White German Shepherd has SLIPPED DISC in her back :-( She’s at the vet right now…what does this mean?
She’s only 7 but has had spinal arthritis for a couple of years. Her buddy (other dog) died last year and her dad (my best friend’s husband) died 7 months ago. This is my best friend’s baby. I just heard about this from her. vet will keep her overnight. Is there a possibility she may have to be put down. I can’t imagine…
Thanks for the response (human physician) and everyone else too. HER VET said that she will watch her today (dog is sedated) and if not at least a little better by tomorrow, she will refer her to a veterinary neurologist to discuss surgery. Good news is, owner (my best friend) has the money for any surgery she may need…thank goodness!
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Filed under: New York Herniated Disc Lawyer
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The disc is a ring of cartilage that is shaped somewhat like a small donut. All vertebrates (that’s us as well as dogs) have these in between the bones that make up the spine. They act as cushions between the bones.
A "slipped disc" is when that cartilage moves out of place, which allows the vertebrae (spinal bones) to grate on each other. In people, at least, this is a curable condition, although other health problems (such as diabetes, obesity, etc) can make it tough to recover.
As far as whether this is a case for euthanasia, your friend will need to discuss it with her vet, and make her decision based on the pet’s chances of recovery to a good, pain-free quality of life.
ask the vet what it means if she has to get put down my sympathy is with u
As I do not have the details of your case, I can only respond in general.
Having a slipped disc in dogs is just like the condition in humans–a slipped, or "herniated," disc means that the soft, cushion-like structure that separates each bony vertebra in the spine has slipped out of place (usually due to preexisting weakness of the surrounding ligaments, as would be seen in the long-standing spinal arthritis you mentioned or due to a new episode of trauma/strain/injury) and is now impinging on the dog’s spinal cord. Depending on how severe the impingement is and at what level of the spinal cord will determine how severe the dog’s current and future disability will be. In the worst case scenario the dog will be paralyzed indefinitely and in the best case, she will be back to normal in a short while. You really need to discuss this with your veterinarian, who will have all the details. I suspect that since you have not mentioned it, the vet is not considering orthopedic spine surgery at this time, and that looks to be an excellent prognostic sign. Herniated discs typically are reabsorbed by the body and thus the spinal cord impingement may heal. The big problem with dogs is how to keep them quiet enough and immobile enough for the problem to let itself heal, but if you care a lot about this dog, as you seem to, with some patience and effort on your part, it is possible to allow successful rest and rehabilitation, even with a large dog such as a German shepherd. As I started to mention, in the most advanced cases, orthopedic spine surgery may be needed to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord if, for example, the slipped disc resulted in a collapse of the entire spinal column and now the hard bone is pushing on the delicate spinal cord, which would result in permanent damage. Again, the only way to know the answer is to call up your vet and discuss this with him. Ask to see the imaging studies that they have done (should have done at least one x-ray). Hope that helps.