DJANGO Dog Blog

When Mike and I (Steph) moved into our new home earlier this year, we reveled in the spacious layout. Compared to our previous 650 square foot apartment in New York City, our modest new home felt like a palace. We soon realized, however, we had a lot of furnishing to do. Our hardwood floors, in particular, needed immediate protection. We have a boisterous 3-year old toddler, a long-haired dachshund, and a newborn. The last thing we wanted was for our toddler's toys, our baby's spit ups, and our pup's nails to destroy our new hardwood floors.

While researching the best rugs for families with kids and pets, Mike and I (Steph) came across Tumble. Tumble offers machine washable and spill-proof area rugs with modern patterns and colors. Mike and I ordered 3 rugs for our home—a kitchen runner and two area rugs—and we never looked back.

The following is an honest review and in-depth overview of Tumble rugs based on our family's personal experience using several of the rugs in our home.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a diagnosis that all dog owners dread. We (Mike and Steph) unfortunately saw our long-haired dachshund Django go through IVDD surgery earlier this year after suffering a serious back injury.

The path to recovery after an IVDD diagnosis is never easy. Dogs with IVDD always need strict crate rest, and many also need complicated and expensive back surgery like our dog Django. While recovering, your dog's movement must be restricted to a crate or pen, and he or she may not be able to walk without support. Your pup may also experience incontinence for several weeks and need help going to the bathroom via bladder expression. In other words, the recovery process can be difficult and daunting for us loving dog parents.

Fortunately, there are dog products on the market that help make your dog's IVDD journey and recovery easier. Here are 10 products that we found helpful and essential throughout Django's IVDD recovery.

Earlier this year, our long-haired dachshund, Django, had back surgery for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). Within 48 hours after his back legs became paralyzed, Django underwent spinal surgery, and a canine neurologist successfully removed herniated disc material from Django's spinal canal. You can read all about Django's IVDD experience here and learn what to immediately do if you suspect your dog is suffering from IVDD.

For the first time, we (Mike and Steph) became very familiar with the true costs surrounding dog back surgery. While the price of IVDD surgery varies greatly, we learned that the total bill is far bigger than just the operation cost; it also includes exams, boarding, medication, anesthesia, etc.

In this DJANGO Dog Blog article, we examine the “all in” cost of IVDD surgery for dogs. We also compare the success rate of IVDD surgery to non-surgical IVDD treatment options. And finally, we discuss which IVDD treatments are typically covered by pet insurance.

We (Steph and Mike) recently experienced what most dachshund owners dread happening. Our long-haired "tweenie" dachshund, Django, underwent spinal surgery for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).

Django had IVDD surgery on January 10th, approximately 48 hours after he lost function in his back legs, to remove all of the disc material in his spinal canal which was causing him pain and partial paralysis. As of writing (March 2022), Django is thankfully recovering nicely, albeit slowly. He finally started getting more feeling and function in his back legs about 3-4 weeks after surgery and is now starting to use them again! His back legs remain wobbly and weak, but we and Django's neurologist continue to expect Django to see a full recovery over time.

In this DJANGO Dog Blog article, we address what to do if you suspect your dog is suffering from IVDD. We cover what steps you should immediately take if your dog has symptoms of IVDD, explain what IVDD is, and also address additional frequently asked questions about Intervertebral Disc Disease in dogs.