Emergency
Time is the spinal cord’s enemy. Hours matter. Crate immediately and get vet help. Too much movement could cause paralyzed legs.
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The clock ticks to get vet help!
Crate immediately. Limit the vertebrae and spine from moving. Movement causes the disc to leak and push more disc material onto the spinal cord. The result can be pain and paralysis.
- With haste get to a vet knowledgeable in IVDD.
- Immediately transport your dog carefully in a crate padded to keep the spine quiet.
- Your vet if highly suspicious of different possible disease than IVDD, he would try to rule out it out. Other diseases can look like IVDD. Your vet may calll for an an x-ray or maybe blood tests to help rule out a high suspicion of other than IVDD.
- X-rays do not prove an IVDD disc episode. A hands on neurological exam will typically help the vet pinpoint the likelihood if a disc herniation in making his diagnosis.
Comparison of conservative treatment vs. a surgery
When, how to monitor neuro function loss, financial info: https://dodgerslist.com/surgery-vs-conservative/