Man that really sucks.
Why did they put on NSAIDs instead of steroids?
You can't mix the 2 of them but the surgeons I last worked with always did steroids. However that maybe new thinking, cuz I haven't worked with a vet surgeon for 6 years.
Cervical discs are scary if surgery is needed.
Maybe a good rehabilitator in your area maybe a big help in his recovery.
Hoping for an a positive outcome for you and especially your dog.
Maria

 

Don't panic. I had one do the same thing and thought his hung days were over. He walked with a chop and held his head down. Several vets wanted to do surgery on him ASAP, but my vet was not in that camp. He said you don't have to dive into the deep end, you can still end up there walking in from the shallow end. We treated with rest and an NSAID type drug (I fill find out what) that is specifically meant for horses, Adequan (sic?), and Tramadol for pain. I think we also did a pack of prednisone for the inflammation. It took several weeks to see any results. It took a good three to four months to be back to 90% normal a year later you would never know anything had been wrong. I retired him from HT at 6 years old because he was already a MH/HRCH and I did not want to put him through a heavy training schedule just to run HT. He hunted until he died with no problem what so ever. I am sure he could have continued to run test but it was not worth it to me.

BTW - since steroids are also mentioned in the other post, make sure he is not taking Rymadil or Duramax. Prednisone with those will cause severe stomach ulcers.

 

BTW - since steroids are also mentioned in the other post, make sure he is not taking Rymadil or Duramax. Prednisone with those will cause severe stomach ulcers.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I should have said that right away!

 

Thanks for all the info y'all. He is on Rymadil right now. What badbullgator said makes me feel really good about his future and thank you for the great thoughts upland bird . I'm going to call my regular vet first thing in the morning to touch base with them and see what they want to do with the treatment, maybe a dog chiropractor? He seems to be getting some good rest now. His appetite is good and his attitude is good, so that a step in the right direction.

 

don't rule out acupuncture. It can work wonders, too.

 

One of my first labs went through neck surgery. You REALLY need to be prepared for the recovery... it wasn't pretty. I was fortunate that she could go with me to the office every day for care.

In hind sight, if it really came down to my dog *needing* neck surgery, ie, medical management had failed... I'm not sure if I would do it again. She did ultimately recover, and we had a wonderful 18 months together before she herniated another disk and went down, bad. We had an MRI done and there was nothing the surgeons could do to fix her the second time. It just never ceases to amaze me how painful necks can be... way worse than other disk problems.

I would definitely try medical management first if its just pain and your dog can get up, etc.

I hope your pup is feeling better soon. Quadruple on the "please don't mix the steroids and NSAIDS" thing.

 

Thanks for the input Tri. I don't think I could put him through surgery, I just don't want him to suffer any more than he has to. He's seems to be doing alright and really the only time he seems to be in pain is when he's tries to look up, when he's getting up or he's rolling to his side. Yesterday evening was better than friday night, and today was better than yesterday, so I'm hopeful that he'll be a great pet for several more years. I am looking into pet chiropractors though. Going to see what the vet says in the morning about that, but figure it's an avenue anyway.

 

Trent just a word of caution on chiropractors for dogs. Be sure they are very familiar with dogs anatomy. I've seen some that have done more harm then good.
It worries me that they maybe manipulating something they shouldn't, especially in cervical area.
There are also some excellent canine chiropractors but how do ya know without references.
A rehabilitator will be able to teach you (for your dog) certain excercises to help support the area around injury and maybe prevent it in the future. Again, with rehabilatator they gotta know what they are doing in such a critical spot, ask for references.
Trifecta is right, dangerous surgery for dog and recovery can be a nightmare.
I hope it was only muscle related with no disc involvement which is why maybe they put him on rimadyl and not steroids.

Be Well! Maria

 

My old pet Lab had a probable slipped disc in his neck--I didn't have the money to find out for sure or to do anything if it was--and with a little TLC, a harness instead of a leash, and pain meds, eventually you would have never known.

Thinking back, I believe it was about 2-3 weeks of pain meds (at first all the time and then as apparently needed) and little activity, a few months of "hm--not sure he's feeling good today" once in a while, and within 6 months he was pulling me around so badly with the harness that I went back to a leash and pinch collar and just tried to keep from getting in a situation where he might have been yanked around. I never noticed a problem with his neck again, though his back bothered him greatly when he was elderly.

This happened when he was about 7 or 8, and he lived to 13.

 

Yes, the pain from a disc herniation in the cervical area is excruciating. I am just recovering from one myself and when it occurred, it was the worse pain that I have even felt including lower back discs, broken ribs and acl tear.
Pain and anti-inflammatories are the way to go along with rehab exercises.
I have seen many cervical discs in animals over the years and most recover with "tincture of time" and not pushing them too hard too fast. The use of a harness instead of a collar is a good idea and even a neck brace at first if needed.
"He can move his head from left to right pretty easily, but lifting it hurts him."
This is because when the head is lifted it adds compression to the intervertebral spaces and more pressure is placed on the nerves and spinal chord by the herniated disc material.
The only time that I have recommended surgery is when the dog has limb paralysis and decompression is needed but this is usially performed within 24-48 hours of the incidence.
I wish a full recovery for your dog and that he will have many years of retrieving ahead of him.

 

Thank you so much for the kind words terrax. I appreciate it. I'm pretty sure he'll come out of this deal pretty well. He's better today and even wants to do stuff, but I know better. 3 weeks minimum before we do anything worth speaking about, per my vets recommendation.

 

We had a dog in 1998 that slipped a disc, at age 8. He had surgery at ISU where they packed his own fat into the areas between his vertebrae. It was pretty expensive and the rehab was long. He recovered very well. We elevated his food/water dishes, and were careful. He lived a good life to 14.5. Good luck.

 

I'm going thru this right now with my working k9. Did a search with him Tuesday and put him back in the car and came back an hour later and he was down and couldn't move. Had surgery that night for a ruptured disc at C3-C4. Got him back from the vet Sat. And took him back today. He can't get up at all but has some very limited movement in his legs. Vet is going to try more aggressive meds to see if there is improvement.

 

Oh man...if your gonna do surgery it needs to be ASAP as you did. The worst thing about this injury is they look at you like what the hell happened?
It breaks my heart to see it.
I certainly wish a full recovery for both you and Trent's dog.
Maria