My dog has Discospondylitis and won't get up. Is this normal?

Hello. I am sorry to hear about your little one. With Discospondylitis, this is an infection within the spine and vertebral bodies, which is why you are on Clindamycin (an antibiotic). With this condition you should not be seeing any drowsiness. I would be concerned about the infection spreading. For the drowsiness I would have your dog into the vet. In terms of the walking, if it is just after waking up and not all day, this suggests there could be something abnormal within the brain, as is the concern for the drowsiness. If he is abnormally walking all the time I would be worried about nerve involvement at the site of the infection. From what you are describing I would be getting a recheck with your veterinarian in order to check his temperature, and they will likely recommend a blood test to look for signs of infection improving or worsening. It may be needed to add in a different antibiotic, or to perform other tests (like a CSF tap possibly, depending on what they are seeing, and send away for a culture). I hope your little one feels better soon, but I would suggest a re-visit with your vet. You always have the option of going to a specialist as well, as this is a complex condition, so if you are interested in that please discuss that with your vet and they can arrange it for you. Good luck with your pup.

The response to treatment in cases of discospondylitis can be highly variable from patient to patient, but most cases take 1-2 weeks on antibiotics to see significant improvement in pain. Some dogs show no sign of pain at that mark, but some still have a degree of discomfort. It sounds as though Eddie is improving quite well only 2 days into treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful and strong pain control medications such as opioids and NSAIDs should be considered. I agree with your veterinarian in that it takes several weeks on antibiotics to resolve. I would recommend that you consider contacting your veterinarian so that they consider prescribing something strong to treat his pain. I really hope he feels better.

Poor Socks! It sounds like she may have diskspondylitis, which is inflammation of the vertebral discs due to infection. Because her symptoms return when the medication is done, she may need surgery. It sounds like her spinal cord has been severely compromised, and surgery should be considered to decrease pressure on the spinal cord. This tends to be a specialist surgery, so I would discuss with your vet if this is an option for Socks, and they can make a referral.

I am very concerned about your dog's condition and highly recommend a veterinary visit. There are a few general categories that fit with what your dog is showing at home. One would be weakness due to a nerve problem in the back end. This can happen if a disc has moved out of place in the spine and is pressing on the spinal cord. This can cause dogs to have trouble walking and placing their feet in an appropriate way. Some have the appearance of walking on their toes. Otherwise they are able to place weight on the back legs but stagger or sway when walking. This can be an emergency situation if the disc slips more into the spinal cord and causes paralysis. Another type of weakness that causes trouble getting up is if there is a lack of proper blood circulation. The lower level of blood in the body causes them to be lethargic due to the decreased oxygen circulating throughout the body. In an older dog, the most common cause of this is with a tumor or mass on the spleen that has ruptured. The spleen holds a large amount of blood and if it has a rupture, the blood leaks out into the abdomen. In addition to the lethargy, we often see pale gums and a pot belly appearance due to the pooling blood. An x-ray or ultrasound would help determine if this is occurring. These are the two most common reasons for such a dramatic change in her appearance. There is also the chance of her eating something she shouldn't. The best thing for her would be to have an exam as soon as you are able to determine what is causing her signs. The vet may recommend bloodwork or an x-ray. Unfortunately. older large breed dogs can lose nerve function in their back legs due to age changes. There is little we can do to help this aside from keeping them comfortable. Due to how sudden the signs showed up, this is less likely, as it is often a more gradual change.

I recommend to call your vet and tell them what is happening. It sounds like she is still uncomfortable. She may need a change in medications or additional therapy like acupuncture. Also have her ear checked for infection. Make sure you are strictly restricting her activity. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

No, this isn't normal at all. It could be that Sonam leg was broken and that's why he won't move. It could also be that he is in severe pain. He need veterinary attention now for this. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can prescribe him pain medications if needed, and any other treatment for his symptoms. Please bring him into a vet ASAP.