As with humans, dogs can suffer serious injury to the discs in the backbone that act as cushions between the vertebrae, putting pressure on the spinal cord. While mainstream treatments such as cortisone injections or even surgery are often undertaken, the holistic veterinary community also offers a small handful of admittedly controversial alternatives.
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Causes
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Age and genetic predisposition are usually blamed for herniated discs in canines, though traumatic injury or overuse can also cause the problem, particularly near the neck or lower spine.
Symptoms
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Symptoms of a herniated disc can range from disinclination to raise or lower the head and walking gingerly to misshapen posture and even paralysis.
Holistic Veterinary Medicine
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Alternative, all-natural and organic experimental veterinary procedures have been around as long as their human counterparts. They likewise experience similar periods of trendiness and obscurity, though awareness of their existence has been greatly expanded with the proliferation of the Internet.
Holistic Treatments
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Holistic treatments for herniated discs in dogs are largely limited to a handful of dietary supplements. Most feature extremely large doses of Vitamin C and assorted minerals; some, like InVerta Disc Relief, feature the natural anti-inflammatory arnica, while others, such as Vital Pet, include the synthetic anti-aging drug Procaine HCl.
Warning
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As with alternative medical treatments for humans, holistic medicines for animals are widely derided within the mainstream health community and can often produce very little evidence regarding their degrees of effectiveness.
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