dog been diagnosed with spondylosis any ideas

Have just bought my boxer bitch back from the vets as she had gone off her back legs. They xrayed her spine and found spondylosis in it. She has been put on high dose rhymidil not my favorite thing but don't want her to suffer. Was wondering if anyone has had this with their dog and what treatment they had. The prognosis is not good for Penny.The vets have said less than a week. I am totally distraught by this as she is only 7 yrs old.

I don`t understand the mention of the vet giving your dog a week - is he recommending euthanasia? If so I would seek a second opinion. I do hope another vet can find a way to help your dog.
Obviously I am not a vet but I have a dog of 14 diagnosed with spondylosis at age 6 who has been successfully treated with a variety of approaches (medical and alternative). You can see the `spurs` on his spine xrays but they only now seem to bother him when it`s cold or he`s overtired. I do wish you and your dog well with this and hope the outcome is positive.

Yes the vet has recomended euthanasia. ClaireandDaisy what treatment have you used for your dog so i could speak to the vet about trying it with Penny. I'll give anything a go but I do not want her to suffer

euthanasia? I can't believe it, 7yrs old?
Oh sweetheart you must look into this more deeply. There surely has to be an alternative

I have never had any experience with this hun , But I would definately seek a second opinon , Im so sorry your baby is unwell , I hope you find a treatment so that she can have a happy longer life xxxxxxxxxxdk

I would do more research and definatley take her to another vet for a second opinion. Surely euthanasia isn't the only answer. You can even get little trolley type things for supporting the back end if they can still enjoy a quality of life. Keep us informed.

You poor thing you must be going out your mind.

((Big Hugs))

Heidi

My boy was diagnosed with Spondylosis 3 yrs ago, he is now 8 we manage him well, on herbal medication.

Not sure why the vet has suggested Euthanasia, but then we dont know how severe the problem is.... can he no longer walk.

Spondylosis is not usually life threatening, and one the fusions have formed on the spine, other than limiting the flexibility and movement of the dog, is usually treated like any other form of Arthritis.

Unless , the fusions are interfering with his spinal cord, causing the paralyses , I dont understand why he is going of his legs??

I would speak to your vet again, get a clearer picture, and maybe seek a second opinion.

Here you go a little reading for you .

http://www.dogstuff.info/spondylosis...s_lanting.html

http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/Spondylosis.htm

http://www.dogbreedhq.com/health/mus...pondylosis.php

Not much to add, as I have no experience of this condition. Just wanted to say I would be seeking a second opinion if it was me, as your dog is only relatively young.
Sending you big hugs - you must be devastated xx

My dog obviously didn`t suffer as badly as yours - but his movement was badly impaired. He was treated with chiropractic, anti-inflammatories, chinese herbs (my vet recommended them) and acupuncture. He had good days and bad days, but we did have an excellent vet who was prepared to try other approaches - she showed me how to massage his back to relieve the tension in the muscles due to pain and recommended a fleece in cold weather etc.
I think you should ask your vet to explain why the prognosis is so poor, and discuss options with you. Maybe take a friend, because you will be in shock and may not be able to remember everything.

Thought this might be useful for you.


SPONDYLOSIS DEFORMANS

by Fred Lanting

Spondylosis deformans is a condition in which bridges are formed along the ventral (bottom) parts of the vertebrae. It has been diagnosed in man, domestic cats (68%, yet no symptoms!), bulls, and even whales as well as in dogs. The term “spondylitis” literally means “an inflammation of the spine”, especially the bone, and spondylosis is sometimes used as a synonym as well as for describing types of ankylosis. One of these types is a bone proliferation, usually on the ventral surfaces of adjacent vertebrae, producing a bridge from one to the other. This condition is best known as spondylosis deformans. There is no spinal cord compression, but the spine is immobilized in that location. If the condition continues to spread, there may be several such bridges, “welding” a series of vertebrae into an inflexible backbone. It is seen fairly easily via lateral radiography. Because of different degrees seen in different breeds, I believe there to be more than one genetic determinant for this disorder, though nutrition may play a modifying role. I know full well the familial line in a significant portion of American German Shepherd Dogs with this problem, but there are some “German” lines with it, too. Pain may come from encirclement or pressure on nerve roots leading out from the cord to peripheral nerves, although such discomfort might be from concurrent arthritis, cauda equina syndrome, or other problems. As in Wobbler Syndrome, much growth of osteophytes can occur, and may be part of the reason some dogs have pain, but generally the animal does not appear to be suffering.

It is not completely clear how this disorder progresses, but it may start with a breakdown of Sharpey’s fibers, which are the fibers making up the annulus or outer portion of the intervertebral disks. Subsequently, inner disk material protrudes, stretching the longitudinal ligament, and promoting the appearance of osteophytes which grow out from the vertebral bodies in such a way that one cannot tell where the original bone ends and the osteophytic growth begins. Before that happens, though, separate ossification centers can be seen forming a few millimeters from the vertebral bodies; they later fuse and grow toward the adjacent vertebral segment. Eventually, and depending on breed and family history, the disk spaces between particular segments are bridged. True ankylosis (complete fusion into a continuous bony bridge between vertebrae) is far less common than the near-junction of these osteophytes. Very seldom do the osteophytes grow upward or in such a way as to pinch the spinal cord or otherwise cause neurological signs, so spondylosis deformans might be considered a relatively benign disorder when compared with HD, elbow dysplasias, wobbler syndrome, etc.

Many affected dogs live satisfactory lives, though somewhat limited in flexibility and range of motion. Fortunately, by the time spondylosis deformans becomes noticeable in clinical signs, the dog may be considered “retired” from his duties of running around, jumping, and doing the other things expected of a youngster. In some individuals, it will get worse suddenly rather than continue in a gradual worsening. Possibly, trauma may bring fracture of the bridge created in the development of spondylosis, which crack may spread to the arch and body, thus pinching the cord.

Often, spondylosis will be discovered on radiographs incidentally while the vet is looking for something else, such as a cause for lameness. In some of these cases, he may be tempted to make his diagnosis right then, and not to look further for the actual main cause, which may include HD, osteochondrosis in other joints, tumors, and others. Osteoarthritis of the spine (inflammation of the joints between vertebrae) is not the same disorder, nor is true spondylitis (an inflammation of the vertebrae themselves, brought on by either trauma or infection). Remember that “-itis” means inflammation, and spondylosis deformans is a non-inflammatory degenerative disease.

An intervertebral inflammation resulting in fusion of the vertebrae has been seen in humans and is known as ankylosing spondylitis. It is related to both adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and the similarity to spondylosis deformans in the dog (minus the inflammation) makes me wonder if there is a common or similar genetic defect in the “immune systems” of man and beast. Although it has been misnamed ankylosing spondylitis in the past, spondylosis deformans in the canine is not that disorder, exactly. Senile ankylosing hyperostosis is a syndrome in humans that is considered to be a variation of osteoarthritis characterized by large osteophytes, bridging between and on the anterolateral (front and side) surfaces of the vertebral bodies. In man, it appears mainly in males over 50 years of age, giving symptoms of minor to moderate back pain, stiffness, and lack of flexibility. Bone spurs and ossification in tendons and ligaments are common. Even intervertebral osteochondrosis may be a separate disorder; although also a result of disk degeneration, it is characterized by reduced disk height and vertebral end-plate sclerosis, not seen in spondylosis deformans.

The genetic transmission of the tendency to develop this disease is obvious to anyone who has watched it appear in offspring of certain dogs, generation after generation. But exactly how (the etiology) is not as sure. Perhaps there is an inherited weakness in how a dog’s vertebrae respond to or withstand repeated microtraumas; perhaps in some lines, the blood vessels that serve the outer layers of the disks regress and disappear faster than the normal or expected three or four years. It seems to be a fairly natural consequence of aging, as 75% of dogs in some breeds are affected to some degree by 9 years, and half by 6 years. On the other hand, some work has indicated that spondylosis deformans is more a disease of middle age. Breed and family variables make the incidence figures vary tremendously. It became a very noticeable disorder in the German Shepherd Dog when, for a while, 90% of the “show” German Shepherd Dogs in the USA were allegedly descended from one very popular late-1960s American Grand Victor (estimate based on a pedigree study reported in a GSD magazine several years ago) who had and passed along this disease in a severe form.

A couple of other miscellaneous thoughts about spondylosis: Regarding the effect or influence of environment, small trauma has already been mentioned as a possible factor, but with little evidence. It is suspected that bulls on high-calcium diets may have increased susceptibility. Males seem more at risk than females.




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Illustrations can be found in “The Total German Shepherd Dog” (Hoflin, 1999), page 212. You may “lift” that or the one you find on this website only if it accompanies the above article, which must carry the copyright notice. “Copyright, 1990, by Fred Lanting. Used with permission.” (Anyone wanting to re-use this article must ask for permission to do so, and give full credits such as the info in this paragraph.)

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Copyright 2001 Fred Lanting, Canine Consulting. Mr.GSD@juno.com. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Please view his site Real GSD.



NOTE: A well-respected AKC and Schaferhund Verein judge, Mr. Lanting has judged in more than a dozen countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian Show hosted by Japan Kennel Club, the Scottish Kennel Club, a Greyhound specialty in England, and more. National Specialties: 1994 GSD Club of America National; 1991 Tibetan Mastiff National; 1990 Shiba National; Fila Brasileiro Nationals (several times), Dogo Argentino National, Pyrenean Shepherd National. Numerous Chinese Shar Pei and Australian Shepherd specialties; regional Anatolian Shepherd specialty. Numerous GSD, Rottweiler, & Boxer specialties worldwide. He is also the author of several ‘must read’ books, including THE TOTAL GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG, CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA, CANINE ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS. A former professional all-breed handler in the US and Canada, he has lectured in over fifteen countries on Gait-and-Structure (Analytical Approach), Canine Orthopedic Disorders, and other topics, as well as being a Sr. Conf. Judges Ass’n (SCJA) Institute instructor. WV Canine College instructor & member, advisory board. His full Curriculum Vitae is very impressive and we are grateful to him for sharing that knowledge on this site
Defo agree though get a secon opinion xxx good luck