Intervertebral Disc Disease

Dear Dr. Jody:  Our Brittany spaniel, “Echo”, has seems to have a sore back lately.  She walks stiffly and with her head down, and resents when we pet her back.  Is there something we can give her that will help her back feel better?

Back pain is a common ailment of dogs, and frequently misdiagnosed.  Because dogs cannot tell us where it hurts, sometimes it can be challenging to elucidate the exact cause of the pet’s discomfort.  Once your veterinarian performs a thorough physical exam, he or she might have a sense that the dog’s back is the source of the pain.  By gently flexing and extending the dog’s spine as well as palpating its entire length, a presumptive diagnosis of back pain can be made.

All suspected cases of spinal pain in dogs should be evaluated both radiographically.  In a radiographic exam, a series of x-rays will be performed of the dog’s spine, usually under sedation to improve patient comfort, and paying special attention to the area that the veterinarian feels is painful.  Your veterinarian will study the radiographs for any sign of tumor, arthritis, misalignment, intervertebral disc disease, or any other bony changes that could explain your dog’s pain.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most common causes of back pain in dogs.  In order to understand IVDD, you need to have a basic understanding of the anatomy of the spine.  Think of the spine as a series of railroad cars linked together.  The railroad cars are carrying one long piece of precious cargo, but because this cargo is so long, it requires all of the cars linked together to be able to protect and support its entire length.  In this analogy, the train cars are the vertebrae.  The connections between the train cars are the intervertebral discs, and the single long piece of delicate equipment is the spinal cord, a fragile bundle of nerves responsible for communicating both sensation and movement between the brain and various parts of the body.

The intervertebral discs are gel-filled shock absorbers that protect both the spinal cord and the vertebrae from injury.  They allow the “train cars” to flex and bend and turn corners in many directions, but when there is a sudden force applied to the column, especially along its length, the discs act as cushions to prevent the train cars from colliding with one another with enough force to cause injury.

Occasionally, this beautifully designed system breaks down.  Through trauma or a genetic predisposition, the intervertebral discs can weaken and begin to bulge.  Unfortunately, when they do, they tend to bulge upwards, pushing on the sensitive nerves of the spinal cord and causing a considerable degree of back pain.  Every little movement can be agonizing.  The dog will often walk very stiffly, with the head held lower than normal, and be reluctant to move or jump onto or off of furniture.  The dog may cry out with the pain or simply pace restlessly, panting and unable to relax.  Severe cases may pinch the nerves of the spinal cord so suddenly and severely that they cause parts of the body “downstream” of the injury to be weakened or even paralyzed. 

Depending on the degree of spinal cord compression, your veterinarian may recommend a variety of different treatments, from several weeks of strict rest and pain medication to acupuncture to immediate emergency surgery at a specialist centre. 

If you suspect your dog may have some degree of back pain, please consult your veterinarian immediately.  It is critical that we provide pain relief as soon as possible for dogs suffering from IVDD.  The sooner the case is diagnosed and treated, the less likely the pet is to suffer from permanent nerve damage or even paralysis.