What do I do to help my dog with a bad back?

Question

My dog has a disk in its back and its pinching a nerve. If she
doesn't get better we will have to put her down. we also took it to the vet and got medicine ( and its not helping she is getting worse )

Answer 1

I totally agree with cwishon15. I have been through this with several of my dachshunds. Often times cage rest along with cortisone and muscle relaxers from the vet have helped. The cage confinement is crucial. No walking. You should carry her out to go to the bathroom and carry her back in.

My last dachshund ended up having surgery. We never knew how he hurt his back to begin with. We came home and there he was, hunched up and very, very painful. The cage rest and meds did not help. The surgery went well, and he lived a normal life. Whether the surgery is successful or not depends on the circumstances. My dog never showed neurological signs, meaning he was not paralyzed. His legs had normal function, he was just hunched into a "U" shape and in terrible pain. A dog that is neurological may not recover as well.

Great Dane Lady also mentioned acupuncture. I am all for that as well, although I have never had it done on my dogs for a back problem. I had it done on my shepherds for other problems (no implants, just normal acupuncture).

I will keep your dog in my prayers.

Answer 2

Depending on the type of dog you have, there may be other options. There are surgical procedures that can remove the disc putting pressure on the spinal cord which may relieve the pain and any lack of motor function she maybe having. However this can be quite expensive and the post surgical care can be labor intensive.
Often a veterinarian will try drugs to reduce the pain and inflammation causes by the pressure on the cord which may help. This should be accompanied by cage rest which is CRUCIAL to recovery. The dog should be in a kennel at all times, or on a leash to go outside to the bathroom. NO OTHER ACTIVITIES ALLOWED.
If medical therapy doesn't work, discuss surgery with your veterinarian. You may decide this is a better option than euthanizing your dog. Good luck.

Answer 3

Try something with Glucosamine in it. This seems the help my dog who has bad pelvic bone pain.
The vet also recommended us half a tylenol or ibuprofen on days where it's really bad.
Yes, the humane thing would be to put your dog down, but we all know we want to use that as a last resort...so the only thing left is to make them comfortable. Like she mentioned previously, no obstacles. No climbing stairs or difficult walks. Little action as possible, maybe a comfy bed set up will help relieve that pain too.

Answer 4

Ask your vet if it's possible to get another surgery in order to move the disk into a more comfortable position. If not I suggest sewing the vet. Mistakes like this should never happen with a good vet.

Answer 5

The end result of that damage is death by injection. When a Dog has a spinal injury it becomes very painful. It is inhumane to keep a dog alive that suffers like that when it gets painful. The best thing to do is honor the sleep injection and let the dog rest in peace.

Answer 6

sorry to say that she may have to be put down because the only situation that will continue to happen is that she is either going to stop moving and she may get aggressive because of the pain that she is feeling. I know how you feel because I had to make a decision about putting one of my dogs down it took me 4 years before I could get me another pup and I did and now I am happy but this pup will never replace my overgrown teddy bear that I had. I hope things work out for you and continue to research some other areas and see what happens but if the pain continues with her she may have to be put down because I know you dont want to see her suffering like she is

Answer 7

Try acupuncture. If this helps, then the next thing to try is Gold Bead Implants. It is a permanent form of acupuncture.
One of mine had this problem and was on pain meds, which did help her. After the Gold Bead Implants, she never needed a pain pill again.
There is a lot on the web about this procedure. I took my girl to Marion, Ind. and Dr. Drukes did the implants.

Answer 8

It depends on how much you give them. Pork is ussally in hot dogs and to much pork is really not good for dogs. For training I use very small peices of cheese or they have dried chicken that I break up and give to my dogs. Also ho dog have alot of salt and additives. They are not that good for you either because of this so in moderation would be okay but not alot. Hope that helped

Answer 9

I'm sorry. We had to put our dog down last year because of a similar problem. She had been around since I was very little. Try your best to fix her, but remember that your dog will die eventually, maybe soon depending on the age. Are you willing, or rather able, to spend thousands on restoring her to a life of occasional pain?

Answer 10

give your pet the cossiest pillow in your house, dont let her do anything keep her food very close to her so that she does not have to strain to get to her food,if your going to school drop her off at the vets or ask a friend to help you take care of her while you are away,you can put her in a cosy dolls pram or a basket with pillows and take her for walks every day,that will help her relax,and be extra nice to her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!