• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Degenerative Disc Disease

We're just back from getting a second opinion and have found out that Bailey has degenerative disc disease and will require surgery. We are very lucky that the neurosurgeon had an opening for tomorrow at 3:30pm for an evaluation. They recommended i bring his food, medication and any items from home he may need/want as they may keep him and do the surgery on Friday. The neurosurgeon is about 2 hours away and Bailey will be required to stay at least one night. He currently only has localized pain (the 3 discs immediately behind his ribcage) with no paralysis or other pain YET! The vet believes he will recovery quickly from surgery and be his old self in no time.

DSC_0134-1.jpg
 
Unless there is a lot that you haven't reported, it may be premature to rush into surgery. What type of surgery would be done? Decompression and/or disk fenestration? If you read up on prophylactic fenestration you'll find a good bit of controversy about it. Are you using a neurologist or a surgeon for the surgery? Have you checked his/her credentials (i.e., board certified)? Are you in the US? What diagnostic tests have been done thus far? Myelogram? Is it confirmed that there is disk herniation?

IVDD is very common, esp. in middle aged to older dogs. Surgery is usually done as a last resort after trying more conservative treatment. Generally if there is paralysis or motor deficits, surgery is done soon. For pain only, conservative treatment is tried first. My board certified surgeon has always recommended conservative treatment for my dogs with IVDD, and they have all responded quite positively with good resolution of symptoms. I've used exercise restriction (no stairs, jumping on furniture, playing with the other dogs, etc.) muscle relaxants like Robaxin, pain meds like Tramadol, prednisone (rarely and short term), acupuncture (I've seen very good results from a/c), etc. I also use supplements like glucosamine/chondroitin. Also, weight reduction would absolutely benefit Bailey whether or not he has surgery. I also have purchased carpeted stair steps that I have in front of the sofa and my bed for the dogs to use so that they don't jump on and off of the furniture. (They must be trained to use them but they love them once they figure them out.)

I would not agree to surgery unless I had a full discussion with the surgeon or neurologist who would be doing the procedure and clearly understood the diagnosis and prognosis, potential ill effects, and the reasons that surgery is being recommended. Your referring vet seems somewhat cavalier (pun is intended!) about the prospect of spinal surgery, which is a pretty serious undertaking. Here is very detailed information:

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2005&PID=11224&O=Generic

http://www.dachshund-dca.org/discbook.html


Pat
 
You're right. There is a lot that i did not include because to do so would be a book instead of a discussion board posting.

Bailey has been treated for this using pain medication, muscle relaxers and restricted movement with absolutely no improvement. This morning we went for a second opinion with a vet who specializes in pain management and physical therapy. New xrays, exam and a long phone call with our primary vet ended up with the same conclusion.

I do not take surgery lightly but i do take Baileys well being to heart. If this surgery can alleviate some of his pain then it will be worth it. I see no sense in keeping him in pain everyday and using pain reliever to mask the pain instead of fix the problem. Masking the pain gives him a false sense of wellness and keeping him confined to a kennel for the remainder of his life is not something i feel is fair to him. I am not willing to let this get to the point that he loses the use of his limbs or becomes temporarily paralyzed and it turns into an emergency surgery situation.

We will be seeing a neurosurgeon (yes, board certified!) tomorrow for an evaluation where i can ask questions about the surgery and the procedure. I saw no need in asking the vet since she does not perform this surgery. She did however, tell me as much as she knew about the surgical procedure and about his condition. I have dealt with this surgery specialty clinic before when my senior cocker was still alive and they do great work.

Trudy
 
Sending good wishes to both you and Bailey for excellent results. He is a lovely dog.

The vet believes he will recovery quickly from surgery and be his old self in no time.

That will be awesome!
J.
 
Trudy,

Very good - you are going into this fully informed and you've tried all of the alternatives leading up to a major surgery! Your reasoning is sound, and you are getting expert advice. I'd be on the same path as you are on at this point. It's especially comforting when you have a past relationship with the clinic that would do the surgery.

Please know that I wasn't being critical but wanted to make sure that not only were you fully informed, but that casual board readers understood more about IVDD and the various options (thus, the links). And some things I mentioned would be helpful after surgery too - the steps, etc. Acupuncture seems to be more and more accepted by conventional clinicians - and many are now using physical therapy such as the underwater treadmills, etc. I've been very fortunate in that these options have worked well and quickly for my dogs (thus far, anyway).

As well as a social/support network, I believe that message boards such as this are a good way to educate many "unseen" readers, which is why I often post longer, more technical messages (that can often turn into a "book").

I hope that all goes smoothly and that Bailey gets good results.

Pat
 
Trudy, will be thinking of you and Bailey on Friday - we hope the surgery goes well and he makes a good recovery.


Pat, we all appreciate your posts, we learn so much from them cl*p
 
:xfngr:Lots of cuddles and Licks from Molly and Dougall. We will be thinking of you.
 
Trudy, will be thinking of you and Bailey on Friday - we hope the surgery goes well and he makes a good recovery.


Pat, we all appreciate your posts, we learn so much from them cl*p


Just want to add my voice to this too, as I also have an elderly Cav with this problem. So far we have managed it with medication, exercise restriction etc only, but I was particularly interested to read Pat's advice about acupuncture. My own vet has just started to offer this, so I think I'll go and talk to him about it now.

Do keep your MOST helpful posts coming, Pat, and, Trudy, we'll all be thinking about you and Bailey on Friday. Do let us know how you get on.

Every good wish, Marie-Anne
 
Update

We met with the surgeon today. Bailey is staying overnight and will have an MRI of his neck and back in the morning. The surgeon was not impressed with the quality of the xrays and ordered an MRI so that he can see exactly what is going on. I have to go back tomorrow afternoon to review the MRI images with him and discuss the next step. Bailey will be coming home for the weekend and if surgery is needed it will be scheduled for the upcoming week or week after. The surgeon and i are on the same page and if surgery can be avoided it will be.

Pat, i appreciate your post and the links. Any information i can get about this condition helps me to better understand what is going on and what his needs are.

My house is empty without him. Anyone have a dog i can borrow?
 
I know how you feel with an empty house. I think that's why I have so many! The chances of them all being gone at the same time are really slim. Good luck tomorrow. My Oliver (8 and a half years old) also has degenerative disc disease. So far we've been able to manage it with meds and limited activity, but I know the day will come when...

When Oliver is hurting, he goes into the crate (I keep one around and open all the time) and won't come out. I have to carry him out for pottying. Prednisone usually works - at least so far. So there are a lot of us on this forum that are reading your posts with an eye on our own dogs futures. Let us know how the MRI and vet visit goes.
 
We are finally back home. The MRI cofirmed a chronic disc herniation between T12 and T13 that requires decompression surgery. He has others that have "slight bulging" but the vet thinks these are inflamed due to this one area between 12 and 13. The MRI was able to show the herniation pushing on his little spinal cord :(

I picked him up today and he will be at home for the weekend. I will drop him off on Sunday evening, he will have surgery (hemilaminectomy) on Monday and will be discharged on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on his progress). He will be on bed rest for 2 weeks and then should be back to his normal self. The surgeon does not forsee any problems for him as he is only having one area operated on which will mean less down time and a more speedy recovery (versus needing decompression on several areas).

Please say a little prayer for my little boy.

Trudy
 
Good luck to little Bailey. May he be strong in spirit and body. Monday will be a hard day for you until you get the phone call after surgery. When Riley had SM surgery, I spent the time waiting for the surgeon's call on CavalierTalk. I got inspiration and hope from everyone on here. We all wish the best for Bailey. Have a snuggly weekend.
 
update 11/17/09

Bailey had surgery yesterday and the surgeon says that he was able to tell that his disc has been this way for a long time. The disc was not only pushing on his spinal cord but also on the spinal nerve. The surgery went very well and they were expecting him to be able to move around a little today. Today when the surgeon called me he was esctatic. He said that when he went into check on Bailey that he was already moving around on his own and was acting as though he hadnt even had surgery. He said the incision looks great and that Bailey can come home tomorrow. He is expected to be back to his old self (well, better than his old self) in about 2 weeks!!:)

Thank you for all of your prayers for him. I cannot wait to see my boy running and playing again and free from pain.
Trudy
 
Wow Trudy....that is great news!! I'm so glad the surgery was such a success. Bailey must be feeling so much better now!!
 
Back
Top