My Papillon has weak back legs, falls, and is incontinent. Is it IVDD?

This sounds like a medical emergency and you should have Puddin seen right away. The potential cause for her signs are a slipped disc in her back causing pinching of her nerves going to her back legs (Intervertebral disc disease), trauma, spinal infection, a spinal tumor or a toxin. The veterinarian will want to perform a through exam and localize the pain. They will also check Puddin's neurologic function which will help to determine if her signs are due to a spinal problem. If her signs worsen and she can no longer walk on her back legs, she may need an MRI or surgery. Please have her seen, good luck.

Some signs include a reluctance to jump, weakness in the rear legs, sudden urinary and/or bowel incontinence, reduced appetite, reduced activity, and muscle spasms down the back. If you see any of those signs, have Oscar seen by a vet right away. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Boris. Given his breed and your description of not being able to use his rear limbs, I am concerned that he has a condition known as IVDD (intervertebral disc disease). The disc sitting between each vertebra can bulge placing pressure on the spinal cord. In worst cases, this can cause weakness or paralysis in one or more legs. When the hind limbs are affected some dogs will have difficulty going to the bathroom as well. He will need prompt treatment to help him regain function of his legs. Rarely a dog will require back surgery. Of course, something else could be wrong which is why he will need to be seen again. I hope this information helps you and Boris.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She could have developed some pain or discomfort following that incident. Certainly the fact that her hind legs seem weaker is possibly indicative of that. I recommend that as long as she is otherwise doing well with a good attitude and appetite and no evidence of severe pain or loss of the ability to walk, continue to monitor Meli closely at home. For now, keep her on cage rest with minimal activity outside or any jumping or rough housing and continue this for at least 1 week. If she is improving then continue for approximately 2 more weeks. If she is not improving or more importantly, she is worsening, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Also, if she continues to scratch, have her evaluated by your veterinarian as this may be due to allergies for instance. Good luck!

Hello, sorry to hear about Sasha. She does indeed have some changes in her spin consistent with spondylosis deformans. However, another potential cause of her back pain could include a herniated disk also known as Intervertebral Disk Disease. This can be a very painful condition and cause patients to have nerve deficits, back pain, and become unable to walk. Rest and pain medication will help in about 30-40% of the cases of dogs whom are not able to walk. In. dogs who still are able to walk, they may recover with strict rest and medical management. Strict rest should be instituted for at minimum of 4 weeks with no running, jumping, or rough housing to be allowed. If Sasha does not improve, her pain seems worse or if she is unable to walk, then she needs to be evaluated by your veterinarian or even a neurologist. Please contact your veterinarian to have her evaluated. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello. I am sorry that this happened to Gina. The most recent recommendations for IVDD do not include steroid use and do include surgical decompression (a surgery to remove the herniated bit). If surgery is not possible due to finances (usually at least $4000, but talk to vets in your area), then strict cage rest for 6 weeks is recommended. These are the latest recommendations. The best thing to do would be to get a consultation with a neurologist or a surgeon, and have surgery if you can. I would look into these options ASAP as prognosis and return of function decreases the longer the compression is in place, so surgery now isn't as successful as surgery when it first happened, however surgery does have very good outcomes, often getting 80-95% of normal function back. I would recommend a consultation with a surgical specialist or a neurologist if you can. Good luck with Gina!

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.