Slipped Disc in Dogs (the complete guide)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
- If you don't treat your dog with a slipped disc the right way, there's a potential that they could end up paralyzed and incontinent for life. And if you don't act quickly enough, even the best slipped disc surgery or at-home treatment will be doomed to failure. But act the right way, and your dog could soon be up and walking as though there was never anything the matter with their back!
There are 2 main treatments of a slipped disc in dogs - conservative rest and pain killers, or surgery. Depending on the symptoms your dog is showing, one of these options may have a much better prognosis than the other, although it is important that you also consider how quickly you are able to act
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Video timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:31 What is a slipped disc?
1:22 Which dog's are at risk?
2:22 Diagnosing a slipped disc
3:46 Symptoms and grading
5:11 Treating your dog at home
7:50 Surgery
8:45 Chance of recovery
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- The information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute specific vet advice for any individual cat, dog or other animals of any species.
My 10 year old dog suffered a "4A" injury. Back legs would not function, he could not urinate on his own, and would only have a slight reflexive reaction to a severe pinch to his hind legs. Steroids saved his life. Within 24 hours of his first dose, he began to urinate on his own again, and within 5 days, he was standing up and taking steps on his own. The sad thing is, I had to get a 5th opinion from a vet to even have steroids be suggested. Everyone told me that I needed to do a very expensive surgery, but I kept listening to my gut, which quite frankly, was telling me that these vets were looking out for their businesses more than for my dog, so I kept seeking out different opinions. It took me a while to find a worthwhile vet, but she finally suggested steroids, and we are never looking back!
That's literally having to know my dog right now as I speak. I'm so glad I got him into the vet and some steroids
My dog just started on steroids yesterday. Fingers crossed.
Steroids can shorten dog’s life spans if used for a prolonged period of time.
@@HUX8075I hope your dog is doing better
@@cholericimp1358 I hope your dog is recovering well
Thank you so much for this. My dog is getting an MRI right now for a suspected slipped disc, he was already in conservative measures after noticing some spinal stenosis last year and seemed absolutely fine then suddenly he was very much not fine. It’s very scary, but this video has helped me feel hopeful
I have a beagle, a month ago i found her unable to walk, no bladder control. Stage 4 with deep pain feeling in all 4 paws. A week later she could walk again. Caring for paralyzed pet is hard 24/7 job. But if you can do that there is hope without expensive surgery.
I pray for you. I know you're scared. I was too.
Thank you for sharing. Did you do any type of treatment for your dog to recover?
@@jrod2927 No, not really. We set up a bed of blankets covered in puppy pads. The emergency vet gave her prescription nsaids but after dose 2 we found she really could not tolerate them. I had some old tramadol from our last dog. I gave her that and cbd oil. We flipped her from side to side every 4 hours. We kept a small piece of puppy pad under her as she was leaking urine, we changed it very frequently and used a wash cloth with warm water to keep her clean.
Then we waited. First she could lift her head, then sit up, etc. A harness with a handle is useful, a towel under the backend for more support. After she recovered we put her on strict rest for months. No jumping, no running, no up on furniture, carried up and down stairs. To this day she is still not allowed on anything she might jump on or off of.
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
I had one that lost usage of her back legs and my vet gave her steroid shot and we kept her still for two weeks and she lived for years after. So don’t give up hope if you can’t afford surgery. Try, no demand the shots! It saved mine.
My dog just got injured yesterday and I booked an appointment today. I am scared that he won't get better. I don't want him suffer, I hope that when I go the Vet hospital that the vet can help him
@@Schrimptea how is your dog doing?
Thank you so much for this video, very informative!
Thanks for all the info doc. Man this is so hard having my Dogue go through this. Vet just gave me pain killers, he seemed confident. But my Dogue is 10 years old and a giant breed, we all know what that could mean. I’ll just trust in the vet and hope for the best.
Also doc, I can’t believe you only have 50k subs, your channel is amazing. Hope you keep getting more subs! 😊
Thank you so much for this video! So informative and helpful thank you ❤️❤️
Good information. Thank you
My first dog was a Shih Tzu and he eventually developed a slipped disc at the age of 4. Now this was over a decade ago, so options and treatments were limited compared to now. We did conservative treatment and then he became unable to walk, so he was rushed to surgery.
He had an 80% chance of recovery, but somehow he just didn’t “fight” for recovery very much so he ended up remaining paralyzed. That devastated me as a 14yr old as he was my partner in doing 4H dog shows together and he enjoyed it. We got him a wheelchair and that lasted him for 11yrs before he passed away at 15yrs January 2019.
We still have his wheelchair that is such great quality that it lasted so long. We had gotten him one designed for more active dogs. He was depressed dragging himself and then when he realized he was able to actually run again while in the wheelchair, I cried of happiness seeing him light up again. And I swear he was faster on the wheels. 😂 He became incontinent so we had to squeeze his bladder a few times a day to pee.
Back then, physiotherapy wasn’t really much of a thing. Now, I take my current dog to a rehab vet for sport preventative care, and she and techs there have told me how much it has evolved in the last decade. They are seeing fewer dogs needing surgery and having more successful recoveries with dogs only using physiotherapy now. So my little dog would have probably recovered nowadays, but he still enjoyed his life and I miss him a lot.
I’m SO thankful my parents knew how special he was to me that they decided to foot the whole bill for him that totaled to about $8k in the end.. So I’ve done more to repay them nowadays (in some way) as an adult now that I am more able to.. When I got my first job after college, I became responsible for all financials for that dog.
I remember you mentioning him in the past and I know you did such a great job caring for him.
I've got an interview with a physio on my podcast coming out in about 24 hours I'm sure you would be interested in Lilia. It's at htps://ourpetshealth.com/listen
I am in a very similar situation. My shih Tzu was diagnosed yesterday and his hind legs aren’t working. We are looking to getting a wheelchair for him. How soon did you get your dog a chair and how did you teach them to use it ?
So sorry for your lost he’s in heaven my 3 year old baby can’t walk on back legs I don’t have 10thousand for surgery plz pray for nova
@@OurPetsHealth Missed the notifications on replies somehow, but thanks so much! I’ll definitely check it out! I really love learning more about this topic!
@@isabellamendez9446 I don’t remember 100% with how long ago it was, but I know he began having problems in August 2007 and definitely by February 2008 we got his wheels, probably sooner, but I know we were trying out different things before we got them for him and he was on crate rest for a long time before and after surgery.
As for how we taught him, when we put him in them, I remember using treats to help lure him to feel comfortable with using just his front legs to move. Of course, it was a bit of a process and he didn’t get it the first day. I just remember that when he did, his confidence went up drastically.
I do want to eventually donate his wheelchair because of how solidly well it was made, and rehab vets I’ve gone to tend to have options to rent if it may be part of the recovery plan so I know it can go towards helping another dog hopefully fully recover. They offer good support and confidence in a dog even just in between treatment steps. Even now, I’m still too emotionally attached to do that, but we will eventually. I hope your little one does well.
Very helpful video
Wow incredibly informative video! Thank you so much for sharing!
You're welcome 😊
Thank you. My little one is around a 2 to 3, more of a 2. This is exactly what my vet told me. Good to have confirmation.
I hope they recover soon
Thank you for this video, I have a 13 year old Dachsund that suddenly became injured lastnight when jumping onto the couch, she let out a bark and was leaning on her back left leg strongly but the right leg completely limp. I took her to the hospital and they gave me the option to take only pain meds and stick to strict crate rest or to also have an x-ray taken. I knew I couldnt stand not having an x-ray done so I had them take one of her. The vet said there are no fractures and no notable slipped disc but that a tech would take a look in the morning and get back with me. The tech told me the same thing and said that they only see that a disc seems to be beginning to slip and just told me to continue following discharge instructions. I just moved my mother and her dog from out of state and am just so distraught. It seemed just hours after I took her to the hospital both of her back legs were no longer working and she is seeming so confused, she isn't expressing she needs to go to the bathroom and when i took her to potty she tinkled only slightly but no poop. She's drinking water but not having much of an appetite. She was so happy and full of life running with my two young pups before last night but i fear that she is only going to deteriorate further and suffer. My mother only makes 1k per month and vet said if surgery is the only choice it ranges from 10k to 15k and i know theres no where I can even come close to that 💔. How long would you say I should try and nurse her back to help as the discharge noted before knowing when the right time is to put her down? 😭💔
Thank you Dr Alex! Our Shihtzu/Spaniel aged 6 has developed this condition over the last three days and we took her to the Vet hospital here in Spain where we live. My wife and I both think she is a level three at present but is getting worse! We go back on Tuesday to see the traumatologist. This video was extremely useful. Thank you.
I hope your shitzu is well. What was the course of treatment for your little one? Thank you
thank you so much for the information.. i live in japan and i just brought back my dachshund to his regular vet, and i didn"t understand some of the medical term in japanese... your video is a lot of help.. my dog"s vet confirmed that my dog is only on level 1.. and don"t need any surgery... for the mean time i just need to keep my dog on crate for 5 weeks, a lot of pain killers, supplement, steroid and weekly laser on back... thank you so much!
I hope his recovery is quick and uneventful!
Thank you so much you’ve reassured me and informed me on the options. When my dog was diagnosed with this I just cried but now I feel better knowing what’s going on
Update: my dog was put down
@@ambarvizcarra9656 I am so sorry for your loss ... My family and I are going through the same thing and have been advised by the vet for our dog to be put down as well :(
@@juanlee3252 I’m really sorry you have to make that choice. If it is advised trust that it is the right choice. I have struggled so much with guilt and regret but the fact is, I made the right choice. It hurts so much but I loved her every single second I had the chance. I really hope the best for you and your family and again I’m so sorry.
@@ambarvizcarra9656 thank you so much , and I wish you the best as well.
Thank you so so so much for your channel and videos. I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am that you make these videos to help inform people going through hard times with their furry family member and need to educate themselves. I truly appreciate you! I hope you never stop! I am subscribed and liking any and all videos I watch (:
Right now it’s about 5 am and I haven’t slept at all because my dog spent the night in the hospital for what they believe to be back problems. Within hours she went from walking normal to hunched over to falling to the side when trying to walk to her back legs not working well. Bill is $980 after everything including her stay and any pain medications I will be taking home with me when I pick her up. Praying to god we can get through this without surgery because that will be like you said traveling.. and money I don’t know how I will get to pay for it. I am very fortunate that we could afford the $980 but that is not without real struggle the best 4-6 months.
If my vet says nothing about keeping her in a cage when I go to pick her up... should I do it anyway for 4-6 weeks like you said? I do NOt want to make her worse by letting her come home feeling better from pain meds just to become worse because she want confined. Sorry for writing a novel... if you read this far lol I thank you so much and any info helps.
They should talk to you about ongoing care when you pick her up. If not then call them for clarification
Do you have an update on your doggie?
I would of..know it's an old post but vets dont know much about condition. Only neurologists know best.
Very informative ❤️
Pleased I could help
@@OurPetsHealth is there anything you recommend for my dog to get up and walking again
Hi, and thanks for this video, super useful. I have some questions about our dog who is experiencing maybe grade 1/2, do you offer remote consultations? If so please advise how, I am looking to learn more about how we handle our pup in his current state. Many thanks Dave
Thank you for this!
My 8.year old dachshund is going trough this. He had MRI, and had multible problems on his back.
The surgeon we talked, said conservative treatment would be the the best option.
Its been 3 weeks now. He walks and wants to run and jump, but I try to stop him. I am with him 247. In one small room, confined on a futon on the floor. And if I have to go outside, I but him in a crate.
This has been horrible and expensive as HEll! We had to drive for hours to get to the Pet hospital that actually knows what they are doing, and had the right eguipment for it.
My local vet, wanted to put him down immediatly. I was so f****** angry.
But still worth it.
I love my dog, and He is pretty much my only family.
Anyways Thank you! 💜
And I hope eveyrone who sees this and has the same issues, Lots of love and hope for your Best friend! 🐾🐾🐾
My pug just got diagnosed with this as well. He's older and was already very chill so keeping him calm hasn't been too much of a problem. I hope your little guy is doing well!
Aww same but mine has been months and hasn’t walked yet but we see signs of improvement
@@lolareikhrud7428 I'm so sorry for your little friend! But any sign of improvement is a Good sign!
Lots of strenght and love to you both!!
My dog hasn’t had an mri or xray and we went to 2 vets and they both said it was a slipped disc and one of the vets gave him steroids to take to take pressure off the disc but now he’s basically paralysed and can’t walk and is incompetent, everyone is saying to put him down and that might be what’s going to have to happen. He was perfectly fine before all this happened and nobody will even take him for an xray or try surgery
@@bluefire6722 that is heartbreaking to hear! Try to keep going and just try to think whats Best. For you and your Pet friend.!
My heart goes out to you.!
Thank you
You're very welcome!
My 4 year old daxie is going through this at the moment. She's been in intensive physiotherapy since Monday. She's really active and doesn't have any fat on her. Vet said the only reason she didn't lose the use of her back legs with the initial injury is due to her strong muscles. I miss her little face😢
We are just going through this now. Sudden paralysis. We were told 10000 plus for surgery. I just don’t have it
Same. My dog is 6, has had stage 4a for about a week now. Cant afford 10k plus surgery. Bought a wheel chair. We’ll see how this goes.
Hi guys, my boxer dog Is 5 y.o. and suddenly she developed a Stage 4a. Im heartbroken. How are your dogs doing now?
our 4 yr old terrier mix has a body style similar to a daschund. She started off dragging one of her hind legs and pain panting to quickly not being able to stand at all. got her to an emergency animal hospital within a couple hrs where she spent the night and next day.
That was a 1700.00 visit and of course it happened on a Saturday night after hrs. Got her in to see a canine Osteopath on Monday afternoon. She was assessed as a 4a with still some deep pain response when you squeezed her toes hard
We were told by all how important it was not to wait for surgery if that was an option. The vet hospitals that have this equipment are 2-3 hrs from where we live.
The way it works is that am MRI is the first step-$4000.00 to locate and diagnose the severity of the problem, then an estimate is given on the required procedures needed to fix the problem.
This is when you have to decide if you want to spend what could end up being $15,000.00. with no guarantees for success.
We were willing to go this route if needed. After having my own personal experience with an osteopath that corrected issues with my back with one treatment that Years of Chiropractic treatments couldn't seem to fix I was hopeful this may help our sweet girl as well.
We have a large Horse facility and the Osteopath visits frequently to correct issues with our clients horses. They all see improvement after treatments as well.
Later that evening after the first treatment there was a noticeable difference in her ability to feel things in her back end so we decided we should wait to decide on surgery until after her second treatment. Another treatment 2 days later and more improvement. Our Vet/osteopath was impressed with the changes. If we waited any longer the chance of surgery being successful would fall greatly.
So here we are 1 week later with improvements everyday. She now has sensations to touch in all of her back end, pees on her own assisted with a towel for support, sits up for longer periods and has started wagging her tail again. She is confined to her pet bed and is not allowed to be active at all as the doc says. Either me or my wife is with her all the time to keep her needs met and inactive.
We also are using Gospel infrared light therapy that one of our horse clients lent us. it's also has impressive results.
Hope for the future is strong.
Very well informed, best video by far on the subject. My dog since yesterday is having a hard time walking and has to sit or lay down. We took her in, but the doctors say they cant give her anti inflammatory meds or steroids because her blood has low gi and/or protein. Since time is of the essence for this sort of thing, what is our best option? We cant get in to see the doctors again for about 2 days, and they only gave us pain meds.
If it is a slipped disc then if your dog is still able to walk, conservative confinement can lead to a good outcome. If they are getting worse despite this then surgery is undoubtedly best. I hope they are on the mend very soon.
Our dog is 3 years old and 2 days ago he was missed diagnosed with inflammation of prostate. The next day our dog lost his sensation to his back leg, he was having a lot of pain. Took him to the vet right away and lucky we are financially stable at this time and we were able to get him to surgery. We are waiting to get an update. We will see him in 2 days. I’m hopeful for a full recovery. We will do anything to help him try to feel his back leg again. I know my chance but we will do our best! We were devastated when we heard the news and we are actually still grieving at this time. We appreciate all the informative knowledge you are giving out! 👍
I hope his recovery is rapid 🤞
Did he recover?
@@jesswithdakids5172 he still can't feel his back legs. but he is happy doggo for sure. I made him a wheelchair for when we go outside. he's been doing great. He does need help relieving his bladder. Thankfully he can poop on his own though.
@@nikkiphilip9067 That’s good to hear. I initially asked because my pup was getting the surgery that day and I was so scared he wouldn’t walk again but turns out he got mylomalacia and had to be put down. Benji was also 3 and it’s been devastating to me. Now I wished not walking was an option.
@@jesswithdakids5172 sorry to hear that. They told us to put him down as well in couple occasions. Once before the surgery and the other was when he had a really bad wound infection on his back leg - it did heal up but it sometimes he will mess around with it again so we need to keep an eye on him so he doesn't chew his back leg. He does have to wear a cone when left unattended. So it hasn't been easy caring for a disabled dog but the pros outweighs the cons for us. He makes us happy every single day. He is full of life.
Gracias Dr My dog.
Tiene El same problema by
My baby dog which is three years old is coming home from her surgery tomorrow and I’m so excited to finally have her but I know I have to take care of her very much thankfully this video was very informative!
I hope she recovers well
When vets come off these high prices..maybe we can care for our pets better. MRI is off the charts in cost. Unbelievable.
My dog is suffering with this. I've been told I need mri scan £2000 for the scan alone
@@nickwiddicombe1701 yep my dog needs one too. About $2500USD. Well its not gonna happen. They cant fix her anyway without surgery and thats probably $5000. she's 12 yrs old...not gonna happen..neither one. I have spent the last 2 straight yrs spending money out the wazoo on vets. I am done. They have milked me dry. The medical system needs to come down and revamped and stop greedy drs.
My dog, 2 weeks ago, stepped off the patio, only 2" and ruptured 2 disks. He was screaming like i never heard before. He had emergency surgery but we knew his prognosis wasn't very good before surgery. So now the vet said we'll know for sure in another few weeks, but I don't think he'll walk again. He's a dachshund. We've always had doxies, this is our first time dealing with a back problem. 🙏
I am also in this boat… didn’t get the best news yesterday, but doctor said she wasn’t gunna call it yet… so maybe? I hope your fur baby makes a full recovery
Hey doctor! My dog was diagnosed with ivdd. He can't walk or stand but he can move his legs and tail. Our vet gave us some medication. He only suggested us surgery but we can not afford it. He can control his bladder. Its been 1 week and I try to have him still. My question is if he doesn't ever recove,r could he use wheelchair?
It all comes down to money. Great video by the way. My male French bulldog who is 11 or 12 ( ozzy ) the last 2 weeks has struggled to walk on he's back legs. He cannot walk up stairs anymore and can't control he's wee and poo. He's back legs are buckled all the time. He slips on our kitchen floor struggles to walk on anything that has no grip. We have him booked in for a vet appointment next Wednesday 29/05/24 but it all comes down to money. Its so sad. I think from what you explained he may only be a stage 2 as he can still walk ( just about ) I hope. But what do you do if he is not insured and you can't afford to make him better. I would give my live for him to get better. Your video was great explaining everything. Thank you very much
My 3 year old French bulldog woke up one day and was paralyzed in her back legs. We chose to have the surgery and it was worth every penny. She up and walking now and it’s only been 1 month since her injury!
Fantastic, thanks for sharing your story
I hope the absolute best for you! Please Be sure to give her plenty of rest and for the rest of her life she will have to be conservative in her play time, no jumping off high distances or rough playing like tug of war. The same thing happened to my shi tzu, now he’s having a recurrence of this but it’s painful for him this time around 😢 he’s only four years old and this has happened twice already, my family is devastated.
@@OWiseWan thank you! And yes I am so careful with her now! I never let her jump up or down from furniture, I even tie her to me when we sleep at night so she can’t fall or jump off our high bed! 😊😊
My 14 year old French Bulldog just got diagnosed with a slipped disc and my doc said she is too old to go through that kind of surgery. He didn’t mention a crate but said it was crucial that she not get excited and jump around. Anyone with Frenchies know that’s almost impossible. She’s still walking but wobbly. She’s using the bathroom fine. What I didn’t ask was can she come out of this and if the rest of her days is spent in a crate? She has so much energy, ppl think she’s a pup. I want to give her the best care and the best quality of life for as long as her quality of life is good. Any suggestions? Praying for all the hurt pups out there.
Did you find a outcome?
What about chlorella, spirulina, and lion's mane mushroom to rebuild their nerves?
Can a slipped disc cause muscle spasms? My dog is suffering with those now
My yorkie was diagnosed with a slipped disc at the vet yesterday and it’s been so hard already. He’s been biting his crate and crying non-stop, to the point where my mom is insisting on carrying him the whole day or looking for “strollers” and “carriers.” She also doesn’t want me to feed him his pain-killers because I’m “force feeding” him. I’m very disheartened and don’t know what to do. He’s been too active in the crate (digging at his bedding, biting the bars, turning around often) and I feel like it’s doing him more harm than good. Any idea what I could do to make it easier for him and to dissuade my mom from seeking alternatives treatment not prescribed from the vet?
Omg this helped so much or dog was the best dog ever and became paralyzed and it was devastating. He underwent surgery and we have seen signs of improvement. It was about 5 months ago and he hasn’t walked yet and he is a golden doodle. We have a wheels chair for him but I just cry everyday because he was the most perfect dog ever and everybody said it. So can you just respond to this and give me some tips for him. 🙏
I’m sorry to read this. Have you tried asking your vet about physiotherapy
Hi thank u we tried water therapy on a treadmill but we didn’t see any change
Hi - really sorry to hear what you are going through and the pain it is causing you and your dog. Our dog has just been diagnosed with IVDD yesterday and we are devastated - he’s like our child - non pet owners don’t understand the grief that pain and disability in our dogs cause us and them. I hope things improve for you, and for us.
My girl just became paralyzed on yesterday and it’s killing me inside because she was fine one second and then the next she came into the living room and dropped, she couldn’t move her back legs and it kills me because we took her to the er and there’s no neurologist around that are available soon enough and she hasn’t peed or pooped in a full day. She still try’s to go into her little spots around the house and it kills me because i hold her and she walks to her favorite spots…… she’s only 6 and she doesn’t know what’s happening….. I’m scared of having to put my baby down but I hope that she gets better but it’s so expensive for a surgery that may or may not help her now….. man it’s not been an easy time and it’s really hard for us to get somebody to watch her because we have to work. Lord, this hurts so much.
@@mr.gamewatch8888 so sorry to hear, my dog is in the same situation at the moment… did your pooch recover? Sending love and hope your way
My dad's dog just got stitches taken out from a growth removal on his bottom. He was walking just fine before the stiches were removed. Now his back legs are extremely unsteady, collapses, and he is falls from side to side. The vet said he will be sore for a while. I'm not sure about that. It seems like something else is wrong.
My little dog is on its second surgery. He never walked normal after his first surgery now I don’t know how he will walk after his second surgery. 😞
Our doctor let us know that our dog has a 95% of walking again. It has only been a couple days since surgery but when would I likely see more movement in her legs?
Please if you can still see replies to this video. How soon would you recommend one consults a dog physiotherapist. The vet says kennel rest only for now. I dont want to make the mistake of not taking action early enough.
My dog has a fractured disc and my vet just gave us pain meds and said good luck, my dog doesn’t have a crate, he’s 3 so he loves nothing more than to run, jump, and play. It’s just him and I and I always pick him up when I can but sometimes he’ll jump up or down when I’m not looking and I’m terrified he won’t heal properly
Did you’re dog recover with pain meds? I’m currently going thru this . Hurts so much
Acupuncture and crate rest. Don't have one? Get one
Hi Doctor - thanks for that very informative video - our dog, a cockapoo, is coming home tomorrow after overnight at vets - diagnosis is damage to disc lower back. He is 2, beautiful animal but is hyper - hyperactive - makes mad lunges at the window at the slightest sound - mad lunges at the TV if any sign of ANY animal (or any sign of violence of any kind) on it. Anyway he is to have at least 4 weeks crate rest which being so hyper he is definitely not going to like - as for taking him to the garden to pee etc on a harness - if he sees the harness he goes totally loopy as that equates to a walk - if he even hears my car keys jangle the same thing happens because that means a drive to the field where he can run free like a lunatic. We love him so much - is there any possibility of giving such a hyper dog daily mild sedatives to get him through the crate rest weeks or is that out of the question? - I’ll ask my vet tomorrow but would really appreciate your advice.
with your description I think that sounds like a very good idea. It may take a bit of trial and error but proper rest is really important
Thanks doctor - will follow up now with my vet.
Hi thank you for this, my little dog has just been diagnosed with this, she is still walking well wobbling, but has been on medication for 2 day's and improved a little, not in pain and standing better, but the minute I get her harness out she will go nuts, so I carry her to the garden and place her down, she wanders and does her business, is this ok, because the minute I get her harness she goes in to full jumping mode. Thank you for reading.
anything that keeps her quieter is better so sounds like the harness is best avoided in your dog's case
We just went thru this, we had to put out our baby down due to lack of funds 😢 it was the hardest thing to do, FUCK DISC DISEASE WE MISS OUR FUR BABY SO MUCH.
This is my biggest fear. My boy is only 4 yrs old
sorry for your loss…iam currently going thru this with my mini doxie. Shes only 3 1/2 yrs old. she has a herniated discs. we did xrays today and confirmed diagnosis. currently we are on crate rest for 6weeks with meds. she’s up and feeling like her normal self and its been 3days im praying for a miracle and this rest period does the job🙏. ivdd is so difficult and expensive.
Hello Dr Alex Avery ✌️ well I'm first veiw for the first time.lol. Good to see you again my friend I hope all is well with you buddy 👍👌.I'm doing okay I got lucky and I didn't get that coronavirus after being exposed to it.. bigfoot is doing pretty good today he had a bad couple days a few days ago but he is doing good today and Arnold and bigfoot are watching with me now.. little Arnold knows you now he is turning his little head to the side he is taking in what you are saying and ol Bigfoot is just sitting here watching.. very good video buddy take care of yourself buddy 👍 and we look forward to seeing you again my friend your old friend from across the big pond.lol✌️🖐️🐕🐕🤝.I'm going to order a shirt from you soon buddy 👍I like the slogan of yours because they are family and that is so very true and you are to Dr Alex just like family
Very pleased to hear you have the all clear from covid. a scary time!
@@OurPetsHealth thanks Dr Alex I just got a comment from Dr Sara from the time you and her did the podcast and she was wondering how I came up with the names of bigfoot and Arnold and I wrote a very long thing about them telling her and I was telling her about how you are super awesome guy 👍 buddy 👌.. have a wonderful blessed day Dr Alex my friend 🙏
Just took my dog to the vet today and found out he has mild IVDD. We thought he was having abdominal issues but turns out it was his back. They said there is narrowing in his spine, and sent us home with gabapentin, methocarbamol, and meloxicam. Would this be enough to keep him comfortable if he is most likely grade 1? They did not say anything about a crate, just to make sure he is resting and not jumping since his legs were trembling a little from the pain. So odd to me that he was completely fine yesterday and today he woke up with pain. Thank you for the very informative video, very very helpful!!!!!!
Sounds like he is being well treated. So long as he is not a super energetic dog that runs around and jumps all over the place in the house then a crate is probably not essential at his stage. It's very common to confuse abdominal and spinal pain and it can actually be quite challenging sometimes to tell the two apart
Please be careful with Gabapentin, it affects our brain… I was on it and almost killed me. I give my old fur baby CBD and arnica.
How was your dog after finishing medication? My dog just got diagnosed with ivdd it’s mild as well.
My 7yr old boy has had multiple episodes of IVDD which required surgery the 1st and 2nd times and made full recoveries. He is currently having another flare up and lucklily his flare ups are always grade 2 and below so he only does conservative treatment and goes on to a full recovery. He does not jump on/off furniture, go up and down the stairs or rough play. Do you have any tips for pets who have had multiple flare ups?
Hiow expensive is back surgery for my dog with IVDD?
in humans, a laminectomy or back surgery is successful a mere %5 of the time (in 2011 that was the success rate anyway). does anybody know what the rate is in the Veterinary world? my Goddog was recently dx. w a busted disc and im fearful his Mom may get him this sx. is my fear realistic? or has technology improved alot lately? anybody no?? 🤞
I’m scared, this happened to my girl yesterday and we haven’t gotten her to surgery and we can’t get her anybody soon because there isn’t anybody available until the 24th….. I don’t want to put my baby down….. she’s only 6
This just happened to our shih tzu recently and we have immediately took action and started to care and treat him at home with some pain relief pills and such, I was wondering that since we have been helping him recover every once in a while he actually moves his back legs which are the ones that lost the nerve to move, he moves his back legs quite a bit to try and scratch his ear even though he has this injury. Is that a good sign that he is gaining some strength to even lift or move his legs with this disease still active? And he also wags his tail a good amount when he get happy to see someone, I was just wondering if that is a good sign for recovery. Thank you!
How’s ur dog doing me and my 13 year old shih tzu are in this boat and I’m so lost
@@michelliema He is now doing amazing! Thank you for asking! Since then he has been able to recover to the point where he can walk on all four legs again! Of course we continued to give him pain reliefs pills and we bought some joint medicine too that we put in his food and took good care of him so he was able to recover but not fully 100%. His back legs which were the ones not operating do operate now but say if he runs or tries to jump those legs will have a little less control because of the injury so they just slip more easily especially when running on slippery wood floors. But other than that we have stopped him from trying to jump on couches or beds so he wont hurt himself again. As well as his legs operating again his tail does too, it wags like it normally would before the injury. So he is recovered but will most likely not be 100% like he was before the injury. Hopefully you were able to figure something out with your shih tzu and everything went well, I wish the best for you and your dog!
@@michelliema my 13 year old shih tzu just had an injury too! how’s yours coming along??
@@eileenleyva6694 my baby did not make it sadly, she passed seven days later at our home. I wish ur baby a fast and healthy recovery and it’s not easy but that love you got for ur baby will make every moment of this journey amazing sending lots of preys ur way❤️
@@mattc5185 how is your baby now ?
Mine after 1 year.. i hope mine will recovery aswell.. we all love him too much
My dog can’t walk on his two hind legs and did have to have his bladder expressed. Now he no longer needs his bladder expressed but he still can’t walk on his hind legs. What do you think his prognosis is?
It depends on a few other factors. I discuss these towards the end of the video I believe. I hope he's walking soon
My dog just came home from his hemilaminectomy (l4-l5) i have a question using sling for support. I am suppose to out the sling over his stomach area or his pelvis area for support? I am so scared to hurt him especially for bathroom breaks. The nurses weren’t that helpful not even for his physical therapy that i am supposed to be doing. Please help
I would tend to sling them just in front of their back legs so that they are fully supported but can start to be used if able. I would suggest bringing up your concerns with the surgeon
My pomeranian was diagnosed through an emergency visit to a neurologist on the weekend. He is walking, eating, etc., so I opted for a conservative approach with meds and crate rest. How long before improvements. He still yelps when he stands suddenly or steps the "wrong" way.
O
@anngutman2154 my vet just told me my pommy may have the same illness. My baby is still eating walks very slow he looks good some days and other days he is stiff. Please let me know the out come of your furbaby.
Our little Doxie slipped two discs 2 weeks ago surgery plus scan and all medication cost £6500 paid this with no hesitation. . He was walking a little bit after surgery but since he is not using legs .. took him back to our vets and they sent a video to referral centre and they mentioned he might have to undergo more surgery but that is not an option and another scan we cannot afford this ..we are only two weeks in and maybe I am worrying to early because he can move his legs and go to the toilet on his own he just doesn't put any weight on them . We have started physio on him , just have to give it more time .
My basset had surgery and couldn’t walk after surgery. They have to build strength back up in their legs. Did your dog lose feeling in their back legs? If they didn’t lose pain perception they will more than likely walk again. My basset is thankfully walking again. She never lost pain perception. She got pretty close though.
If your doxie is moving his legs that’s definitely a good sign
My cat just got diagnosed with this. But he has been in pain for years, we just never found the cause. It’s his lower back and he was always just a best to vets.. or so we thought. The only way I have to heal it are putting him in a large kennel and gabapentin. We have a chiropractor appointment in two weeks. Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi. Was the chiropractor able to help your pup at all?
@@luisannymolina9322 yes actually. My cat has done very well!
My dog is week number 5 of not using his back legs… I spent a few hundred dollars at the vet to figure out how to properly care for him and they told me it wouldn’t be wrong to euthanize him… But they did not tell me anything about how to take care of him. They did not mention expressing bladders, or moving him so that he doesn’t get bedsores or any of the comfort care that you had mentioned.
I just ordered him a wheelchair and as you said, in this video, it did not work out very well. It looks like it was causing him pain so I took him out of it.
He is almost 11 years old and has bladder, cancer and thyroid cancer but he’s really happy and healthy for now except for his paralysis … Vca said just for an MRI. It would cost $5000 then of course surgery if I chose to go that route. So I’m guessing that would be around $10,000… I just treated his bladder cancer for $12,000 and don’t have this kind of money unfortunately. However, these videos are so informative. I don’t know why other vets can take a paralyzed patient and not know half of this information and yet charge you when I learn more on here. Thank you very much It is helping me understand my dogs situation a little better. ❤
My dog is 4 and the diagnosis was not definitive. They gave us the option to get an X-ray but given that he only screamed out in pain on this once occasion, it seemed a bit aggressive to get an X-ray since those are often inconclusive. We were given some painkillers and told to keep him from jumping, going up/down steps, etc (which is hard). The Dr said that there is a possibility that he only had a Charlie Horse or another temporary ailment. We are crossing our fingers because we certainly don’t want to move into Stage 2 territory!
Any updates my poodle is really hurting?
@@threadoflife yes, our dog has been fine over the last 12 months and we have not had any additional issues. It has taken a long time to train him to use the stairs to get into and out of bed and he no longer goes down our wooden staircase (dangerous), though he does climb them, very slowly and carefully, so we think it’s probably ok. He has not screamed out in pain again so we think it might have been something like a Charlie Horse. 🤞
Did you slowly ween him off the meds? How long was he on meds for?
@@LiveAndChill no, our dog is not on any meds except for a small amount of antacid, which was prescribed for an unrelated issue. like I said, he had an issue once; we took him to the vet and we were given some bad news that it might get worse, but we have been lucky and the issue has not returned.
@@crawfordviolin how long did it take to get off the meds?
My dog dachshund is also suffering from ivdd he cant move his rear feet...he can pee ,,but he cant poo...i need your advice sir ty
how is ur dog soing
My dog couldn't use her one hind leg and it might be getting worse, went to a vet they gave some anti inflamitory medecine because she can't urinate properly. I hope she can recover...she is just 11..
Any update ??
@@juanlee3252 sigh..It did not go well, after weeks of caring for her using a towel to hold her up outside to pee, one night we got back from outside, i saw she was puffed up and shaking also bloated. Went to the vet, he said it is her heart valve, the left valve is letting blood back into her heart and is not working correct, she is in pain. Gave her painkillers and medicine that will get the water out, but I saw her the next morning, she was not sleeping, but staring at one spot and shivering, since the pain meds wore off. Realized..it is time to let her go. On the 14 she has crossed the rainbow bridge, her legs did not get better despite a lot of cage rest and medicine
@@RainbowdashLT I am so sorry for that stressful and heartbreaking situation. The bond and love between our little pets is irreplaceable.
I have a American Pitbull that's going through this
I have some weird stuff going on with my dog. I dont see her in any pain..if she is..its not that noticeable. Only thing I see is her stiff when getting up after laying down for awhile. We did xrays and I had a DM test done from UC Davis and she's clear on the test and her mid back..well all i can see is the spine bones are closer to one another on xray than the rest. About 5 of them. I dont see anything else but i am not good at xrays. the vet that did them..well she had no clue..maybe arthritis in the back. WELL yeah but...she has something going on with her spinal cord. I say that because..she is taking about 5 steps and then drags her feet. both legs in the backend. She can run and all kinds of things. Back is not arched. in fact the opposite. sooo since I dont see pain..i assume it isn't a slipped disc. Even IVDD comes with pain and arched back. She's been this way for months. I did give her Gabapentin a couple times for a couple weeks and didn't see a big difference....soooo now i am going to resort to chinese herbs for the spine. Will see if that helps her. DO NOT have money for an MRI or any of that. $5000 for an MRI is ridiculous to TRY to get a diagnosis. no guarantees sooo I will stick with my herbs and chiropractic adjustments etc.....
Hows it going with what you're doing for your dog ? Hope its working out and your dog is feeling better, my 10 year old French bulldog finding walking a bit of a strain as he's really slowed up but he's able to pee and poo still .
@@rockypupoxo I have always been able to treat and help a dog thats got joint issues..but so far..nothing on this. I am trying new things so i will wait a bit but not seeing any changes. I think she has a slipped disc or herniated disk pushing on her spinal nerve and is causing a slight paralyzing effect. she has not gotten worse nor better. She runs much better than she walks. i see no pain at all in her. I would think any dog running, aint hurting. I m doing chiropractic adjustments, red light therapy, and ultrasound and so far..no change with that either. MAYBE the chiropractic adjustments are helping some. she seems a little less stiff when she gets that. I can feel her spine and sometimes all kinds of bones out of wack.
@@rockypupoxo Does your dog have DM or do you have a diagnosis?
My dog is stage 1-2; he can walk, but walks slower and will yelp if he steps the wrong way. We're doing a conservative approach per our vet's recommendation, but he had told us to keep him walking on flat ground frequently. Should he only be walked to go to the bathroom/do longer walks exacerbate symptoms, or are longer walks better as long as it's slow?
For context, I have a shih-tzu/maltese mix (not exactly sure, he's a rescue) and he's only about 3-4 years old, so I want to ensure he has a long and happy/healthy life.
How is your furbaby doing
@carolinehead1442 how is your furbaby doing currently going through the same thing with my pommy
I recently took my dog the vet & she got diagnosed with stage 4, her back legs are paralyzed but her front our still working. She said sadly it’s been too late for her to do surgery. She gave us pain meds and other meds to see how she does after the meds. Any advice would be great to help her? She’s been resting the past 2 days
How is your dog now?
How is your dog doing now? Going through the same thing with mine too. Thanks
Would love to hear from your dog, ryan
Surgery within 24 hours?? I can't even get a first appt with a specialist for almost 2 weeks!
What if your dog is 16 yrs old and has kd disease... vet says surgery not not good idea ....no reason to hv mri..
All surgery is a risk vs benefit decision...
My dog has slipped disc but she is 14 years old. She can still have the surgery despite her age? I don't know what to do...
it depends on her general health, but age alone is no reason not to do the surgery if it is her best option. Good luck
@@OurPetsHealth she can't move her back left foot only is this good or bad? I only see dogs that are paralyzed with two legs.
It’s certainly important that the right diagnosis is made, and advanced imaging (mri) is part of the diagnostic and surgical process
My dacshund cant move his rear legs :(
I'm sorry you are both going through this. I hope this helped you understand your options a little more clearly. Good luck
My baby can’t walk on her back legs I don’t have 10thousand for surgery she dose not cry win we pick her up day on she uses her front legs to move is that ok saw were you said for weeks got it thanks for video
Same my puppy just the other day started to not move at all and a few days later he doesn't use his back legs he just drags himself around really sad and devastating to see :(
@@juliodelgadillo8510 don’t give up my vet said 10 thousand are she would not walk I did not have that much money my dog went on bed rest for a mouth I would help her pee and rub her legs don’t give up she walks today study up a lot off video on TH-cam
@@tommywilliams102 thank you so much 🥺🥺🥺🙏🙏🙏
@@juliodelgadillo8510 Don’t give up hope my baby girl was in severe pain I had the foliate her bladder it was a little bit of work but if you love them it’s worth it I’ll let mine rest for a month straight and I would rub her legs and move them that way it makes the brain trigger just study up on TH-cam there’s a lot of helpful people that will be able to help you I mean I don’t know your current situation my dog was three and got it so don’t give up
@@juliodelgadillo8510 I also got her a wheelchair and that helped and I massage her my cost of treatment was about 300 because you do need medication’s stool softeners and stuff like that they will poop on their own sometimes you have to stick your finger in her butt to help him but you have to make sure they pay you need to study up on how to extract the bladder to make a dog pee don’t get discouraged with it I’ll learn all of it hopefully your baby makes a full recovery
PS, My Vet has her on progesterone and muscle relaxers.
I really think 90+ percent of the veterinarian clinics do not care about our pets. I believe most staff do care. Veterinarian clinics are all about the money specially, when you have an emergency, they take advantage of you.
My dog just got FCE. My first vet visit was $1300. It didn’t do anything for him. I was told that he might need surgery and his starts between 15 and $20,000.
I event in Tijuana Mexico for the same surgery. It starts at $1800 to $2200 or maybe a little more.
It’s sad, but it’s actually better and cheaper to travel and take your pet somewhere else if you can ?
I'm guessing you live in the USA, and while I don't have any experience with specific costs a quick internet search suggests that cost of living in United States is 81% more expensive than in Mexico. That's going to be part of the problem but also I suspect (without knowing) you are comparing apples to oranges in terms of the level of care that will be provided so while it may be the same procedure on paper, on practice the experience will be different and some corners will be being cut. Now that's not to say the cheaper option is not valid or that the risk is definitely much higher, it's just something to be aware of
My dog’s disc broke, we took her to the vet, they said they couldn’t do nothing about it :( so we had to put her to sleep aka put her down. Now I wish I watched this first.
😢
Oh gosh 💔 And that’s the problem I find too; not every vet seems to know really about IVDD...it’s so hard to find someone.
@@janebaker8340 you can say that again. I feel like most vets doesn’t know everything about how to fix dogs or any type of animal. The thing is, I’ve seen paralysed dogs in like kinda like a wheel chair, I feel like the vet could have just done that but nope-
@@Partypartyyeah613 At what stage of Severity was your dog ?? My dog is only 7 years old and he has suddenly began to stop using his rear legs and he is soiling himself. The vet said to further find out what is going on we would have to do an MRI and a whole bunch of other stuff and it’s above my family’s low budget. They suggested that the other option is putting our dog down. After seeing this video it sounds an awful lot as if my dog has this issue, I really do not want to put him down and am trying to find it there’s a solution.
I hope this gives you some comfort - your dog would have had a very painful recovery process assuming she recovered at all. My GSD is right now recovering from surgery, and it’s awful.
Native pet relief inflammatory supplements I bought on Amazon helped my shitzu recover without surgery.
I had to take my dog to the ER tonight & found out she has grade 4. Surgery is 20K. I don’t know who has that kind of money 😢 I don’t. I’m waiting to see what the neurologist says tomorrow.
My beagle was stage 4 a month ago. She was walking within a week. She is almost 13. If you have the ability to care for a paralyzed dog 24/7 (not everyone can) there is hope.
@@IndiAcres thank you! Luckily I am working at home, so I am able to give her 24/7 care. She wagged her tail a little but today! I think that is a good sign!
Strookes in cocee spaneil
So my dog has a slipped disc. It was so small it barely showed up on the MRI, so they decided to not do surgery. But, he is completely paralyzed in his back legs. He has no control over his bladder or anus.
What do we do? We were barely given any information!
I'm sorry to hear this. I would get back in touch with your vet and ask some questions. Unfortunately, it sounds like his prognosis is not going to be very good
Our chuahuahua is dealing with the same thing right now, how did your dog heal?
@@Z0MBiiK1TTY he passed
@@wesherring460 why did he pass away if you don't mind me asking?
@@Z0MBiiK1TTY he passed
Have you heard of gabapentin contributing to loss of back leg functions? Took him to vet and he could walk and then the next day after his first dose he could no longer walk
No. That sounds to me like a progression of the problem you most likely took your dog to the vet for to start with. Sometimes back pain is tricky to isolate as such and can be mistaken as abdominal or limb pain
Same 🥺
My dogs 2 disc broke and he died
😔😔😔😢
I'm so sorry for your loss
Just been informed my Shih-Tzu may have a slipped disc. Coming home tomorrow for rest and meds.
Mine came home today :( my poor baby
Same I have shih tzu I can’t afford fees for mri or surgery got sent home w meds praying for a miracle 🥲🙏
My 13 year old shih tzu is currently unable to walk but still has bladder control-how are you getting on with yours?
I think I found this too late.