Intervertebral disc syndrome in dogs is very similar to humans. It always has the expectation to cause lifelong neurological problems or paralysis. Disc disease in a dog can be very grave and urgent disease. Here is some important information about intervertebral disc syndrome in dogs that may help you to take the best care of your pet.
What is intervertebral disc syndrome?
A dog’s spine is made up of seven neck bones or cervical, 13 thoracic bones and seven lumbar vertebrae. Also, there are some related structures of the tendons, tiny muscles, and ligaments that are related with the vertebrae. There is a small round soft structure between the vertebrae that is known as a disc.
The spine is made up of a complete sequence of vertebrae. A spinal cord is safeguarded in the bony spinal canal made by lap-jointed vertebrae. The intervertebral discs are positioned between the vertebras from head to tail. Their role is to allow for the suppleness of the spine. Intervertebral disc of the dog has two different elements-an outer fibrous casing and inner gelatinous center, also called as nucleus pulposus. Nucleus pulposus is usually made of 80% water with shock absorbing qualities.
It is crucial to realize that some dogs, particularly the small breeds are disposed to chronic disc disease. It is a gradual process that starts as a biochemical alteration when your dog is less than the age of one year. Nucleus pulposus of disc degenerates slowly in some of the first years of life. The dog begins to lose a great percentage of water and can be calcified partly.
Can my dog be affected and when?
Just about any breed of dog can suffer from intervertebral disc problems. All the same, some dog breeds have to face more problems than few others. The breeds such as, Basset Hounds, Beagles, Bulldogs Dachshunds, Lhasa Apsos, Pekinese, Poodles, Shih Tzus, Spaniels and Welsh Corgis. The threat of suffering from a disc disease for Dachshunds breed is about ten times more than all the other breeds put together. Approximately 85% of dogs that squeeze out a disc can be of the age of three or eight years.
Symptoms and clinical signs
- The coming of intervertebral disc syndrome can be abrupt, sudden, or gradual to come in some days or weeks.
- Signs can be fast progressive, slow progressive or even static. Recurrent attacks are more serious than the early episode.
- Recurrent attacks are generally the result of liberal expulsion at the same disc.
Classical symptoms can differ, as per –
- The location of disc extrusion
- The rate of disc extrusion
- The amount
- The direction of extrusion
- Signs of pain
- Without lameness
- Neurological deficits
Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Treatment for intervertebral disc syndrome is carried off by one of these two options, such as medical or surgical. The medical therapy is used in case of low grade pain and negligible or no neurological shortages are there.
- Muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs are used typically.
- It is very important to rigorously confine activity because relief from pain may result in untimely resumption of usual activity.
