Delete!
Large breeds and IVDD
Neuro Corner Answers
Dr. Andrew Isaacs
DVM Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center
Primary interests include intervertebral disc disease, seizure management, luxations/fractures of the spine, and surgery for brain tumors
Question
LINDA ASKS:
When you see a larger breed with a disc problem is it usually IVDD (actually calcified discs) or an injury? How often do you estimate a larger breed such as a lab, dalmation, golden etc. actually has calcified discs?
ANSWER
Most of the time in larger breed dogs disk problems are secondary to a degenerative disk and not a true injury (hit by a car, falling out of moving vehicle, etc.). There are exceptions, but in general most of the time a degenerative disk is to blame. The degree of degeneration varies and is sometimes difficult to assess fully with radiographs (x-rays). Now that more MRI’s are being performed we can appreciate different signs of degeneration (loss of hydration and soft tissue changes) that are not visible on radiographs. There are cases in larger breed dogs where a disk ruptures and the herniated disk material has not degenerated to the point where it causes residual spinal cord compression. Unfortunately, the only way to know if there is spinal cord compression (and surgery is required) is with advanced imaging (MRI/CT/myelogram).
Know your C, T, and L discs plus a success story
Knowledge about disc disease is the power to fight the IVDD enemy and win. Be instrumental in the care and recovery for your dog with knowledge of IVDD: Intervertebral DISC DISEASE.
Continue ReadingNeck surgery consideration in certain circumstances
Neuro Corner Answers
Dr. Andrew Isaacs
DVM Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center
Primary interests include intervertebral disc disease, seizure management, luxations/fractures of the spine, and surgery for brain tumors
Question
LINDA ASKS:
Is there ever a reason cervical surgery cannot be done because of where the herniation is in the neck?
Thank you
ANSWER
When intervertebral disks herniate in the neck the intervertebral disk material can end up in a variety of locations surrounding the spinal cord and nerves. The ability to remove the herniated intervertebral disk material can be more challenging in certain circumstances. It is usually not that surgery cannot be performed, but rather how difficult the surgery would be to perform and the risk associated with performing the surgery.
Andrew
Success Story — Puddy
Success Story
Puddy
by Gale
This is my silly Puddy (Mud Pud) she hates to be dirty and loves having a bath and being clean. Not like her sister at all.She has had two surgeries for ruptures and 3 conservative treatments.
She was completely paralyzed before and after the first surgery but has regained some deep pain sensation, she has come a long way. She refuses to use a cart, she relearned to walk but is still wobbly, has about 30% bladder control so I’ve been expressing her for the past 3 years which I definitely consider myself a champion squeezer at this point.
She loves life and having IVDD doesn’t stop her at all, you should see her go, she corners like a school bus on ice when she goes too fast but doesn’t bother her in the least.
We are blessed to have her, she is very vocal and makes sure to tell you what she wants or needs. She has a big personality and we love her so much! Thanks to Dodgerslist we have learned so much and are so thankful.
Many ways to success
Hope for all IVDD warriors – Shortcut Thru IVDD
There is good hope for IVDD warriors. Even paralyzed dogs can look forward to many years of play and chasing balls.
Hope and Quality of Life for All
It IS in the cards for your dog to get back to enjoying family activities after a disc episode.
head lifting during sleep
Neuro Corner Answers
Dr. Andrew Isaacs
DVM Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center
Primary interests include intervertebral disc disease, seizure management, luxations/fractures of the spine, and surgery for brain tumors
Question
BEV ASKS:
Hello. My baby was diagnosed with ivdd 3 years ago and had surgery. He drunk walked for a bit but now he scoots around happy as can be. Eats, drinks, plays with his toys. I notice when he is laying down and sleeping his little head will bob up and down, some days are worse than others and sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. It’s not like a dream just goes up and down. Does this happen to other dogs? Thank you!
ANSWER
We see upregulated reflexes in the legs from a previous injury to the spinal cord leading to rhythmic movements. This is something reflexual and not voluntary control. However, a previous spinal cord injury should not cause movement of the head.
Andrew
Nerve healing
Often nerves are the slowest part of the body to heal. Better to think in terms of months rather than days/weeks for nerve healing after a disc episode.
Continue Reading
Dog back pain disc disease – IVDD
Dog Back Pain (IVDD)
Intervertebral Disc Disease
For dwarfed breed dogs (Dachshund, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, toy or miniature Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Basset Hound, Chihuahua, and Beagle) a common cause of dog back pain is disc disease. Disc disease also can occur in some large breed dogs.
Common terms used for this kind of pain are slipped disc, bulging or herniated disc. If a small dog were to be born with the disc disease of prematurely aging discs, then it is not until the first signs of pain at 3 to 7 years old, the owner and the vet first learn the dog has IVDD.
Disc can compress the spinal cord
Signs of cainine pain (IVDD)
A dog can have mild symptoms with solely signs of pain: yelping, reluctant to move. With a neck disc the pain can be just uses eyes- won’t turn head. Or the symptoms can increase to signs of neuro diminishment (weak or wobbly legs, loss of bladder control to paralyzed legs.)
Why dogs are not just little persons with a back pain problem
On the surface this may sound like a strange thing to alert you to the obvious fact that the anatomy of a dog is different than a human’s. However, grasping the danger that dog back pain signals, means owners have the ability recognize the need to act quickly to protect the disc and the spinal cord.
With a dog, the spinal cord goes all the way into the pelvic area and is incased in the narrow boney vertebrae. This means very often the cord gets compressed as disc material invades into the tight space of the cord’s canal.
The human’s spinal cord stops midway in the back with nerves exiting the vertebrae to the lower body limbs, etc. free from entrapment in the boney vertebral canal. There is a very real danger of the dog being paralyzed if the owners does not understand the need to quickly protect the disc.
Protecting the dog’s disc, protects against spinal cord damage
At first suspicion of a disc episode, provide 100 % STRICT rest and limited movement of the back. Get vet help to confirm with a diagnosis and start medications. The sooner the anti-inflammatory drug is started the sooner spinal cord swelling can reduce. The sooner pain meds are started the sooner your dog can begin healing in comfort .
Two treatmentss for dog back pain (IVDD)
Conservative treatment’s single most important part of the care is very STRICT %100 rest for 8 weeks. Movement of the vertebrae increases damage to the disc. Treatment includes an anti-inflammatory drug, 2-3 pain medications, and the very important acid suppressing stomach protector.
Surgery is the other treatment. Surgery is normally reserved for severe spinal cord compression to immediately remove the disc material. This decompresses the spinal cord right away. Post-op rest can range from 4-6 weeks. The dog is sent home with oral medications to provide relief from the surgery caused painful swelling.
A disc episode is not a death sentence
If for whatever reason, a surgery is not a consideration, then conservative treatment is the best choice. Dogs have success in healing their disc with conservative treatment. It is in the cards for dogs to go on after an IVDD disc episode to live man happy years ahead with their families. Both surgery and conservative treatment will take time for the body to do it’s self healing if there has been nerve damage. After the rest period post-op or after conservative treatment, then is the time to assess if money is best spent on PT to relearn the art of walking with underwater treadmill or spent on a wheelchair while waiting on the body to further self heal nerves.
Owner knowledge is key. Learn more!
2) Gain an appreciation that nerves are the slowest part of the body to heal, helps to have needed patience. Slow healing nerves may take more like months rather than days/weeks.
Other IVDD topics
Express bladder and bowels for health
Videos and tips to get more out of your vet’s hands-on expressing lesson. How to express for poop, too!
Know the discs and a success story
Be instrumental in the care and recovery for your dog with knowledge of IVDD: Intervertebral DISC DISEASE.
Traction solution improvements
3 traction solutions improvements. Help a dog with any degree of nerve damage (wobbly legs, dogs using a wheelchair). Have …
Steroids vs. Non-steroidals
5 things to know about using anti inflammatory drugs your vet may not have enough time to go over with …
Hope and Quality of Life for All
It IS in the cards for your dog to get back to enjoying family activities after a disc episode for …
At home nursing care, support, and ideas
Nursing Care Tips
No need to reinvent the wheel with at-home nursing care during a disc episode.
- Lots of member tips
- Useful supplies
- Review on bladder expressing
- Cervical (neck) disc care and more.
Expressing for paralyzed dogs
- Bladder expressing is a very real health concern to prevent infection (UTI) and maintain bladder muscle tone
- Poop Expressing relieves a dog’s anxiety of unexpected poops where they sleep
Neck disc pain
Extra things to do at home to help with cervical (neck) pain
- looks with eyes, rather than turn head
- head low or high to the ground
- avoids bearing weight on front limb(s)
Laser & Acupuncture
- These therapies can aid in kick-starting the body to self-repair nerves.
- There are cautions to be aware of with these therapies.
STRICT REST procedure and tips
Disc healing strict rest is a “recovery suite” with room service!
Surgery
Active PT as soon as the surgeon directs.
Conservative treatment for paralyzed legs
- Off all meds gives proof all pain is gone. Then….
- Limit to range of motion (ROM) and massage
- Maintain principals of limited neck & back movement as disc continues healing til graduation day.
Fat graft during surgery
Neuro Corner Answers
Dr. Andrew Isaacs
DVM Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center
Primary interests include intervertebral disc disease, seizure management, luxations/fractures of the spine, and surgery for brain tumors
Question
DEANA ASKS:
What is the “fat graft” during surgery?
ANSWER
A fat graft relates to a component of the surgery for decompressing the spinal cord secondary to herniated intervertebral disk material.
A dog’s spinal cord is well protected. A major part of this protection are the bones of the spinal column (vertebrae). In order to expose the region of the spinal cord that is compressed some of the vertebral bone is removed. After the herniated disk material is removed there is a defect in the bone exposing the spinal cord. In order to facilitate the healing process and protect the spinal cord one of two materials is placed into the defect in the bone of the vertebra. The two materials are either fat from the surrounding tissue (fat graft), or man-made material (gel foam). The choice of fat versus gel foam is surgeon’s preference.
Andrew Isaacs, DVM
Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
When to re-image post op?
Neuro Corner Answers
Dr. Andrew Isaacs
DVM Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
Dogwood Veterinary Referral Center
Primary interests include intervertebral disc disease, seizure management, luxations/fractures of the spine, and surgery for brain tumors
Question
ANN ASKS:
It has been 6 weeks since Buster had a set back following disc surgery.
He’s taking Tramadol, Methocarbamol and Prednisone. The Prednisone is a tapering dose, and we are now giving him ¼ tablet every third day. We’ve reduced the other meds to 2 times a day from 3. We’ve also been taking him for acupuncture and laser treatments once a week. Since he showed pain when he moves his head our local vet fashioned ‘cervical collar’ for him to stabilize his neck. She feels he has shown improved movement and less neck pain during the 3 weeks that he’s been wearing the collar.
He continues to favor his left front leg and most of the time has difficulty putting any weight on it. The pain episodes are not as severe as they were at first, but he does experience random flare-ups.
After reading about nerve root signature pain on Dodgerslist and other sources, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s likely the cause of Buster’s problem.
I understand that an MRI is the only way to diagnose this condition.
- What are the surgical options if it’s determined that he has nerve root signature pain?
- Is it likely to reoccur even if he has surgery?
- What would be the recovery time?
- How would this affect the progress he’s made to this point?Thanks for your help
ANSWER
It can sometimes take several weeks for the inflammation to resolve following surgery. As long as the trend is one of improvement then I would just continue on with the prescribed course.
Buster’s case has, however, been out 6 weeks. At this point it may be worth asking about re-imaging to make sure there is not residual disk material present.
Both Dr. Galle and I have had cases where we have had to re-mage and do surgery. So, it’s no fault of the surgeon, just that it happens sometimes.
Andrew Isaacs, DVM
Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)
If Dodgerslist has helped you,
please consider a contribution
to help us continue our efforts
to educate and save more lives.
https://dodgerslist.com/contribute/
Disclaimer:
This information is presented for educational purposes and as a resource for the dog IVDD community. The coordinators are not veterinarians or health care professionals. Nothing herein should be interpreted as medical advice.
Dodgerslist Facebook and all should contact their pet care professionals for advice. The coordinators are not responsible for the substance and content contained herein and do not advocate any particular product, item or position contained herein.
©2025 Linda Stowe, founder of DODGERSLIST.com • FACEBOOK