Thank You, Marty, Davet, Traci and all others

[MARI]

I am fortunate to have a very experienced surgeon in the same office that I have bringing Hope to for over a year. From what I have been told by her veternarians, your replies and from information on the web, I realize that surgery will be the only solution to Hopes problem. I feel the side effects from her meds have been too extreme with her heavy panting and excessive thirst with no positive results in pain relief. I will be calling the vets office first thing Monday morning and will keep you all posted as to the outcome. Have any of you ever heard of accupuncture as being an alternative? Or something much less invasive than surgery? She also has quite a bit of arthritis in her spine and has been taken Rimadyl for many months. Thank you all for your replies. Mari

[Ash]

I have had a ruptured disc myself and it really hurts like hell. Depending on the severity of the rupture, rest will cure the problem (if it's a small rupture only). But you said your vet determined that it's more serious than that, and with the loss of bladder control you mentioned, the fluid that has been released from the disc into surrounding tissue is most probably pressing on the nerves and causing the muscles to spasm. This needs an operation (in which they will try, as far as I know, to remove the congealed fluid from the tissue and nerves). I cannot be healed by acupuncture. Acupuncture would help muscles to relax, but only for a short time, it wouldn't help remove the fluid.

I have researched all this when I had a ruptured disc myself (thank God, it wasn't severe and I didn't need surgery), but if I'm not correct in all the details descibed above, I'm sorry. But I think I got the general picture right.

As far as I know the surgery is quite routine and nothing too complicated or dangerous.

Btw, I too took pain killers that time, that made me nauseous and thirsty and didn't do much at all for pain relief. And my case wasn't even severe! So best have your dog scheduled for op soon!

[Traci]

I am not an advocate for acupuncture, and in spinal or disk injuries, acupuncture isn't going to do a thing.

Your dog will fair best in the long term from surgery. Following post-op and recovery, you can also discuss with your vet about Cosequin to help with arthritic conditions. Don't knock the prednisone just yet, it can be a useful drug to decrease swelling and pain...used judiciously, it can be a good beneficial medication....your vet will taper it, or taper it off when he feels that inflammation, swelling, etc is healing post-op. He can also suggest/prescribe appropriate pain medication pre or post-op, depending on your dog's condition, tolerance, etc.

[Marty]

I'll join in the group with disc problems as well. In humans, there are several modalities used for pain control...steroids, physical therapy, and acupuncture can be one of them. Sometimes one or a combination can get you over the hump to where surgery isn't needed. With dogs, the surgery has a better chance if done soon after the injury. So, no futzing around like I'm doing...

[JMM]

Acupuncture and physical therapy can really help in conjunction with surgery. I agree that acupuncture alone is doubtful to provide relief. It definately can help relax the muscles and would be a good addition.

My lab had surgery for a disc in her neck. She always had some wobbles in her hind end, but the pain was gone! She managed just fine for many years after that.