Dogs with IVDD can be mildly or severely affected. Chances of getting better are highest for those dogs who can walk at the time of diagnosis so, if your dog can walk, this is promising.

There are five grades of IVDD, with grade 1 being the mildest and grade 5 being the most severe. Dogs with IVDD who can still walk are either grade 1 or 2. Here’s how they look:

• Grade 1 dogs have a painful back but can walk fairly normally.
• Grade 2 dogs walk with a wobble but can do so without any support from a sling.

Above: Dogs with grade 2 IVDD might stagger like a drunk person,  place paws on the floor upside-down now and again, or move with paws crossed over.

What to do first

Click here for first aid advice. This will open a free downloadable PDF containing first aid advice for dogs with IVDD. It’s a short extract from The IVDD Handbook.

If your dog has just gone down with IVDD and is unable to walk, they should be seen as soon as possible by your vet for assessment and treatment including painkillers. Ask for the next available appointment. Ask to speak to a vet straight away if your dog seems to be getting worse and worse. A few cases get worse (see below) and may need urgent help.

Important: If your dog seems to be getting worse and worse, ask to speak to your vet immediately. There’s a possibility that urgent referral may be required. 

Unless your dog is getting worse and worse,  there is no need to rush into surgical referral for IVDD. Most studies show that delaying the operation does not affect the dog’s outcome ^{Davis & Brown, Kazakos et al 2005, Ito et al 2005, Jeffery et al 2016}. You should generally have a chance to consider all options and to check your financial position before going for surgery. It can be sensible in some cases to start with non-surgical treatment and then progress to an operation if your dog is not improving. If surgery is delayed, then excellent pain-medication is important, and your dog should either be admitted to the clinic or have frequent repeat visits for monitoring. 

Watch out for deteriorating dogs

A few dogs start with mild signs but then get worse. The problem could get worse gradually or suddenly. There’s a big difference in outlook for grade 2 dogs (can walk a bit), grade 3 dogs (can’t walk, but hind legs can still move) and grade 5 dogs (can’t walk, paralysed hind legs and no deep pain sensation in toes). Keep a close eye on your dog, stay in touch with your vet, and be prepared for a change of treatment plan, especially in the early stages.

If your dog is getting worse and worse,  quick referral for surgery might be wise, ideally before they lose toe pain-sensation. 

Deterioration is generally nobody’s fault. It’s just that the disc has herniated over hours to days rather than all at once. As far as possible, prevent your dog from running and jumping during early recovery (see below for more guidance on this). We sometimes hear of dogs who start off mildly-affected, but then suddenly get much worse just after jumping off a sofa or chasing across a room. 

Treatment options for dogs who can walk

Non-surgical treatment: For dogs who can walk, good-quality non-surgical treatment is usually the most sensible option to start with. This is true even if the dog is quite wobbly when walking. Most of these dogs will do well without an operation ^{Levine et al 2007, Mann et al 2007, Sedlacek et al 2022}.  If the dog’s condition deteriorates, if they fail to improve over several weeks, or perhaps if the problem keeps recurring, referral for surgery may however become the best option.

Non-surgical treatment mostly involves prescribed painkiller medication and home care.  The aim is to keep the dog as comfortable, strong and coordinated as possible while preventing any rushing about, running and jumping. Your dog will need a recovery area (typically a crate or pen). Their activities and walks should be built up very gradually once they are ready for this. Their vet or physiotherapist can advise you, plus there is detailed guidance in The IVDD Handbook. 

Spinal operation plus aftercare: Surgery is available for dogs who can walk and usually has a very good eventual outcome. After coming home from spinal surgery, dogs need to be cared for as for ‘non-surgical treatment’, above.

Bear in mind that surgery is often not the best choice for mildly-affected dogs. Most of these dogs would also recover well without an operation. Spinal surgery is very invasive, and not every spinal operation is a success.  Some mildly-affected dogs (grades 1 and 2) have been reported to be unable to walk for a couple of weeks after spinal surgery (i.e. they get worse for a while) and, unfortunately, a tiny percentage of dogs deteriorate badly after surgery ^{Aikawa et al 2012}

If your dog can walk and you’re considering an operation,  discuss these issues with your surgeon who will help you make an informed decision. Some types of spinal surgery might reduce the risk of the IVDD signs coming back, though the problem does still recur in many dogs.

Home care for IVDD dogs who can walk

Once your dog has seen the vet and is back home, you’ll need to care for them because they’ll have special needs for some time. Home care is similar whether or not they’ve had spinal surgery. 

Home care involves providing a safe and comfortable recovery area (large crate or pen), carrying them safely outdoors for short, on-lead toilet breaks, giving them any prescribed medication, and making sure they don’t wander loose in the house or outdoors. Non-slip floor mats are very useful for when they start coming out of their crate. Hard floors are too slippery for these dogs.

If your dog is wobbly-walking or unsteady on their paws, they’ll benefit from a special slow lead (leash) walk technique, with safe exercises added to this as they get stronger. They may also benefit from Standing Practice and some other exercises. There’s a little starter information on using the lead here. For detailed guidance on this and on the exercises, check out The IVDD Handbook. 

Set up a safe space for your dog

Let’s start by setting up a a safe, comfortable recovery space for your dog at home. This could be a crate if you can get hold of one big enough for your dog. Or it could be an open-topped pen if your dog definitely won’t try to climb out.  Many dachshunds do well in an indoor pen.

It’s essential to confine your dog during early recovery. Firstly, the recovery space helps to prevent your dog from doing anything risky. We want to give them the best chance of recovery and allow their inflammation to settle down. For dogs that are unsteady on their feet, the recovery space also prevents them from moving about the home in this unsteady, wobbly way. Their new wobble-walking can become a habit if they do much of it, and this can make it more difficult for them to relearn to walk normally again.

Whenever your dog is outside their crate or pen, they should be on a lead or in your arms to prevent any risky dashing about.

Their crate or pen should contain bedding, drinking water, and you should feed them in there too. 

Try the following links for more information:

Crate rest summary

Choosing a recovery crate

Where to put the recovery crate

Above: A pen suitable for home recovery including bedding, water and standing room. We usually set the pen up at half this size for the first three weeks of recovery. 

Bedding in their crate or pen

Do include bedding in the pen for them to rest and sleep on. A crate pad or mat is often a good option for dogs that can walk. It should be wide enough for them to lie on while stretched out, but not too thick. It would be awkward for them to step on and off very thick bedding such as a chunky mattress.  Also try to avoid bedding that has high edges because it would be awkward for them to step over these. 

Crate rest summary

Choosing a recovery crate

Where to put the recovery crate

Room rest summary

Choosing a recovery room

A recovery room for larger breeds

For large breeds, you could set up a room in your house to be a ‘recovery room’ for your dog instead of using a crate or pen. This room must have non-slip flooring, and all members of the family will need to take care when opening and closing the door so that the dog doesn’t slip out. Try the following links for more information:

Room rest summary

Choosing a recovery room

Be safe! Things to avoid

Rushing about or falling awkwardly could make your dog worse. Overactivity also stops any inflammation from settling down. Here’s a list of things to avoid:

• Letting them wander loose in the house or garden/yard. 
• Going up or down stairs or over steps (instead, lift your dog over any doorstep or raised threshold).
• Resting unrestrained on a sofa, couch or bed (because these dogs have poor coordination and are at risk of falls)
• Ball games
• Trying to jump either up or down off a surface
• Rough play/chasing with other dogs or children
• Moving over slick surfaces (this includes any hard floors such as tiles, wood or laminate) Safety tip: Place non-slip runners or carry your dog over any slick flooring.

Keeping your dog comfortable during IVDD recovery

For good recovery, your dog needs to be as comfortable as possible in their recovery space. For a start, the crate or pen must be large enough for your dog to lie fully stretched out, and to sit, stand and turn around easily, and it should offer enough space for your dog to eat and drink as well as to lie down.

It’s important to set the recovery space up as a pleasant area before your dog even sees it. Remember to include soft bedding, food, water and something good to chew on. You may find the following links useful:

Introducing your dog to the recovery crate or pen

Keeping your recovering dog calm and content

Crate rest: Bedding

Toys for recovering dogs

Outside the recovery crate or room

Your dog will need a fixed-length lead and a chest harness. These are useful for your dog’s balance when they’re learning to walk, and the lead is important for their safety It’s surprising how fast some dogs try to move, even when only their front legs are working. 

Take special care to keep your recovering dog safe whenever they are outside the recovery crate or pen A harness, fixed-length lead, and non-slip floor matting are all essential. 

You will of course need to take your dog outside on the lead for regular toilet breaks (to pee and poo). Follow your vet’s guidelines regarding how often to take your dog outdoors and on how long these outdoor sessions can be. In the absence of any advice, a good starting point is typically 4 to 5 toilet breaks per day, with each outdoor session being no longer than 5 minutes. Some IVDD dogs need to be given more frequent outdoor chances to pee, e.g. up to 7 toilet break sessions per day (each up to 5 mins long, and carry your dog part of the way if required).

Watch your dog for signs of tiredness while you’re outside together. Early in recovery, their legs may get tired long before the five minutes is up. If your dog is getting increasingly weak and wobbly, pick them up or put them in a dog pushchair to give them a break.

All walking should be slow. Even if your dog wants to use their front paws to rush ahead, use the lead to encourage them to move slowly. This will give their weak hind legs a chance to learn to step. 

Above: Slow, controlled walking during recovery

The following links offer more information on keeping your dog safe through the recovery period:

Keeping your dog safe outside the recovery crate

Keeping your dog safe outside the recovery room

Harness for recovering dogs

Choosing a lead for recovery

Walking with your recovering dog

In The IVDD Handbook, you’ll find detailed advice on the lead technique for recovery, on-lead exercises suitable for recovering dog, and on how to build up their outdoor activities through recovery. 

 

Above: It is essential to keep your recovering dog on the lead whenever outdoors.

The recovery routine

A regular routine is important during recovery. Recovering dogs cope better once they learn when to expect meal times, toilet breaks, and any quality time spent with the owner. It is also helpful to set aside quiet times during which your dog should expect no interaction from you (especially during the night, of course). For details on the daily routine during recovery, try the following links:

Crate rest daily routine

Room rest daily routine

Home physiotherapy

If your dog is not walking normally, they will benefit from good physiotherapy. The most important parts of this are:

• Slow, controlled, balanced walking on harness and lead (leash)
• Posture exercises, especially ‘standing practice’

I start harness and lead walking from day one as part of their outdoor toilet routine. For most dogs that are unsteady on their feet, I start standing practice during the first two weeks of recovery.

There are some safety tips included in the videos below. You’ll find more detailed and illustrated step-by-step guidance in The IVDD Handbook including outdoor and indoor exercises and guidance on building up their walk routine. Check first with your vet if needed. 

For supervised exercises and a bespoke routine, ask your vet to refer your dog to a canine physiotherapist who is experienced in canine neurological cases. 

Above: Standing Practice is useful for many dogs who are unsteady on their feet. Check first with your dog’s vet or physiotherapist before starting this. Below: some top tips for their home exercises.

Is my dog getting better?

Signs of recovery

Improvement is expected to be gradual. Signs of pain should gradually reduce and then disappear over the first few weeks. If your dog has been unsteady on their feet, signs of improvement can be quite subtle to start with. They can include the following:

• Placing their paws more neatly instead of scuffing their claws
• Placing their paws upside-down less often
• Crossing their legs less often when standing and walking
• Standing steadier on their feet, without their hips swaying from side to side
• Being able to stand a little longer without swaying or having to flop down

Problems during recovery

Miserable dogs Some dogs need extra time to accept their new routine during recovery. If your dog won’t settle down in the crate, pen or recovery room, then try this link for advice. Also bear in mind that certain types of medication may cause individual dogs to act out of character. If you suspect that this may be happening, discuss it with your vet. You might also find the following links useful:

Keeping your dog calm and content

Staying positive during your dog’s recovery.

Dogs who don’t improve Treatment aims to get your dog more comfortable and eventually walking well. With successful non-surgical treatment, your dog should feel  more comfortable within the first week or so while still on painkillers. There are various types of painkiller available, each suiting some dogs better than others. If your dog is still very sore, your vet might decide to change the medication regime.

Improvements in walking ability usually happen gradually, typically over 1-2 months. Further improvement may continue long beyond this. It is often possible to phase out the painkillers and increase exercise bit by bit after the first month or so. Your vet will recheck your dog and advise you. 

If your dog is getting worse at any stage (walking less comfortably than before, or appears more painful), go and see your vet at the next available appointment. A change to the treatment plan could be necessary. 

If your dog is not getting worse but not really improving over time, it’s worth discussing this with your vet. Unfortunately, not every dog manages to walk well again, though most do show some improvement. Failure to improve may mean that the non-surgical treatment programme needs adjusting, or may mean that an operation becomes the preferred option.

Other problems: If your dog goes off their food, starts vomiting, develops diarrhoea, or has difficulty peeing, then ask your vet for advice. 

Further information to help your dog during IVDD recovery

This website contains plenty of information about caring for a dog with back or neck issues. Try going to IVDD and clicking on links on that page to start exploring this free resource.

For a complete and practical guide to home care, we recommend The IVDD Handbook. This is a comprehensive home care guide for dogs with IVDD (disc extrusion or ‘slipped disc’). It’s also suitable for those with certain other back or neck problems including FCE and traumatic disc. Use this book in conjunction with talking to your own vet. It contains:

• clear practical guidelines for each stage of recovery
• illustrated how-to guides for everything from sling-walking to home exercises
• notes on when to contact your vet
• an illustrated guide to understanding your dog’s surgical report
• advice on keeping your recovering dog happy and content
• a section on maintaining your own wellbeing while caring for your own dog
• example daily routines suitable for dogs at each stage of recovery
• hundreds of colour photos showing what to look for and how to help your dog
• an index, glossary and colour-coded chapter to help you find information fast. 

How to get your copy

Click here to buy or look inside The IVDD Handbook.

The above link should redirect you to your country’s Amazon site.

Order the book to be delivered to you from the US or Japan if you live in Australia, New Zealand or Singapore. For further details, click here. 

Links to the book on this page are provided as part of the Amazon Associates program. Buying the book after clicking on one of these links will earn the author a small commission, thus contributing to the ongoing running of this website. 

Booking an appointment

For bespoke supervision of your own dog’s recovery, you are welcome to contact me to arrange a video consultation appointment. To book an appointment, use the contact form here or email me at Marianne.rehabvet@gmail.com . I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Please note that these contact details are for appointments only. I offer home visit appointments, when appropriate, for dogs and cats living near me in North Herts, UK. Video consultations are available for both local and distant patients. 

References

Aikawa, T., Fujita, H., Kanazono, S., Shibata, M., & Yoshigae, Y. (2012). Long-term neurologic outcome of hemilaminectomy and disk fenestration for treatment of dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation: 831 cases (2000–2007). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 241(12), 1617-1626. Out of 279 grade 1-2 dogs, 96.8% had a good long term outcome, but there was a non-ambulatory period after surgery in many dogs, with only 86.7% dogs walking within 14 days, and 3% of “successful” cases not walking until 2 months post-op.

Levine, J. M., Levine, G. J., Johnson, S. I., Kerwin, S. C., Hettlich, B. F., & Fosgate, G. T. (2007). Evaluation of the success of medical management for presumptive thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation in dogs.Veterinary surgery, 36(5), 482-491. A retrospective questionnaire-based study looking at non-surgical management. Out of 122 grade 1 dogs, 84 recovered (69%). Out of 63 grade 2 dogs, 35 recovered (56%). Out of 23 grade 3 dogs, 13 recovered (57%). Out of 12 grade 4 dogs, 6 recovered (50%). Out of 3 grade 5 dogs, none recovered.

Mann, F. A., Wagner‐Mann, C. C., Dunphy, E. D., Ruben, D. S., Rochat, M. C., & Bartels, K. E. (2007). Recurrence rate of presumed thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in ambulatory dogs with spinal hyperpathia treated with anti‐inflammatory drugs: 78 cases (1997–2000).Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 17(1), 53-60.  A retrospective questionnaire-based study looking at non-surgical management. Out of 77 grade 1-2 dogs treated non-surgically, 100% recovered, but around 50% then experienced a recurrence of clinical signs. Most but not all recurrences happened within the first year (median 9 months after first episode). Recurrence rate was significantly higher in dogs treated with corticosteroids than in dogs treated with NSAIDs.

Davies, J. V., & Sharp, N. J. H. (1983). A comparison of conservative treatment and fenestration for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in the dog. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 24(12), 721-729. Out of 8 grade 1 dogs managed non-surgically, 100% recovered. Out of 38 grade 2 dogs managed non-surgically, 84% recovered. Out of 10 grade 3 dogs managed non-surgically, 100% recovered. Out of 6 grade 4 dogs managed non-surgically, 3 recovered (50%). Out of 14 grade 5 dogs managed non-surgically, 1 recovered (7%). Mean average recovery times were 3 weeks (grade 1 dogs), 6 weeks (grade 2 dogs), 9 weeks (grade 3 dogs), 12 weeks (grade 4 dogs) and 4 weeks (grade 5 dog). Signs of IVDD recurred at a later date in some cases, though the severity of recurrence is not stated. Rate of recurrence was 28% (grade 1 dogs), 27% (grade 2 dogs), 66% (grade 3 dogs), 33% (grade 4 dogs).

Sedlacek, J., Rychel, J., Giuffrida, M., & Wright, B. (2022). Nonsurgical Rehabilitation in Dachshunds With T3-L3 Myelopathy: Prognosis and Rates of Recurrence. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 955. Retrospective study looking at 40 dachshunds (or dachshund crossbreeds) with presumed disc extrusion. All had non-surgical recovery including some rehabilitation. 27 of 27 grade 1-3 dogs recovered. 7/9 grade 4 dogs recovered. 0/4 grade 5 dogs recovered. BUT 6 of the dogs that entered the study with deep pain had previously been recorded as having no deep pain. Out of these dogs with questionable deep pain, 3/6 recovered.