Stage 1: Neck or back pain without neurological deficits Progression of symptoms of IVDD occur in an orderly fashion: Photograph of a dachshund that has lost the ability to correct the position of the back foot, called loss of proprioception. In more severe cases, complete paralysis (loss of ability to move the legs) and even loss of pain sensation to the feet may occur.įigure 3. More significant pressure on the spinal cord will cause loss of the placing reflex or inability to right the toes if they are curled under when standing (called conscious proprioception), Figure 3. With mild disease, back pain and ataxia (walking wobbly or unsteadily in the rear limbs) can be seen. When a dog experiences acute Type 1 disc disease (extrusion of the center of the disk) a range of symptoms may be seen. If a disk ruptures fast and forcefully, the pressure on the spinal cord will cause pain and varying degrees of paralysis. A small disk rupture, or one that happens slowly and gradually over several weeks, may only cause back or neck pain with minimal paralysis. The severity of the symptoms a dog has is directly related to how much spinal cord damage has occurred. If a dog ruptures a disk in the back, the front limbs will have normal function, but the back legs will be affected. ![]() If a dog ruptures a disk in the neck, all four legs are affected. When a disk ruptures and puts pressure on the spinal cord, the signals from the brain to the legs are not transmitted normally. Herniated discs occur in the cervical (neck) and thoracolumbar spine (lower back). Without a doubt, IVDD is the most common neurosurgical condition presented to veterinarians. Common terms for IVDD include “disk rupture” or “slipped disk.” Some dogs have a combination of both types. ![]() This disk rupture can happen acutely, causing signs of pain and paralysis within a matter of hours (a Type 1 rupture), or it can happen slowly over time, causing chronic low grade back pain and nerve damage (a Type 2 rupture). From Hill’s Pet Nutrition, from the Atlas of Veterinary Clinical Anatomy, Illustration of intervertebral disk herniation.
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