About Spinal Surgery for Dogs

Veterinary medicine has advanced significantly over the past several decades. Problems that would have otherwise been lost causes are now treatable. One area of significant advance has been spinal surgery.

  1. Surgery

    • Regardless of advancement, surgery is still a risky procedure. The risk of death for pets put under is about 1 in 1,000. Very few anesthetists who work on animals are truly specialized in the practice--approximately 150 animal anesthetists are considered "experts" in the field.Eliminate all other options prior to surgery by consulting a few vets for second opinions. If surgery is truly the only option, a series of intensive questioning of the surgical vet will help you both ensure that you are using the right vet, and ensure that your pet will receive the proper care before and after his harrowing ordeal.

    Degenerative Disk Disease

    • The spine is one of the most delicate parts of any vertebrate's body. Unlike other parts of the body--such as the skin, bones, muscles, or even the liver--the spine will not regenerate to any degree once it has been damaged. The spinal column is protected by a series of bones, called vertebrae, and fluid-filled sacs and disks. Some breeds, and older dogs, have the propensity for disk injuries. This occurs when the fluid between vertibrae moves, bulges, or ruptures.
      Surgery can repair and re-position injured disks, but true evidence of the surgery's success may not be known for several days.

    Tumors

    • Dogs can get different types of tumors on their spine, each leading to different levels of pressure or stress. Each type of tumor manifests with symptoms of pain, tenderness and limping in the dog. If the tumor is life-threatening or causing the dog pain that puts a detriment on its quality of life, surgery may be required.
      Be sure to arrange to test the tumor to see if it is cancerous, and if so, test to see if the cancer has spread. It may be possible to treat tumors with radiation or chemotherapy.

    Breakage

    • Dogs get into accidents, just as people do. If a bone or vertebrae in a dog's spine is severely broken, it may require surgery to repair. This will reduce the risk of further damage and possible paralysis. As with humans, broken vertebrae in dogs may be pinned or wired back together. Depending on the severity of the breakage, or of the measures needed to repair the fracture, the true evidence of the surgery's success may not be known for several days or even weeks.

    Signs of Paraylsis

    • If your dog shows any sign of paralysis in its legs or hind quarters, do not hesitate. Spinal surgery must be conducted immediately to repair any issue that may be present.