Slipped disc - unable to move, problems going to the toilet

my dogs got another ruptured disk about grade 3 this time so he cant currently control his legs or stand up at all, this all came on this morning.

We've been to the vets and he's had pain killers etc and she also gave me some liquid paraffin to help him go to the loo as he hasn't been since yesterday afternoon, im just wondering how long it takes to kick in as he cant walk im having to take him in the garden and hold his weight with a towel under his body but he still hasn't been for a wee or a number 2 and im getting worried that he's desperate to go????

any ideas on how long the parafin takes??

Eventually im presuming if he wont go in garden he'll just wet/soil himself where he's lying???

That is awful and so sad for you and your dog.

I have no info though maybe you could google it or does it not say on the medicine packet.

Good luck.

In my experience liquid parafin can take 6-12 hours to work and a repeat dose may be necessary. Sorry to hear your dog is in pain we just went through this with Mollie although she wasn't as bad as yours and the painkillers helped enormously. Took over 3 weeks until she was well enough to go for short lead walks though.

Has his disc actually ruptured? If so has your vet not recommended fenestration to remove the contents of the disc and relieve any pressure on nerves etc, as I would be quite concerned about the damage being caused to the nerves.

My dog has been through this and was unable to toilet or move due the nerves being compressed by the last disc in the Thorasic region.

I am maybe reading between the lines but has your dog experienced this before?

Am I also right in assuming you have a partially or wholly paralysed dog and your vet has sent you home with painkillers and liquid paraffin?

No experience of liquid paraffin with dogs but 4 - 8 hours with cats before any movement, it also won't do anything to aid urination, but only defecation, and yes if your dog can't move he will either do it where he lies or worse try to hold it in, especially with urination this can quickly cause bladder and Urinary tract infection

this kindof happened to my eldest dog, he got 2 crushed discs so i had to carry him out on a towel and i sat with him in the garden, he didnt pee for a while and when he did he attempted to get up and squat to pee, im not sure about the stuff you were given tho my boy wasnt given anything like that, hope your pups ok soon, i tried not to pander to my boy too much, i no its hard not to but abit of tough love got him walking again in a week , the vets didnt belive it was the same dog that went back to the vets a couple of weeks later, hope he is ok soon

i'm not sure if the dsk is actually ruptured or not, obviously if it is not better within 5 days then he will be x-rayed etc but the vet seem confident it should heal its self.

Yes he had this before but around grade 2 about 8 months ago.

I know liquid parrafin only helps with stools not urination but he wont do either right now.

I'v just spoken to the vet again and she had explained to me how to manually express the bladder but she isn't confident it will work, shes gona give him another two hours and if he stil hasn't gone he'll have to go back over for a cathater.

Poor little soul I'm sorry I don't have any advice as I have no experience of this but I wish your fur baby a really speedy recovery and i'm sending some healing vibes))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))) xxxxxxxxxxxx

Glad your vet is considering a catheter, Ben had 1 in for 5 days, manual bladder expression should work if you are actually shown how to do it rather than have it explained and you can also manually evacuate stools as well, these were things we looked at as a long term option for Ben, but thankfully after a large op, 1 disc removed and 3 discs undergoing fenestration he is as good as he will ever be and is mobile, can do most things any dog can do
So hopefully your boy will recover.
If you google Ben dog spinal injury and go to the 1st website that is displayed you can read about Bens recovery.
If you have the means I would ask for an mri or a dye test on his spinal area especially as this has happened before, that way they can discover badly formed or pressurised discs and remove them for fenestrate them to avoid further problems in the future.
How old is your boy?

He's between 6- 8 years old now (rescued so unsure of real age)
Thank you i shall have a read of that, im certainly going to be asking about preventative measures for the future as being a little jack russell its impossible to stop him throwing himself around and bouncing lots!

He's just defecated so ive spoken to my vet and she thinks he's just dehydrated and doesn't need to go rather than him holding it in which i good news so im just gonna keep syringing water in to get him hydrated again.

thanks for everyones good wishes and advice!

Brilliant news that he has passed a stool - his nerve endings to that part of the body can't be damaged

If he is struggling to drink the painkillers could well help as Ben wouldn't eat or drink due to the pain, try things like adding a tiny bit of milk to the water, or stock (not a stock cube though as too salty), and wet foods if you can encourage him to eat a little, chicken, tuna boiled rice - even a very little will help.

The Mri is the most expensive option but can pick up very subtle damage to the discs, the passing dye through the area (I really for the life of me can't remember the name of the procedure) shows up badly damaged areas or those at serious risk of damage. It wasn't until they opened Ben up to remove the discs causing paralysis that they realised how messed up his spine was.
If you think his age is fairly accurate ask your vet about the possibility of Hansen Disc disease Type 2 as that usually appears age 5 - 8 so your wee guy falls into that category.

Good luck and keep us posted, thinking of him and you