Even though large dogs look solid and strong, they have to face health problems due to their strong physical structure, especially bone diseases such as cervical spondylosis, which is a common problem in large dogs. This causes the affected dog to walk with short steps, have difficulty bending its neck, and have weak front legs, which prevents the dog from living as happily as it should. The symptoms can even be severe enough to cause paralysis. If your dog has this disease, how can we treat it? Let’s try to understand this disease.
Wobbler (cervical spondylosis) in dogs It is a disease caused by the spine or cervical discs pressing on the spinal cord and nerves, causing the dog to experience stiff neck pain, weakness, and paralysis.A condition in which an arm or leg is weak but still usable. Most dog breeds that are at risk for this disease are giant dogs such as: Doberman Pinscher (Doberman Pinchers), Rottweiler (RottWeilers), Great Dane (Great Danes), Irish Wolfhound (Irish Wolfhounds), Basset Hound (Basset Hounds), Labrador retriever (Labrador Retriever) and German Shepherd (German Shepherd) but small dogs are also at risk of getting this disease.
Symptoms of dogs with cervical spondylosis
If the owner notices, most dogs will start to have an unusual gait, such as walking with short steps, dragging their legs, stiffening their neck, having difficulty standing up, having difficulty bending their neck, the muscles in the shoulder area starting to atrophy, or having weaker front legs than the back legs. The worst case is that the dog will become paralyzed and unable to walk and cannot control excretion.
cause
- Some dogs can suffer from overeating due to protein, calcium, and energy intake, such as Great Danes.
- Having a larger than normal cervical disc, such as in breed dogs Doberman Pinscher (Doberman Pincher)
- Degeneration of the cervical discs
Diagnosis
Currently, X-rays are used to diagnose the cervical spine, including modern tools such as CT Scan and MRI that can be used to diagnose diseases, allowing the location of compression of the spinal cord and nerves to be clearly identified instead of injecting dye into the spinal cord. However, the disadvantages of CT Scan and MRI are that they are quite expensive and the dog must be anesthetized. Therefore, it is recommended to diagnose other diseases first by performing a blood test, X-ray to look at the structure of the spine, or examining the cerebrospinal fluid to check for cells and infection before performing a CT Scan or MRI.
Treatment
Treatment of cervical spondylosis in dogs depends on the location of the compressed spinal cord, the severity of the symptoms, and the duration of the condition. Treatment is divided into medical treatment, surgery, and physical therapy.
In dogs thatSurgical treatmentThere is a high chance that the symptoms will improve the most and the recurrence will be less than with treatment alone with medication. Surgery includes surgery to reduce spinal cord compression and remove the cervical discs, along with the replacement of the cervical discs with an artificial disc or with the insertion of a device to fix the problematic cervical discs.
partMedical treatment combined with physical therapy Or surgery combined with physical therapy is to stimulate muscle function, promote strength, increase blood circulation and increase the movement of bones and joints, as well as reduce pain and inflammation that occurs in the early stages, resulting in the body recovering faster. But treatment with non-surgical methods can help in a short period of time and in some cases only. This method is suitable for dogs with mild symptoms. The treatment will involve medication and physical therapy.
Care
In dogs that are unable to walk, owners must place the dog in a soft bed and change its position every 4 hours to prevent pressure sores. A urinary catheter may also be inserted to prevent urine retention, leading to bladder inflammation or subsequent kidney problems.
In addition, if taking your dog for a walk outside, you should wear a harness instead of a collar, because the collar will cause more damage to the cervical spinal cord. Also, avoid heavy exercise for about 2-3 months. Including weight control and weight loss are also factors in reducing the risk of this disease.
Read other articles Patella dislocation: a dangerous disease in dogs that should not be overlooked
References
Dr. Piyoros Pothiphongthorn (Dr. Muey), veterinarian in the neurology, internal medicine, and surgery departments at Talingchan Animal Hospital.
Veterinary surgery: Small animal
Home and Garden. Cervical Vertebral Stenosis in Dogs (Wobbler Syndrome). https://bit.ly/3b5NY6S
English