into her. Quite the diet! It's really not as bad as it seems when it's written out, but she's getting used to eating something every time I approach her.
If your pet has IVDD, what changes did you make to their diet post-diagnosis? Please leave a comment on the blog.
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