This happened to my mom's dachshund. They did the 2nd option given to you by the vet (muscle relaxers etc) and she is better, but they also had to make modifications for her.
They have a ramp so the dog can get up on the couch, and they do not let her go upstairs. All her toys and food are in one room together so she doesn't have to walk so far. It sounds like a lot, but she's definitely a happy dog!
Your update is reassuring! Are you going to try rest first? This is still so hard! Poor guy
Yes, we'll be doing rest, steroids, and muscle relaxers over the weekend. Depending on how he's doing on Monday, we will probably go forward with the laser treatments. It's only $200 for the whole series of treatments which really isn't that much. This is one of those time-will-tell situations but he does have a lot going for him as far as being healthy and not overweight.
Post by prettipenny on Jul 5, 2013 15:50:24 GMT -5
I have a puggle who had this happen 2 years ago. He had a ruptured disc and we tried steroids, crating and acupuncture before finally doing surgery. He is now fully recovered and doing great. I think it's definitely worth a shot to try the other options before surgery, just make sure to monitor him carefully. If I remember correctly, if he loses deep pain sensation then surgery doesn't have as good of chance of working. Check out Dodgers List, this is a site for doxie owners dealing with this. Good luck!!
My friends had this happen to their dog. They went to the doggie orthopedic surgeon after the regular vet was pessimistic, had the surgery (2K) and the dog is completely back to normal.
Is there a vet ortho person near you that you can see?
My parents doxie started doing the same about the same age. They just put him down at 17 years, and he was still walking. They never did surgery. Just steroids, stopping him from jumping, and getting a couple pounds off. He would relapse every now and again, but it was always pretty well managed. Best of luck.
spedrunner I remember your doxie from a siggy pic from forever ago! I have a longhair too (well two of them actually). Eros is a black and tan. Poor guy, you can tell he's hurting. He just refused people food so you know it's bad.