Friday evening my wife and I come home to see our Boston Terrior walking funny. While eating his food his hind legs slid out from underneath him.
So we take him to the vet Saturday And, after X-rays and exam the vet tells us he has a slipped disk but would not require surgery. Good news cause an operation would cost up to $2000.00 bucks.
The vet said Cortizone treatments would help. We can bring him home Tuesday and that he needed at least 2 weeks cage rest away from our other 2 dogs.
My dog (a Basset Hound) has the occasional swollen disk, which causes his back right leg to go numb, so that he’s never quite sure if he’s got weight on it or not. It goes away on its own, however. We were told it was common among long, low to the ground dogs. If memory serves, Boson Terriers are not long, though they are low to the ground. Not really sure if there could be a correlation.
It’s very fortunate for him that he doesn’t require the surgery, because it’s quite involved.
Cortisone helps because it has an anti-inflammatory action and decreases the swelling in the spinal cord (the clinical signs are caused by the pressure of the protruding disc on the spinal cord).
The cage rest is very important to
help prevent any further damage
allow the swelling to reduce without further trauma and
help decrease pain while the above are happening.
Any exercise can exacerbate the problem, causing further damage. Jumping onto or off of furniture, or jumping up on people is especially a no-no, as is going up and down stairs (unless your vet has specifically said that it is ok). In fact, you should consider carrying your dog if it has to go anywhere.
Breeds known to have an increased risk for this condition:
Beagle
Brachycephalic breeds (ie short-faced dogs: pugs, bulldogs, staffys etc)
Chondrodystrophic breeds (short legged breeds, eg Basset hound)
Cocker spaniel
Dachshund
Dandie dinmont terrier
Doberman pinscher
German shepherd
Pekingese
Shih tzu
Welsh corgi
The only other thing I can think of is that when a vet says ‘strict cage rest for two weeks, no playing with other dogs’ then that means “the dog stays in the cage all the time except under your direct supervision with no other dogs present, and should only come out for essential bodily functions”.
Disc prolapse can cause paralysis if not properly treated, so it’s worth being strict.
Also, if you notice any change or lack of improvement, return to your vet. I’m sure that’s probably common sense, but we always remind people.
phraser, BVSc
the above advice is general in nature, and if you have concerns you should consult your own veterinarian
In addition to phaser’s warnings, you need to make sure he’s got good traction everywhere he goes. In his cage, through the house to go pee, everywhere. Slipping and falling can only make him worse. Non-skid rugs or rubber mats work pretty well.
Also, when he goes out, he needs to be on a leash at all times. Not one of those 15’ retractable things where they can zoom all over the place; a proper leash snubbed short so you can control his pace. The faster he goes, the more likely he is to hurt himself, so keep him slow.
let me add a word of warning, if they didn’t warn you already. I lost a dog to a degenerative disease of the back. It was a half beagle half daschund mix. Sad.
Yup, my mum has a peke/dachsund mix (funny looking little critter) who had this happen. He got over it. However, the vet said it could easily happen again, and that if it did, it could be very bad.