->  WC> I have muscle spasms due to spinal injuries.
->  WC> I have ruptured discs.

->  So doesn't Cosmo. The vet said they never totally heal. We are
-> careful about his activity. He doesn't seem to be bothered by short
-> walks, going up and down stairs or jumping up and off the couch but we
-> don't let him jump off the bed (too high) and he no longer goes on the
-> back wall ledge (topped by back fence).

You shouldn't have him climbing steps or jumping on or off the couch.
Spanky insists on sleeping in bed with me and nothing stops him
so I gave him a step up so he gets there in two steps.

Without medication he doesn't even try to get up onto the bed.

-> Last night the wind was blowing high and he gets trembly. It starts in
-> his back legs and works forward. This is not 'fear' this is something
-> related to his injury but I can't seem to get this through to the vet
-> or my hubby or anybody. Cosmo never had this problem before his injury
-> so why is it so impossible that the trembling is due to the injury?
-> ...............

-> -> never had this trembling problem before the back injury. Something
-> -> about loud sounds (thunder, rain/hail and gale force wind) causes him
-> -> to tremble.

->  WC> Only thing that shakes Spanky up is a rolled up newspaper slapped hard
->  WC> against your other hand, original owner thing.

->  Hitting him won't stop him from trembling. 
   
I have NEVER hit my dog!

-> It's not voluntary. He 

I know, it's not voluntary with me either but when I tense up 
it increases.

-> seems to want help. He wants to be held. We get our storms most often
-> during the night which is when we'd like to sleep.... but Cosmo will
-> crawl on me and want me to do something. I think I'm going to take him
-> down into the car next time. Once we took a car ride to the store with
-> him during a thunder storm. He was fine! Amazing. Something about
-> being in the car ... I don't know. hmm.
             
Adrenalin kicks in, this is how my vet diagnosed Spanky.

-> .................

->  WC> I do know when I'm tense my back muscles tighten and my
->  WC> muscle spasms increase causing a vicious circle of pain.

->  I've tried giving him a massage during his trembles but doesn't do
-> anything.                                            

Tried the same here, same result or lack thereof.

-> -> Would this drug work to stop the trembling while its in progress? Or
-> -> do you have to try to as we did with one tranq , anticipate the event
-> -> (watching the weather) and give it to him an hour ahead.

Oh yeah, Dexamethasone comes in an injectable form too, Spanky's
had it on the first office visit after the problem manifested.

->  WC> Tomorrow Spanky goes back on Dex about an hour before our morning
->  WC> walk.

->  I'm going to ask our vet about it. We have a new vet btw. An
-> experienced vet too. (Same place but different vet.) The one we had
-> with helping Patches was fresh out of vet school....*(you know, go by
-> the book not by book plus experience).

Just remember this isn't something you can give every day or your
dog checks out with adrenal gland failure.

Currently Spanky gets 1/2 his prescribed dose twice 12 hours apart
and then 48 hours off, repeat.

I started with the full dose for several days while researching the
stuff and then backed off to the bare minimum that keeps the dog
pain free.
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