Something in his spinal cord was scrambling the messages his brain was sending to and receiving from his hind legs. Bulging discs and tumors have some potential for a surgical fix, but DM progresses inexorably toward paralysis of the hind end, sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly, and no medication or surgery can stop it.
Most of the time these conditions do not cause much pain, but the early signs are very commonly mistaken for arthritis. Anti inflammatory medications have no effect on the neurological problems, and as they become more advanced it becomes more clear that the problem is with the nerves, not with the joints. Figuring out the specific cause for the symptoms can be difficult. X-rays do not show the discs in the spine or tumors in the spinal canal.
Ultrasound cannot penetrate the bone around the spinal cord to be able to see inside. MRI studies usually give the answer clearly and quickly, but those require multi-million dollar pieces of equipment that no general purpose veterinarian will have available.
We can, however, refer patients to veterinary neurology specialists or very large teaching hospitals which usually have access to such wonderful machines. The point of pursuing advanced diagnostics would be that if something that could be fixed surgically were to be discovered then the plan would be to proceed to surgery.
During the examination, your veterinarian will pay close attention to how well your dog is able to move its legs, and how well it is able to respond to reflex tests. The veterinarian will also test your dog's ability to feel pain in all four legs, checking the head, spine, and legs for signs of pain and alertness to touch. All of these things will help your veterinarian to locate where in your dog's spine, nerves, or muscles it is having a problem. Basic laboratory tests, including a complete blood count, biochemical profile and urine analysis will be conducted, and may determine if your dog has an infection - bacterial, viral, or toxin based - that is interfering with the nerve pathway.
X-ray images of your dog's spine may show evidence of an infection or malformation of the vertebrae, or a slipped disc that is pressing against the spinal cord.
Other conditions that can lead to disruption of the nerve pathways may be apparent on an x-ray, such as tumors, blockages, or inflamed nerves. In some cases, your veterinarian may order a special x-ray called a myelogram.
This process uses injection of a contrasting agent dye into the spinal column, followed by x-ray images which will allow the doctor to see the spinal cord and vertebrae in more detail.
If these imaging techniques are not helpful, your veterinarian may order a computed tomography CT or magnetic resonance image MRI of your dog's brain and spine, both of which give an extremely detailed picture of your dog's brain and spine. In some cases, your veterinarian may take a sample of the fluid from around your dog's spine for analysis, or samples from the muscles or nerve fibers for biopsy.
These analyses may determine the presence of an infection in the brain or spine. The course of treatment will depend on the cause of your dog's paralysis. If your dog is unable to walk, urinate, or defecate on its own, it will most likely be admitted into hospital while your veterinarian works to settle on a diagnosis. From there your veterinarian will monitor your dog daily to follow its recovery and progress. If your dog is in pain, it will be given medication to help manage the pain, its bladder will be emptied several times per day by catheter, and it will be physically adjusted throughout the day to make sure that it does not get sores from lying in one place for too long.
If the cause of the paralysis is infection or a slipped disc, the condition will be treated with either medicine, surgery or therapy. Anti-inflammatory drugs will be used to reduce inflamed nerves. Tumors or blockages of blood supply may be repaired surgically, depending on the vulnerability of the location. Some paralyzed dogs recover very quickly. Depending on the severity of the condition, your dog may be kept in hospital until it is able to walk, or your veterinarian may send your dog home with you with a guideline for home care and recovery.
Your veterinarian will set up a plan for progress checks so that your dog's treatment can be adjusted accordingly. They must encourage movement and occasionally assist with rehabilitation. To avoid further injury, the dog should also stay away from the stairs and other ledges until regaining strength and balance. Some pets with more severe spinal strokes will still show subtle weakness in a limb after recovery but will not be in pain.
Even these pets can live healthy lives. Reoccurrence of an FCE is very rare and should not worry owners. It is very important to have a pet checked out by a veterinarian immediately if it has trouble walking or experiences other sudden problems. Featured photo from Pixabay. Skip to content. Spinal Strokes May Follow Strenuous Activity With the long, cold winter coming to an end, dogs and their owners are longing to get outside and enjoy the warmth.
If you have any questions about spinal strokes, contact your local veterinarian.
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