Can acupuncture help my dog's slipped disc if surgery isn't an option?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, intervertebral disk disease is the bane of all long backed dogs. The key to recovery is pain medication either in the form of a steroid like prednisone, or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as rimadyl, carprofen, metacam, etc. & STRICK rest. Ace must not jump, run, or be at all active while trying to heal. It can take 3 weeks for the disk to heal. You can apply alternating treatments of heat & cold by warming a sock with rice in the microwave ( make sure it is warm & not hot ), using it on Ace for 10 minutes, then apply a bag of frozen peas for 10 minutes. You can do this twice a day, but make sure there is a towel between the heat & cold, & move the application frequently to prevent hot or too cold spots. If Ace remains painful, you can ask your vet for an appropriate additive to Ace's medication. A muscle relaxant might be appropriate, or additional pain medications in the form of tramadol or gabapentin. These things take time. Hopefully, he will feel better by tomorrow. Take care.

Generally speaking, dogs with IVDD who do not have major neurologic deficits (i.e., no paralysis) of the rear legs can often be managed successfully without surgery. The recommended treatment for these dogs usually involves strict cage rest for at least 30 days, along with a steroid or anti-inflammatory medication, pain medication, and sometimes muscle relaxers as well. Laser therapy, chiropractic therapy, and acupuncture can certainly be helpful in some cases as well. If Tigger is still quite painful after 30 days on this treatment plan, or if things get worse or she develops paralysis of her rear legs, these are indications that surgery may be necessary in order to treat the problem effectively.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Oh dear, I am sorry to hear about the slipped disc. Once a patient becomes non ambulatory (unable to move legs), surgery is recommended. However, the success of the surgery and overall prognosis depends on how quickly surgery is performed. Usually, most pets that are taken to surgery within the first 24 hours after becoming non ambulatory will regain the ability to walk and urinate normally again. Pets taken to surgery after that 24 hour period do not have quite the same outcome, unfortunately. If Luna is not able to walk and has lost all sensation to her legs, there is about a 10% chance of regaining normal bladder and motor function. Sometimes pain medications and additional therapies such as cold laser therapy, acupuncture, water therapy, etc can be tried but with varying success rates. I hope this helps and I wish you and Luna the best!

Acupuncture can help with the pain, but it won't heal the torn CCL. A torn CCL won't be visible on x-rays, but there will be radiographic changes such as excessive fluid in the joint and displacement of the infra patellar fat pad. Torn CCLs cannot be diagnosed from x-rays alone, and a lameness exam should be done including a tibial thrust and cranial drawer test (manipulation tests). If those haven't been done already, I recommend having them done by the vet. If Stella's CCL is torn, then surgery is the recommended treatment. As a large dog, conservative treatment is not recommended because it doesn't work. Surgery is likely the best option for Stella, and I would speak to your vet about a recommendation to a veterinary orthopedic surgeon.

Yes, if the condition is treated right away, then sometimes the partially prolapsed disc can slip back into its place and stops pressing on the nerve that caused her not to walk. However, since the discs are normally encased in fibrous material, this is usually damaged when the disc slips, so care must be taken that it does not happen again, ie, your dog should rest for the next few weeks, no jumping, no climbing stairs, no rough playing.

Hello. Your veterinarian was just trying to make things as simple as possible. The goal of the prednisone is to only reduce inflammation, & once this resolves, Slick should feel much better. What may happen is for the soft intervetebral disc to calcify, thus removing potential movement & subsequent pinching of the nerves. A calcified disc reduces mobility & thus pain, for the most part. An unexpected move or jerk could cause substantial pain. It is important to only walk Slick with a harness, & if need be, keep her on a good anti-inflammatory medication as needed. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry to hear Hannu is having back issues. With dachshunds, a bulging disc in the spinal cord is a very likely possibility, and the best treatment option to give the best chance for a return to normal function is surgery to remove the protruding disc material. There is also the chance that there could be an inflammatory process or trauma going on. Ideally, he would be evaluated by a veterinary neurologist to determine the underlying cause and what treatment options are available to him. You can discuss with your regular veterinarian medical management such as cage rest and steroids/antiinflammatories, but time is critical in these cases and I would have a plan decided for him as soon as possible. Good luck!