IVDD in Dogs: Signs, Crate Rest, Recovery and Care at Home

Can my dog walk again?

It's the question most owners ask first. The answer depends mostly on whether your dog can still feel deep pain in the feet. Your vet checks this by pinching a toe and watching for a response, such as a turn of the head.

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons gives these figures:

• Some dogs walk again with a slightly wobbly gait.
• Recovery usually takes weeks to months. It's often slower without surgery.
• Acting fast is crucial. The chances of recovery drop if surgery is delayed more than 24 hours after a dog loses deep pain feeling.
• A dog that has been paralyzed for more than a week can still recover after surgery, so surgery isn't ruled out on time alone.

Your vet or a veterinary neurologist will tell you what the numbers mean for your dog.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9

Which dogs get IVDD

• Short-legged, long-backed breeds are most at risk: Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, Corgis, Beagles, Basset Hounds, Miniature Poodles, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Pekingese, Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apsos.
• Dachshunds and French Bulldogs are among the breeds most often affected.
• In these breeds, discs can start to wear in the first months of life. A sudden, severe rupture can happen as early as 1 to 2 years of age.
• Larger breeds, such as German Shepherd Dogs and Doberman Pinschers, can get a slower form, usually after age 5.
• A genetic test can show a dog's risk. About 10% of dogs with two copies of the gene variant will develop a disc problem.

Sources: 1, 3, 6, 7

Signs to watch for

The first sign is sometimes only pain.

Neck

• Neck pain, stiffness or muscle spasms
• Won't turn the head one way
• Looks at the food or water bowl but won't eat or drink until the bowl is raised

Back

• Back pain, a hunched stance, or not wanting to move
• Doesn't want to jump
• Cries out in pain
• Eats less, less active

Walking

• A wobbly, "drunken" walk, often with the back feet crossing
• Weak back legs
• Feet slide out, the dog walks on the top of the feet (knuckling), or the toenails drag or scuff
• Trips or falls often
• Can't walk, or can't move the legs at all

Bladder and bowels

• Leaks urine or stool
• Can't urinate, or can't fully empty the bladder

Contact your vet at the first sign of back or neck discomfort. Signs can come on suddenly or slowly.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

How vets usually treat it

Your vet chooses the treatment. Here's what to expect:

• An exam first, including a neurologic exam. X-rays alone can't diagnose a disc problem. MRI or CT is better for diagnosis.
• A referral to a veterinary neurologist is common when pain is more than mild.
• Strict rest with medication (sometimes called conservative or medical management) is often used for a first episode with mild signs. Your vet prescribes the pain medication. Strict rest means staying in a crate, and going outside on a leash only to pee and poop.
• Surgery removes the disc material pressing on the spinal cord. It's usually recommended for dogs that can't walk, that have lost deep pain feeling, or that don't improve with rest. "If surgery is recommended as a treatment, don't wait".
• Rehabilitation may be part of recovery. Basic exercises include passive range of motion (moving the legs gently for the dog) and massage. Some clinics also use laser therapy or an underwater treadmill.

Cornell suggests looking up surgical options near you early, so you can act quickly if your dog gets worse.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Caring for your dog at home

Crate rest

• How long: at least 4 weeks of strict rest is the current standard, with or without surgery. Some dogs need 4–6 weeks. Your vet sets the dates.
• Where: a crate, or a small room with no furniture. The crate should let your dog stand up, turn around and lie down, with room for food and water.
• What's not allowed: running, jumping, playing, stairs, getting on or off furniture, and walking off leash.
• Going outside: only on a leash, to urinate and defecate.
• Rehab exercises your vet prescribes are still allowed. Crate rest doesn't mean skipping them.
• Slippery floors and long flights of stairs are best avoided.

Strict rest matters. If the dog becomes more active too soon, the disc can extrude further and press harder on the spinal cord.

Helping your dog urinate and defecate

Many owners ask how to help a dog with IVDD urinate. Some dogs lose bladder control for a while, and some for good.

• Your vet may ask you to express the bladder (gently press it to empty it), often 3–4 times a day after surgery. Ask your veterinary team to show you how before you try it at home.
• Expressing doesn't always empty the bladder fully. On average, it empties about half. As your dog starts urinating again, your vet may check that the bladder is emptying.
• Bladder control can lag behind walking. It can still be weak 6 weeks after a dog walks again.
• Dogs that don't urinate well are at higher risk of urinary tract infections and urine scald (skin irritation from urine).
• Some dogs need help to defecate, too.

Write down each time your dog urinates and defecates. Your vet will want to know.

Comfort and skin care

• Dogs that can't move their back legs may not turn over on their own. They need help changing position.
• A soft, well-padded bed may help prevent pressure sores. Check the skin for sores.
• After surgery, the incision area can stay sore for up to 6 weeks. Watch for crying out, not wanting to move, or flinching when touched, and tell your vet.

Back to walking

Your vet will give a walking plan that increases slowly. Follow it, along with any home exercises.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11

Food and weight

There is no special IVDD diet in the sources we use. What they agree on:

• Keep your dog at a healthy weight. Extra weight puts more stress on the neck and back.
• Omega fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin may help, though they haven't been tested in clinical trials for this. Ask your vet before adding any supplement.
• A dog on crate rest moves very little. Ask your vet how much to feed during rest.

Sources: 1, 2, 6, 7

What to expect over time

• IVDD can come back. About 25% of dogs have another disc rupture later in life. Another estimate puts it at 30–40%.
• It comes back more often in dogs treated without surgery.
• Lifestyle changes help protect the back: a healthy weight, a body harness instead of a neck collar, and less jumping on and off furniture. Steps or ramps to the bed or couch help too.
• Walking is considered safe. Leaping for a thrown toy is not.
• Wear on the discs can't really be prevented, but these steps reduce the stress on them.

When recovery doesn't go as hoped. Some owners face the hardest question of all. Cornell describes euthanasia as a decision an owner and veterinarian make together when a pet is suffering or unlikely to recover. Your veterinarian is the right person to talk this through with. If you need support, the Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline is at 607-218-7457.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13

Find a vet or specialist

• Your own veterinarian is your first call for anything about your dog's back.
• Board-certified veterinary neurologists treat conditions of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Search by ZIP code and choose "Neurologist (Brain/Spine)" on VetSpecialists.com, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine's directory.
• In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

Sources: 14