# IDD and Spondylosis Info Anyone?



## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Hi,

Has anyone got any links for info on intervertebral disc disease and lumbosacral spondylosis?

My gsd pulled up last week and after a few tests and xrays, has been diagnosed with the above. 

The dog has been experiencing some serious levels of pain which we have under control at the moment with rimadyl and tramadol, one of my main concerns being that he may require ongoing pain management for this condition. Should that turn out to be the case, I may well just let him go sooner as opposed to later, he's not even three years old. Feeling pretty depressed right now!

Thanks


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## andreas broqvist (Jun 2, 2009)

My Older dog had a realy bad case, The vet wanted to operate on her but I did not want that.
No one year later after aloot of swiming and traning you cants se it on her anymore. She can be a bitt stiff in the back when we have playd aloot with her, But no big problems.
I am not traning her hard, No protection and not mutsh jumping. But more easy stuff like Wp, Play, Ob, tracking and stuff like that is no problem.

Start to swim the dog directly and hopfully it will be pretty ok in under 1 year.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

andreas broqvist said:


> My Older dog had a realy bad case, The vet wanted to operate on her but I did not want that.
> No one year later after aloot of swiming and traning you cants se it on her anymore. She can be a bitt stiff in the back when we have playd aloot with her, But no big problems.
> I am not traning her hard, No protection and not mutsh jumping. But more easy stuff like Wp, Play, Ob, tracking and stuff like that is no problem.
> 
> Start to swim the dog directly and hopfully it will be pretty ok in under 1 year.


Thanks for that. Do you think the swimming can arrest the progress of this condition then?

My dog doesn't have much, only one spur from what we can see on the xrays however, I was led to believe his serious pain has come from his slipped disc mid spine (which it probably is) but, I am concerned with his back leg pain and odd tail carriage suggesting perhaps there is nerve compression in the sacrum area.


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## milder batmusen (Jun 1, 2009)

my dog has it to he swims and gets alot of supplements for his bones and he does not get pain killers every day because of the supplements sometimes if we have gone for a very long walk or he has been playing then he will get a painkiller

you can give the dog a goldtreat that has good effect on many dogs


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Which kind of spondylosis?


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## Kelli Black (Mar 28, 2009)

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/spondylosis-deformans/page1.aspx

I bookmarked that a while back as my senior shep mix has lumbosacral spondylosis, not sure how helpful that will be. I took her to physical therapy for laser treatments (she hates water) with limited success. Also tried Rimadyl, Previcox, Gabapentin, and Zubrin with little effect. 

I stopped trying different meds on her as she doesn't seem overly painful, her stance is really off with her hind legs and her tail is carried weird kind of like what you mentioned with your dog and the vet is thinking after all we've tried it may be a nerve issue with the spine.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Al Curbow said:


> Which kind of spondylosis?


Spondylosis Deformans I think.

The vet thinks his hind leg limp and odd tail carriage is due to the spondylosis (only one spur to be seen in the xray) and not his slipped disc. Although it's still early days, I had hoped to see more progress in his tail carriage with the pain meds he's receiving, and although his limp is very slight indeed, there are no signs of improvement which concerns me.

I suppose I'm quite anxious, I do not intend taking a young dog who thinks he should be out there doing it on a potentially slow and painful journey no matter if the pain can be controlled/managed or otherwise.

Much of the info one comes across on the net can be a little contradictory, also as I have recently moved home, the vibes I am picking up from my new practice is a little ermm.... commercial!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

If I recall correctly I had a GSD/Dane some 35 yrs ago that had this. At first I thought it was arthritis untill he started waking on the knuckles of his back toes. He didn't last very long before we had to put him down but the vet said there was no pain involved because of the spinal degeneration.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

My dog Marek had this. Every vertabrae was bridged from neck to tail when he finally got paralyzed. He had to have it for years, he walked funny and worked hard till the day he died., Who gives a shit how the tail looks if the dog is good? If you're thinking of euth'ing him thinking he's in pain you're wrong, it's basically signals getting interupted, i'd find another vet.

If you want to euth him just because you don't want to deal with it then just say that, dogs are very disposable to a lot of people, or you can find an idiot to take your dog, train it and give it away to an appriciative family and explain to the people that he'll need Derramaxx when he's symptomatic,


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## andreas broqvist (Jun 2, 2009)

I gave my dog rimadyl the first cupple of month. But with swiming and traning i general i felt taht She did not nead it. Now I give her nothing No supliments and no painkillers.
When the vertabres Fuses together the pain usely get away I think. 

The swiming gives the dog egnuff mushel in ther back to move well and when the spine fuces they just moves a bit stiffer but ok.

A friend have a ridgeback that had bridges on al her vertabrae but the dog has been swiming al her life and it dident sho that mutsh so I think its a realy good way to make the dog ok in a pretty short time.
Often you mis to train the dogs back. Even if you train the dog aloot the can have great legs but prety week backs.

Hers a short mvie of my spondylos dog. you se she moves a bitt weird but its both tha she has to stiff back legs and the spondylose. Shes prety ok; i feel tah she has agnuff of a life to be a happy dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5TtDAqgbMs


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Thanks for the replies everyone.

My biggest concern in this is the quality of life for the dog, dogs aren't disposable items to me. I couldn't care less what he looks like, I care about the level of pain he may have to deal with. He's a very active and intense dog but if he can be himself, then he'll be going nowhere.

There seems to be contradiction on the pain issue of spondylosis, whilst many reports state there is very little pain involved in this condition, I have come across others which state pain can be very intense when located in the lumbosacral area and there is compression due to the encirclement of the nerve ends.

I don't feel under any great pressure at the moment as the dog seems comfortable on his meds and is very mobile, I've had experience of other bone/joint disorders in the past when on reflection wished I had put the dog to sleep much earlier than when I did. I just have a bit of research to do yet and a better vet to find.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Maggie, I'd suggest taking your dog to see a board certified neurologist. They're going to know the most up to date research on IVDD for treatment and prognosis options. I don't know how they do vet med residencies in the UK, but in North America, boarded neurologists have to do an internship and a 3ish year residency in neurology/neurosurgery by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Select GBR for Great Britain on the country part this search site and there are a good number in Great Britain. Your general practice vet can forward any radiographs, blood work, etc to the specialist. Hope it helps and good luck!

http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Thanks Maren, there is a name on that link in Edinburgh which I have ear marked. I was actually back at my vet again this morning, she was delighted at his progress and suggested it better to just continue his meds and rest for now and gently up his exercise. She reckons he's on the road to a very good recovery so I will go with it for now till we see her again in a few weeks.

Thanks for the info.


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