Dog Intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) is a common spinal disease found in dogs (it occasionally appears in cats). Typically, spinal surgery would be performed for dogs with intervertebral disk disease.
IVDD is a long term condition which needs to be managed with care. One of the first critical steps is diagnosing the symptoms of IVDD as soon as possible. Recognizing these key symptoms on your dog, will allow for faster treatment and the prevention of irreversible damage.
1. Unusually Quiet
When in pain, your dog may spend a lot of time sleeping / lying in a place that’s not a part of his normal routine. Your dog may also take to hiding or sitting in a corner or start to display odd “comforting” behaviour (i.e. spend a lot of time with a soft toy which is out of character)
2. Abnormal walking and Reluctance to Move.
Your dog may refrain from running around, jumping up on furniture or yourself, refuse to walk up or down stairs and / or refrain from standing / jumping up on its back legs. It may be a sign that they are in pain.
If your dog have moving problem, A dog wheelchair may solve it. But we think that it just suits for Mild symptoms Dog IVDD. For fully paralyzed dogs, wheelchair stirrups are worn to safely lift the dog’s feet or the ground and prevent dragging paws. At home, you could use lift harness to help your dog walk.
If your dog have this condition, you should take your dog to vet immediately.
3.Sensitivity to Touch
When you touch your dog it may yelp or cry out in response and perhaps even act aggressively towards you. In some cases your dog may go about avoiding you to prevent you from picking him up or patting him.
Some dogs tend to “guard” their sore area by keeping their leg up or holding still when touched.
4. Hunched Back
A dog with disc issue sends to develop a hunch in his back – a hunch may be severe or it may also appear in a manner where it looks like one or two vertebra are protruding from the spine slightly. The dog may also move around via slow and shuffled walking and have a tense belly.
A back brace could relieve the stress on your dog's spine, provide comfort and protection to help alleviate your pet’s back pain.
5. Loss of Bowel Control and Cannot Urinate
Bladder function depends hugely on the spinal cord, which is why the loss of bladder control is often a sign of IVDD. Dogs may start to leak urine or have accidents in the house. In severe cases, they may be unable to urinate at all.
Loss of bowel control may also occur, and you may see your dog straining to defecate without success. Diarrhea or constipation may also be signs that something is wrong. When IVDD puts pressure on the nerves that control the bowel and bladder, it can lead to problems with elimination.
If your dog soils his bed unexpectedly and is unable to stand to urinate, emergency veterinary assistance is required.
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