My dog has a spinal injury. How to help with hind leg issues & incontinence?

It does sound like a back injury. If he is getting worse (meaning he started out stumbling and then was dragging his limbs then stopped urinating), the best solution for him is surgery. Make sure you talk to the vet about medications and the biggest importance is REST! This means in a cage only- no walking, carry outside to potty and carry back in. Talk to the vet about how to express his bladder, too. Good luck and kisses to Hannu!

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!

My practice does rehab for animals like yours that are recovering from paralysis. I find doing laser like you are doing in the photo helps, also acupuncture. For my acupuncture treatments I start with three treatments several days to a week apart then every 2-4 weeks. This can help the nerves start functioning again. The incontinence may improve with time also, I generally continue to see improvement over the first 4-6 months after the paralysis. Make sure you are fully expressing his bladder and repeating a course of antibiotics to cure a low grade urinary infection may help also. To manage the fecal incontinence you can learn to stimulate him to poop twice daily which helps control accidents in the house. Check Dodger's List for other ideas on how to manage him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Unfortunately urinary and bowel incontinence from spinal damage is often permanent. Switching to a high fiber/low residue prescription diet such as Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Fiber Response may help reduce the amount of stool that is produced. Odie looks very sweet. I wish you the best.

Hello and thank you for posting your concerns regarding Genie. Genie is quite the old man! 10.5yrs old is a great age for a dog his size. With the description you have provided me with, it sounds like Genie is dealing with a lot of age related problems. There are multiple things you can do to try and help Genie out with any arthritic pain he may be experiencing. As for the weakness in the hind end, this may be due to muscle loss which is most likely due to him not using his legs as much as he used to. Managing his level of pain and getting him back on his feet may help re-establish some of this muscle loss but in my experience, there will most likely always be a degree of muscle atrophy due to the chronicity of the arthritis. I would consult with your veterinarian to discuss options as most of them you will need to get from your vet to manage the arthritis. Some options to start considering that you can start now at least would be the following: 1. Welactin omega 3 fish oil for canines 2. Dasuquin glucosamine for canines 3. Toe grips (if you have solid tile or wood floors) 4. Help 'em up Harness to help get Genie up easier (easier on your back!) Your veterinarian may want to start long term anti-inflammatory drugs as well as the above therapy. Some options your vet may consider would be Carprofen, Tramadol, Gabapentin, Amantadine, etc. to manage the level of pain. You can also consider administering Adequan. This is a natural product that helps stimulate joint fluid production and reduce inflammation within joints. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please contact me with any other questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

He needs to rest. You can use a sling or towel under his belly to help him stand to go potty and take short walks in the yard. Many dogs with neurological injuries will have muscle spasms and that can cause the knotting up that you are seeing. Your veterinarian will do an exam and prescribe medication for pain and often a muscle relaxant also. Will time he should improve as you are already seeing some positive changes. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Freckles.

Please contact your vets office to discuss her progress as without a full history of all of her injuries and wounds, how much she ate or drank when she was in the clinic and how well she had been toileting before she went home it is impossible to guess whether this is expected or if it is a set back from how well she had been doing. Tehy may need to adjust her pain medications, or assist her either with enemas or manual expression of the bladder which would require an extended hospital stay until she is more stable or they may be able to demnostrate some handling and exercises to help support her balance and encourage her to toilet normally