Back Problems

navyflygirl

navyflygirl

Well-Known Member
Owned by
1 cocker
So, I've been pretty absent for a while since I started pre med classes, but we've had an issue pop up with Lulu. I remember seeing some other members who's fur kids had back problems, and I figured I'd see what info you guys had.

Last fall we had a couple of incidents where Lulu seemed to be in pain. The first time she was ok after a couple days so we didn't worry about it. The second time came after she instigated a fight at the dog park and got pinned. The vet at the time seemed to indicate that she might have tweaked something fighting with the other dog (they were about the same size), and again after a few days of rest and pain meds she was fine. Last week I had to go up to Chicago in a hurry for a family issue, and Lulu stayed behind with Aaron while I took Ghost. Initially Lulu seemed to enjoy the vacation from the spaztastic Husky, but Sunday she seemed a bit off and when he got home from work Monday she was in tremendous pain. He got her into the vet Tuesday afternoon, and when they did x-rays it showed a narrowing between 2 of the vertebrae in her back. I'm getting all my information 2nd hand since I'm still in Chicago, but Aaron indicated that the vet said this would get progressively worse, and eventually she will start experiencing paralysis that will necessitate surgery.

Obviously we're trying to reduce her activity and keep her from jumping around on stuff. She has a habit of jumping up on the back of the couch, and occasionally she will jump down the long way. We are obviously trying to put a stop to that one, and I've proposed getting a ramp or some stairs so she can get up and down from our bed easily. For those of you who have dealt with this, what can we expect? She's 5 now, and loves chasing squirrels and balls and going on hikes with us. How have you guys managed pain? I like the idea of acupuncture (it's working wonders for my ankle), and I'm exploring some other natural pain management options. I'm not opposed to conventional stuff, I just worry about side effects. Any and all information and experience that you guys have had would be welcome. I'm hitting the road back to Pensacola tomorrow (likely only to turn around and leave for Isaac :angry:), so I'll be able to get more info from Aaron this weekend.

Thanks guys!
 
I haven't experienced any long lasting back problems with my cockers. I think you're doing what should be done. Keep following up with your vet. Keep limiting her activity and give her time to heal. Another thing to consider is weight loss if needed. Any excess weight will put added strain on her back. You can add joint supplements to her diet like glucosamine/chondroitin. A second opinion wouldn't hurt since we're talking about surgery.

I hope Lulu gets better without having surgery.
 
I suspect what you are dealing with is degenerative disc disease. my Chicka is also 5 and has this problem, we have been dealing with it close to two years. She too likes to jump off the couch and on the bed. We did several months of accupuncunture which helped. Mainly we have made some big changes in her life to try to manage it. We now have a couch with loose cushions so I lay the cushions down so she can't jump up there. You mention getting stairs so she can get up on the bed, not a good idea, she can still jump off and stairs are one of the worse problems for them. Chicka sleeps in her crate at night so she doesn't get on the bed. No stairs, I carry her up and down if needed, no jumping and minimal running. All of theses things make it worse and can lead to paralysis if the nerve gets pinched. It is hard because Chicka loves to chase balls and is a very busy girl. If she ever drags her hind feet or shows any kind of problem that way it is an emergency situation. At the beginning I was told surgery would be done down the road if she has paralysis but now there is a new specialist here and he feels it is better to intervene before the damage gets too severe. He feels they have a better chance of full recovery and less complications. There is always the chance that they can injure the back so severely that they can't be saved. This happened to a friends dog, she waited to take her dog in , did the crate rest for a day but the swelling around the nerve caused too much damage and they had to let her go. I am on the fence right now, trying to decide what is best for Chicka, the surgery is expensive but so are all these trips to the vet expenses when she has an episode.
Good luck, it is frustrating and potentially serious disease.
 
It sure sounds a lot like what Dianne is going through with Chica. If surgery is an option, I wonder if it would be better for her to have it earlier?? Good luck with Lulu.
 
My Frankie (age 8 on Ssept. 1) had a slipped disk, diagnosed on July 5. He was put on prednisone, and crated for 2 solid weeks. I basically carried him out to do his business. He likes his crate, so it wasn't hard on him, until the last few days when he felt this was quite enough, thank you!

When he was "sprung" he was limited for several more days (we kept him on a leash.) Now, 7 weeks later, he is back to normal. We are, however, trying to limit his jumping (not easy). he loves to jump onto the sofa, which he does do, but not as often as he used to. He likes lying on the floor or in his crate, and I don't discourage that! However, he used to jump on the sofa and then up onto the back of the sofa. That's a no no. I put a big folded afghan on the top and it is just too high for him now and he knows it.

The vet said to be careful for 2-3 months, because if he is going to have a relapse it will happen then. So far so good. (fingers, toes and paws crossed.)

I know this is not what Lulu has, but the solutions are similar.
 
Yes there is a difference between the slipped disc and DDD, you may want to find out which one your baby has. Slipped can heal but may have trouble down the road, degenerative worsens and the disc space gets narrower, so is progressive.
 
Thanks for the replies. Aaron said the vet didn't say anything specific about DDD vs. slipped disk. I was driving all day yesterday from Chicago back to Pensacola (only to possibly turn around and evacuate in a couple days...) but now that I'm back we are talking about stuff. I am currently researching options for holistic vets and acupuncture, and I've had a couple friends offer some natural pain remedies that I need to look into a bit more. She seems her bouncy normal little self right now, but I'm working on keeping things calm. Good to know on the stairs, I really hadn't thought about that. Our vet also said to do the surgery when it becomes an emergency, rather than doing it preventatively. Regardless, we are squirreling money away in preparation. I feel sorry for her. I deal with chronic pain and orthopedic issues myself, and it's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
 
Meredith I know that many people do not believe in holistic medicine but I do. My vet referred me to a vet in california that she uses, we live in Utah , we work over the phone or net, which may see weird but it isn't. This vet is certified as a homeopathic vet as well as being a good DVM and she has been doing this for 15 yrs. I have two cats and Chase on homeopatathic treatment right now. One cat has been getting remedies for a year and is making great progress, her IBD is healing, which is confirmed by ultrasounds. I just started the other cat and Chase on treatment and plan to start Chicka in 3 weeks. Dr Diana has had some good response in dogs with disc disease, one couldn't walk but is now able to, no drugs and no surgery. In fact I am so impressed with what I am seeing that I plan to also start with a homeopatathic physician. If you would like more info and her contact info send me a pm. I believe the term for degenerative disc disease is IVD , intervertebral disc disease. And by the way, Chicka usually goes months between flare ups, she has had 5 in 2 yrs. Also chiropractic is a risk with these dogs due to the nerves so I don't recommend that, I was told this by several vets.
 
Tasha has had back issue for a couple of years now and we try to limit her activities. Our vet suggested we use Glyco-Flex, it has been great on her joints and she enjoys taking the daily pills. So far Tasha's flare-ups haven't been to bad.
 
I'm actually pretty open to holistic remedies, because they've worked for me and I've seen my dad go completely off of conventional NSAID treatment for his arthritis. Aaron rolls his eyes a little, but the stuff works. I actually think it's pretty cool that your vet is willing to work over the phone or internet, and I've been reading a lot about human doctors doing the same to serve rural patients. I'm actually leaning towards going into rural medicine myself. I appreciate the info, and I will send you a PM shortly.
 
Take her to a chiropractor... our GSD had degenerative myelopathy, and chiropractic and aspirin helped immensely... Hugs, Jen
 
In nine years, Nicholas has had three major back episodes; diagnosed with both DDD and slipped discs. He has a complication: his back leg muscles were partially atrophied before his rescue, so his back has had to work that much harder. What's worked best for him has always been lots of rest, with medicines to make it easier: steroids, muscle relaxants, pain killers, anti-inflamatories. Surgery wasn't ever an good option for him. A little massage from a vet tech/ LMP was very helpful, too. I've seen tremendous things with acupuncture, although we haven't done it for Nicholas. It's great that your vet is so open to ideas- use whatever combination works for your dog!
 
Jen Elwanger said:
Take her to a chiropractor... our GSD had degenerative myelopathy, and chiropractic and aspirin helped immensely... Hugs, Jen
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Hi Jen, I was told by three different vets that with degenerative disc disease chiropractic is risky because the nerve could get pinched and cause paralysis. One of the vets is Chickas accupunture/rehab DVM , she also said that if chiropractic is attempted to go to a vet chiropractor, not a human one that works on animals also. The reason being the anatomy of the dogs back is so much different than people. Hope that helps.
 
Like Jen said try a veterinary chiropractor. My breeder friend had a couple issues with a couple of her other dogs. The chiropractor helped. She does have a dachshund as well a the cockers. The dachshund had a issues last year with some paralysis of her hind legs. Her vet gave meds and said crate rest. Did not really help the dog. After seeing the chiropractor for treatment the dog got better. She is walking fine.
 
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