Help me help a four legged furry friend

[Coyote_Bandit]

Cross-posted from the lounge for further input from DU pet lovers.


My youngest dog seems to be having recurrent bouts with back pain. He is a Japanese chin, nearly six years old and weighs about 17 pounds. He is not overweight and is not particularly active due to other health challenges. He has allergies to various pollens and grasses and to fleas. And he has renal disease which us being successfully managed - and he has had renal disease since he was a young pup. In an effort to restrict him from jumping and/or twisting (1) he has a ramp that he uses to get in and out of bed and (2) he is only permitted in one chair in the whole house - and that is the chair where he lies in my lap. There are an assortment of noisemakers that deter him from occupying the remaining furniture.

Today he is lethargic, stiff and trembling all over. He won't stand on his hind legs or try to get in my lap. Usually he is the velcro lap puppy. A look into his eyes shows he does not feel well and he appears to be in pain. He seems to be eating and drinking and peeing and pooping just fine. No indication of any kind of stomach upset. We have a vet appointment later today. No doubt there will be new x-rays taken, a round of NSAIDS will be dispensed, activity will be even further restricted, and a follow up vet visit for further evaluation will follow in a couple of weeks or so.

This is not the first time we have experienced this challenge. His x-rays show that the space between two vertebrae is slightly larger than between the other vertebrae. His last x-rays did no show any evidence of disc injury, bulging, deterioration or calcification. It is unclear if the condition is the result of some long ago injury during puppyhood or if it is congenital in origin.

Anybody ever deal with chronic or recurrent back pain in their dog? Any suggestions on how to manage the condition?

Thanks in advance.

[japple]

1. See if you can find a vet who does accupuncture. It has

been extremely effective in helping animals with chronic pain and other conditions.

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. I personally have had accupuncture

done on me and I know it can work wonders. The guy that treated me was a medical professional and former EMT and he incorporated osteopathic massage techniques and accupressure into his accupunture treatments.

I've not heard of any vets around here that do accupuncture - but I will certainly check that out. Thanks for the suggestion.

After reviewing the x-rays this afternoon the vet suspects that the condition is congenital - but of course that cannot be known for a certainty. We came home this afternoon with anti-inflamatories and muscle relaxers. For now we are going to continue to treat episodic occurrences as they arise. Activities are restricted. Short walks only. Crated during and for a few days following painful episodes. X-rays do not show any evidence of arthritis at this point which obviously is a good thing. Doggie is now taking glucosamine.

[alstephenson]

3. Sorry your fur-baby is in pain...

It sounds like you are doing everything you can to manage it. Good luck with the acupuncture idea!

[IndyOp]

4. Coyote - Please look into chiropractic care & acupuncture.

Chiropractic care and acupuncture could help keep him in as optimal condition as possible so that flare ups are limited in severity and duration.

My chiropractor started treating dogs after his own dog's back went out -- he gently tried an adjustment and the dog perked up right away.

I've had both chiropractic care and acupuncture and have benefited from both. I've taken my dog to my chiropractor for adjustments and it has helped.

Good luck! :hug:

[livetohike]

5. I had an older dog who developed arthritis in his vertabrae

but he was 15 at the time. We gave him glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. It seems he had good days and bad days. We lived in S. California then and he loved to lay out on the patio in the sun. I guess the heat felt good :-).

Good luck with your doggie. I think the glucosamine will help.

[AZBlue]

6. I'm sorry he's in pain!

But he obviously has good parents who are taking great care of him.

[BrklynLiberal]

7. So sorry your furbaby is in pain. I second the acupuncture recommendation.

It was my first thought even before I saw others mention it.

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. UPDATE

Doggie seems to enjoy his drugs. He is feeling better and is a bit more active. But clearly he is still in some pain and will whimper a bit if I rub his sides.

The disc in question is in the mid thoracic region and is out of alignment with (higher than) the vertebrae to either side. No evidence of breaks, bulges or arthritis detected on the x-rays. Widening of the space between disc to one side and narrowing to the other side of the vertebrae in question.

His vet made a follow-up call and I had a chance to ask a few more questions. Accupuncture is a good option but she does not do accupuncture treatments. She is unaware of any vets locally that do accupuncture but will check. I found a local clinic that used to do accupuncture but has quit. Not sure why. I will keep looking. Again the vet reminded me of the early symptoms of spinal cord injury and potential paralysis. She feels that chiropractic manipulation could be harmful unless done by a vet and even then she had her concerns given the configuration of the dog's spinal column and recommended against it. Accupressure and massage techniques could be very helpful. Later today I am going to pick up a photocopy from her office of doggie accupressure points with an article providing instructions for full body doggie massage. I should probably mention here that the vet was involved in a serious accident several years ago and frectured her spine. Somehow I think that gives her a unique empathy for my doggie.

Thanks for your concern and suggestions. Please continue to send good healing vibes to my doggie.

[IndyOp]

9. Your vet sounds like a good bet! I am glad you and she are open to acupuncture...

I think the closest veterinary acupuncture specialist to me would be about an hour drive. I hope you are able to find someone.

:hi: