You can do your dog a huge favor by learning about the causes and symptoms of canine spinal injuries, along with the proper responses to ensure that they receive the right evaluation, veterinary treatment, and home care. Start by learning the following four key points about this debilitating problem.
1. Why Dogs Sustain Spinal Injuries
A condition called intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) counts as the leading cause of acute spinal injuries in dogs. This problem usually develops slowly as an age-related deterioration of the vertebral discs. However, a fall from a height or other stressful action can cause a deteriorated disk to rupture suddenly, pinching spinal nerves.
A disk doesn't have to rupture completely to cause trouble for your dog. Intense activity involving the spine can also cause a tiny piece of disk material to come loose and clog a nearby artery, a problem known as a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). FCE can cut off the normal flow of blood to your dog's spinal cord.
Traumatic injuries related to falls, impacts with automobiles, gunshots, and fights with other animals can damage a dog's spine. Examples of such damage include fractured vertebrae, severed spinal nerve tissue, and subluxation (slight dislocation) of adjacent vertebrae that limits spinal joint motion and may impair nerve signals.
2. When to Suspect a Spinal Injury in Your Dog
A dog with a spinal injury will often have trouble moving around normally. If your dog has a spinal injury, it may stagger drunkenly instead of walking with its normal ease. You may also notice a tendency for your dog to drag or shuffle its rear legs. Other postural oddities may include an arching of the back or tucked tail.
Other changes in your dog's behavior may also alert you to a possible spinal injury. A dog suffering a spinal problem may not want to go for walks, play, or even eat. Some dogs express spinal pain by shivering, while others yelp when handled. A bite wound or high-impact injury may leave lacerations on the back.
3. How Veterinarians Evaluate Spinal Injuries
You'll want to get your dog evaluated for a possible spinal injury as soon as possible. If you must bring your dog in for emergency diagnosis and treatment, place it carefully on a flat board or another device that can serve as a stretcher. Enlist a second person to help you lift your dog without twisting any part of its spine.
Your veterinarian can identify the injury both by looking for outward signs (such as lacerations or gait problems) and by taking X-rays or using other kinds of imaging technology. Pain, numbness, or loss of function in the front or rear legs can also point the veterinarian toward the general location of the injury.
4. What Vets and Owners Can Do for a Dog With a Spinal Injury
Some acute spinal injuries in dogs call for surgery. Your veterinarian may need to fuse vertebrae together, pin pieces of vertebral bone back into their proper positions, or remove some or all of a ruptured disk to take pressure away from spinal nerve tissue. Lacerations and other soft tissue damage may require sutures.
Many spinal injuries in dogs can heal without invasive treatment. For instance, mild nerve damage or an FCE may resolve itself over a few months through a combination of rest, medication, physical therapy, and the use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs that support the rear legs (and sometimes the front legs as well).
Baywood Animal Hospital can address both acute and chronic spinal injuries, giving your dog the treatment it needs to recover as fully as possible and enjoy an optimal quality of life. Contact our office today.
Back pain occurs not only in humans but also in dogs. Dogs can experience mild to severe back pain with limited mobility, which can be temporary or chronic. Knowing the signs and treatments of back pain can tremendously help in alleviating your dog’s pain.
Causes of back pain in dogs
As an example, dogs experience severe back pain when a disc in the spinal cord becomes ruptured, causing unbearable pressure and pain on your dog. These are some of the causes of back pain in dogs:
- Age – Bones tend to get weaker as the dog ages, making them more prone to back pains.
- Injuries – examples include spinal trauma and minor injuries caused by a bad landing or wrong movement. They cause damage to the spine, thus inducing back pain.
- Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) – this is the most common cause of back pain in dogs. This occurs when the dog’s spinal cord is damaged, causing pain over time. This commonly happens in dogs with longer spines such as Dachshunds, Pugs, and Corgis.
- Arthritis – damaged joints near the spine can induce injury, which can result in back pain.
- Inflammatory disorders – acute and chronic inflammation or inflammatory conditions such as IBD and canine distemper can also cause pain in several parts of a dog’s body.
Signs and symptoms of back pain in dogs
It is vital to detect your dog’s back pain early to remedy it as soon as possible. Here’s how to know if your dog has back pain:
- Having a stiff, hunched position
- Experiencing mobility problems such as limping, dragging, and overall lack of control and coordination
- Shaking legs or muscle spasms
- Showing signs of pain (crying, barking) when back is touched
- Displaying mood or behavioral changes
- Exhibiting loss of appetite
- Visible marks of trauma (e.g. bruises, scratch marks)
If your dog shows any of these signs and symptoms, it’s best to consult your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis.
Physical and neurological examinations are performed to locate the source of pain and to test your dog’s neurological reflexes. They could also request for spinal x-rays or CT or MRI scans for a more accurate diagnosis.
Remedies for dogs with back pain
Once the underlying cause of the spinal damage is determined, your veterinarian will recommend treatment plans to help alleviate your dog’s pain.
Fortunately, there are also home remedies that you can try alongside medication and therapy options to reduce your furry friend’s pain and keep them healthy.
Here are some of the dog back pain remedies that you can discuss with your veterinarian.
Activities and adjustments at home
Weight control and management
Excess weight unnecessarily applies pressure on your dog’s back. Monitoring the weight of your dog is essential not only in ensuring their overall health but also in reducing the strain on their back.
If your dog is overweight, it’s best to discuss safe weight loss methods with your veterinarian. Meanwhile, if your dog is at a healthy weight, your best bet is to maintain that weight.
Regular controlled exercise
Even with back pain, physical activity is vital for dogs to ensure the mobility of their muscles and joints. Restrictions can be placed in their exercise plan so as not to aggravate their aching backs. Leash walks for shorter amounts of time can be helpful in keeping them moving without irritating their backs.
Mobile assistance
Since back pains can cause difficulty in movement, dog owners need to make sure that their dog is properly supported. A number of support items are available to suit your dog’s needs.
For instance, dog wheelchairs are helpful in moving your dog around without straining their backs. Belly supports are also recommended for dogs with back pain.
Back braces and supports are beneficial in alleviating your dog’s pain through compression. These should be tailored according to your dog’s body shape to properly support the spine and muscles.
Home adjustments
To ensure an environment conducive to your dog’s recovery, here are some of the changes at home that you can make to help your dog with back pain:
- Keep them in smaller rooms or crates to minimize movement that can strain their back.
- Add rubber mats or carpets to lessen the chances of your dog slipping and further damaging their back.
- Place ramps to assist them in moving up and down.
- As much as possible, restrict them from using stairs.
Medication
Prescription medicines
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids can be prescribed to quickly relieve your dog’s back pain. However, these should be used with caution as they could have adverse effects when induced incorrectly.
Meanwhile, your veterinarian can recommend pain relievers alongside plenty of rest and controlled exercises to alleviate your dog’s back pain.
Dietary supplements
Supplements such as joint supplements and nutritional supplements can aid in the healing process of your dog’s back.
Therapy
Physical therapy
A specialist formulates an exercise regimen for your dog aiming at strengthening the weak parts and stretching out the stiffness and tightness from the back pain.
The regimen is tailored to suit the needs of your dog. After exercising, ice packs or heating pads are applied to the sore area.
Hydrotherapy
Like physical therapy, this procedure involves exercise activities to get your dog’s muscles moving, but such activities are done in water.
Exercises performed in water creates less pressure on the dog’s muscles and joints, thus enabling them to regain motion and strength with lesser strain.
Additionally, the stimulation of blood flow through the movements produces more oxygen, which quickens the natural healing process.
Cold laser therapy
Laser therapy is another way to enhance your dog’s natural ability to heal. It utilizes light energy to stimulate blood flow and trigger the release of stem cells, all of which speed up the healing process.
Ultrasound waves
This method is ideal in relieving pain for areas that are more difficult to reach. Sound waves dive deeper into the dog’s body and produce heat, thus increasing the flow of blood to relieve back pain and reduce inflammation.
Surgery
These are performed when medication and therapy are rendered ineffective. Surgical procedures remove the damaged disc material to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. After this, dogs will undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy.
Help Ease Your Dog’s Pain
Back pain in dogs induces physical pain and restricts your dog from living their life to the fullest. However, with early detection and a tailored treatment plan, your dog will be able to move and be their truest selves.
Browse the TPLOInfo blog for more articles about dog injuries and TPLO surgery.