Dog with 2 slipped disc

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has any experience of a dog with a single or multiple slipped disc?

We've had the MRI today, all our vet can tell us is there are 2 slipped disc. The scans are being reviewed by a specialist before we'll know damage/Surgery or treatment options etc. Unfortunately the specialist will take 3 to 4 days to review them so I'm just reaching out to see if anyone else has been through this

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Ah Excellent news, I'm so pleased for you and her x

[Bookworm4]

That's wonderful, our staffies are wee toughies.
Came back Grade 2 but only a 1, so all clear, she's managing a 15 minute toddle until the muscle knits.

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Hey! He's doing so well thank you. He's bee weaned off all the medication and he is allowed tiny walks a day. Up to 15 minutes now which is great. He walks a bit odd, sways a little like he is drunk and one foot turns in more - but I think I notice all that because I know him.

How is your girl getting on with her recovery? Hopefully she's doing well too. How about the test results? Please let them have got enough with clear margins?

[Bookworm4]

Saw I was still watching this; how's your boy?

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Oh yes definitely, he's so happy again and good to see him like that. It's just so at odds with what's he's got going on.

Oh bless her, it's hard when they have to take so much. The boy has had quite a few lumps removed, he likes to grow them on the right side strangely. The toe, elbow and armpit were tumours all the same leg, although they were at different times. It's like we remove one and he grows another to replace it. He has the biggest scar from the armpit to the elbow and his fur doesn't grow on it so that stands out the most. The tumour from his eye we only had removed a few months ago and you'd never know looking at him now. I think when they are fresh they look really awful but do settle quite well.
I have my fingers crossed your vet got it all. I detest the wait, it takes so long to find out

[Bookworm4]

That's good news he's getting his cheek back lol There's no keeping staffies calm, my vet rolled his eyes as he said it 😂
They removed wide margins unfortunately that meant cutting through muscle at top inside of leg, a week for results of the tumour grade. She's eating small amounts, managing a wobble in garden, plenty pain relief so pretty chilled out.

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

How did your girl get on at the vet Monday?

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Hey!
He's getting on so well thank you. He's eating again and is comfortable on the steroids, anti inflammatory meds and super strong painkillers. Probably a bit too well as he's not feeling anything and is therefore a pain in the butt right now haha. He's not happy with the enforced rest and is very vocal about it. Back at the vet next Monday to see if any improvement to the pressure on the spine x

[Bookworm4]

@jackson
How's the boy getting on?

[BiteyShark]

When my dog has been in the vets for operations he often won't eat and they eventually let him out in the hope that he starts when he is at home. I honestly think with him it's the stress of it all. Even when we get him home he just looks thoroughly depressed and it can take several attempts over a day with the best treats to coax him to try something.


Hopefully it's the same for your dog and once he is back home at the weekend you can get him to eat again.

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Trying all sorts, marks and Spencer's roast chicken, frankfurters, mackerel, scrambled egg with and without cheese, he won't even touch his jumbone treats. All the above he gets as treats every now and then and will salivate whilst I'm prepping it but took it all with us last night and it barely got a sniff.

Vet is allowing him home for the weekend, hoping we can get him to eat otherwise he'll have to go back in

[Bookworm4]

Is it dog food they are offering him? I'd try and tempt him with some cooked chicken with brown rice, that's good recuperation food. I really wouldn't want to go down the force feeding route. Here's hoping he gains strength xx

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Thank you everyone for the continued support.
The boy is still in the hospital as he won't eat still and they are worried about that. It's like he'll take a couple of mouthful to please people but can tell he doesn't want it. Our vet is visiting him daily and thinks a day at home may work on his mood now they have been able to control the bad tum.
Problem is if he still won't eat they'll admit him again and pop a tube in his neck to force feed him. Vet also mentioned he may need to get the specialist down to see him.

On the plus side the nursing staff at the hospital are all lovely, have been telling me how he's quite happy in himself and has made a big improvement to when he was first admitted. I'd like to try him at home, we have a long standing night out planned for a friend's big birthday this evening and I feel bad for contemplating still going? The boy won't be alone but I feel bad either way. If he can just eat I think that will ease my mind considerably

[DevonshireDarling]

Just caught up with everything, and wanted to say if you need any support/advice or to read up on similar stories etc then check out the forum website dodgers list (I think it's spelt like that!) I haven't used it since my girl had her spinal surgery but they have so much knowledge and support and can help you day to day they really helped me through it all. They focus on IVDD which is disc disease but any dogs that are paralyzed etc even with DM. Also I read the vet wants to look at steroids and anti inflammatories, just make sure they don't mix steroids with any NSAIDs like metacam etc. my girl is on long term steroids and I'm always needing to remind her vets not to give metacam when she has any ops etc. they do obviously know that, but sometimes they forget she's on steroids.

Really hope you get a positive outcome with it all, it's so horrible going through it at the time not knowing what will happen, but sounds like you and the vets are doing what's best for your boy.

[Booboostwo]

So sorry to hear that OP!

Yes, we had a similar story. The specialist thought it was a disk as he was in pain and DM was painless, so she was optimistic about the operation. Then he was in more pain and she said it’s a common complication for another disk to herniate, so again optimistic about the second operation. The loss of feeling continued after that so finally DM was diagnosed. I don’t know if he had both DM and herniated discs from the start or whether something in the operations triggered the DM but I suppose it doesn’t matter either way. He was a lovely dog and it was a very tough time for him and for us.

I hope your boy improves on the medications and can come home soon.

[Bookworm4]

@jackson
Thank you, we are optimistic as she has no other signs of being unwell and is only 7, so lots of fight in her.
I hope your wee lad gets home and the treatment brings him relief and he can still have a good life, staffies are tough wee souls xx

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Oh @Bookworm4 I'm sorry to hear that, but positive about it being caught early. Hoping they'll get clear margins on Monday and she'll be ok

I'm sorry for your loss @Booboostwo. I've literally just got back from the vets and they actually mentioned that complication plus the DM. He's got a few of those symptoms like falling over when rounding corners etc but they're more concentrating on the discs for now because he's in pain and apparently DM is painless? All very complicated

Had visiting time with the boy and he's definitely perked up a bit but it may be because he's high from the drugs! They've managed to stop his bad tum and he's eaten a bit.
Spoke with my vet who is worried about putting him through the surgery right away. The specialist finally responded and they think the boy would be better off on steroids, anti inflammatory meds and crate rest. His case is complicated as he has other things going on with his bad tum etc plus he already has spondylosis in his spine and it's overlapping a bit. They've also said of he continues to improve through the night they may let him home tomorrow

[Bookworm4]

@rosinavera
Thank you x

[Booboostwo]

I had a GSD that herniated a disc. He was operated on and spent six weeks on very restricted exercise, I.e. in crate with short, on lead walks for toilet. Unfortunately he was worse after the operation because he herniated another disc further on - apparently that is a common complication. So he had another operation and recovery but then he started showing symptoms of degenerative myelopathy which has no cure. Sadly he had to be PTS a few months later, but the positive bit in the story was that my vet at the time was quite optimistic about recovery from a herniated disc. She said it was nowhere near as complicated for dogs as it is for humans.

[rosinavera]

Oh best of luck @Bookworm4 and @UrsulaPandress - I'll be thinking of you xx

[Bookworm4]

@jackson
Biopsy back; unfortunately it's a mass cell tumour but vets are confident it's been caught early and she's in to have it removed on Monday.

[UrsulaPandress]

Mines never ill (touch wood) he’s just bloody accident prone. He’s cost me a fortune. Why oh why did I not insure him.

[JacksonvilleJaguars]

Good luck to you too UrsulaPandress and of course BastardSpaniel
This boy certainly puts me through it, he's always ill with something but then I get the goofy grin from him and all is forgiven

[UrsulaPandress]

Good luck. BastardSpaniel is just recovering from cruciate ligament surgery (£3400, not insured) and has developed some pain in his back. I thought he had twisted as he tried to jump out of the car instead of using his new carpet covered ramp and I was holding his collar, so he is having acupuncture. I do worry he has deterioration of his spine in some way hence why I opened your thread. He too is 11 but decided that the operation on his leg was worth it. I think his ball chasing days are well and truly over though. I can't afford for the ligament to snap in his other leg.

Bloody animals. They steal your heart then crush it...

[rosinavera]

The surgeon will go through everything with you tomorrow then - fingers crossed that's it's positive news xx