Question re pain in dogs

[Imagine]

I have my daughter's 14 year old dachshund lab mix who has been having difficulty with her back legs or hips for about a year. (Yes, "who" she is one of our family).

She is on three different medicines for arthritis and pain that have helped, but she's has gotten considerably worse with the cold weather we've had. She can't get on her back legs most of the time now; I have to carry her out to the yard, and in the house she just uses her front legs to drag herself around.

I don't mind cleaning up after her, but I don't know if she's hurting. She continues to shiver intermittently even though the house was toasty warm today.

My vet said the next option is laser surgery, but I just don't know if this is just prolonging her suffering. Anyone have any help for me?

[Night Owl]

This is probably one of the most difficult decisions you will have to make. There comes a time when pet owners have to let go. I would recommend asking your vet for his honest opinion and what he would do it this situation. If you have a good vet he will tell you what he thinks is best for your puppy.

[Brad Buckley, D.V.M.]

In a case such as this, I believe you have to differentiate between arthritis pain in the hind legs and lack of function secondary to neurologic damage in the spinal cord. Potentially you can have both as well. Given the breed of the dog an evaluation of the back is warranted as intervertebral disc disease is common. This is a condition where the "cushion" between two adjacent vertebrae is damaged and pressure is placed on the spinal cord and nerves and the brain cannot tell the muscles in the legs what to do. A dog with this problem will be paralyzed or very weak in the hind legs. This problem can be treated with medicine but often requires surgery to re-establish the connection with the legs. If the dog is suffering from only arthritic pain then you will find them having difficulty standing up from a resting position but once upright can walk with descent strength and agility. Pain relievers, joint fluid/cartilage supplement and anti-inflammatories are often used to treat this problem and many dogs improve dramatically with treatment.

As for the laser surgery, I suspect that what your vet meant was laser THERAPY. This is a novel treatment that uses a non-cutting laser and its application stimulates healing and pain relief. My opinion is that if your dog has only the arthritic problem them the laser can be very helpful. If the disc problem with subsequent neurologic damage is present then laser therapy will probably not help much.

I know this is a difficult time for you and the decisions ahead of you may be hard to make. My personal opinion in general is that when a pet loses the ability to eliminate and defecate on their own and cannot live with a certain degree of dignity and comfort then we must, as their caretakers, make tough decisions about their quality of life. It sounds like you have done everything you can do to help this dog and I commend you for your efforts. I think now would be an appropriate time to have a discussion with your veterinarian about quality of life, pain, dignity, comfort and prognosis. I wish you well during this tough time.

[prideworks]

I had a rat terrier with the same problem and my chriopractor helped him a lot...I know, don't laugh. I'd go in for my adjustment, take Budget with me and he would be dancing when we left.