Prednisone for dog's slipped disc: Does it dissolve or pinch nerves?

Stagnation means it may not be time to decrease the medication yet. I recommend to call your veterinarian before changing the medication. Let her know what is going on and she may ask to examine Balto again. Call the veterinarian today. Some pets do require longer on the medication or even additional treatments. It’s not necessarily a bad sign but it is one to pay attention to. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like Shaggy may have intervertebral disc disease--iVDD. This could be described as a pinch nerve, in that the disc material located between the back bones pushes up and "pinches" or compresses the spinal cord. So to specifically answer your question--yes, I think this is a reasonable working diagnosis (meaning treat and note response). Dogs often, especially when they start to feel better, are wanting to play and move around and overall act quite well. If he is still on the medications, contact your vet to clarify what and when you should give the meds-- generally we don't want to give Rimadyl ( a non steroidal anti-inflammatory ) and prednisone ( a steroid) at the same time, as this can pose a significant risk for a stomach ulcer. Also ask your vet based on Shaggy's progress, how much activity he would recommend be allowed. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

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.

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.

Prednisolone has anti inflammatory properties so it' s unlikely to cause a worsening of pain. I would continue it. Is the neck pain related to a disc herniation or is it muscular ? Any improvements? You should really consider veterinary acupuncture, it works very well helping both conditions !

This is common to spinal injury. Coordinated movement requires full function of many nerves, the movement ones are closest to the edge of the spine and first to be affected. Superficial sensation, light pain and deep pain become reduced in that order. Attempts to walk and some sensation are good signs that function may return to near normal