In January of 2014, our six-year-old dachshund, Murphy, slipped a disc in his back while we were on vacation. Thanks to the care of the boarders, he had immediate treatment with a veterinarian until we could return home to get him. His injury was due to intevertebral disc disease (IVDD), which causes an inevitable degeneration of the discs in his back–a very common condition for dachshunds. In the six years we’ve had Murphy, we’ve tried very hard to protect his back, but in true dachshund style he would always be jumping off things or careening off stairs before we could stop him. I believe that all of those stresses have added up over the years in a little skeleton predisposed to this condition. This particular incident was unlikely due to any single event; rather, it was just the moment it finally decided to rear its ugly head. We don’t know for certain if the offending disc completely ruptured or is just very swollen and damaged, but the result is that pressure on his spinal cord is causing paralysis of his back end. He is currently unable to stand or walk.
The second option for alleviating pressure is medication, primarily either use of a steroid or an anti-inflammatory (NSAID) (but never both together; those types of drugs interact very badly together). This treatment should resolve the swelling issue withing two or maybe three weeks. While surgery is the newfangled treatment these days, this option is still legitimate and effective. We did not feel that surgery was appropriate for us, so we have chosen to take this approach and are very confident about our decision.
After that issue is addressed, it is then a waiting game for complete healing of the spine. Surgery bypasses the medication period, but both routes require an additional six week of recovery after this point. In order to fully heal without reinjury, the pup must be crated or confined so as to limit movement that might hurt the delicate spot again. Six weeks cooped up in a crate or pen is challenging for both pup and owner, but any deviation or premature freedom could end in a gigantic setback.
This healing time also uncovers what the ultimate ramifications of the episode are. Every dog experiences a different degree of affectation by the disc pressure. Some can still walk during the episode while others, like Murphy, can’t use their back end at all. Paralysis of the hind legs can sometimes be reversed with treating the herniation (surgery or meds), plenty of rest and healing, and also retraining and regeneration of nerves, which typically takes longer than healing of the spine. Unfortunately, sometimes the loss is permanent. There is no way to know until you wait it out.
One immediate factor that can hint at the level of damage to the nerves is testing the motor function and nerve sensitivity of the back legs. In the first day after injury, the vet reported that Murphy had a tiny bit of motor function and some sensation of tickle or pain in his legs. However, according to their reports in the following days, he lost movement and his sensitivity was declining. This caused us great sadness and left us with little optimism for recovery. However, since we’ve took him home, we noticed that he can in fact react to a pinch on his foot and can even jerk his foot away when he feels the slight discomfort. This so-called “deep pain sensation” is a shining light of hope for recovery; it is by no means a guarantee, but if a dog doesn’t loose the “deep pain,” then all is not lost for a recovery of the back legs.
[…] Our dachshund and IVDD […]
[…] Our dachshund and IVDD […]
[…] Our dachshund and IVDD […]
[…] Our dachshund and IVDD […]