My 2.5 year old lab was just diagnosed on MRI with herniate disc of L7-S1 and associated degenerative disc disease. he only has pain and lameness after strenuous activity such as fetch or running hard with other dogs. The Neuro vet is recommending 2 weeks of Rimadyl and Gabepentin as needed for nerve pain. She also is recommending rest for 6 weeks (no jumping, stairs, running, leash walks only). Has anyone had experience with your lab with this condition? I am skeptical how much conservative therapy is going to do for him in the long run, unless I keep him on a leash for the rest of his life. Trying to avoid surgery. I am hopeful someone might have some positive outcomes to share about there dog with this condition managed without surgery.
I managed my older dogs back problems with the help of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. He wasn't a good candidate for surgery he started his therapy at 8 and lived until 14 1/2. He had lupus, LP and lower lumber spine problems. Obviously he wasn't as young as your pup or had such a severe problem but the hydro combined with my daily physiotherapy routine ment he had a good life. I would ask your vet about a referral it may help. It's good for helping to relax tense muscles and helps build up supporting muscle safely in a gentle way. I was really impressed with my physiotherapist I think he extended and improved my dogs life in a huge way. My dogs pain was managed better and he was a happy dog
I have experience with a 8 year old who had a herniated disk right there. He had to have an operation after a MRI was taken from him. If you ask us if we would let the operation perform again, we won’t. I think he would have been better of by conservative therapy. After the operation he was never the same again, always in pain and two years after this operation we had to pts for he was, again, in so much pain that our vet said she wasn’t able to help him. He was operated by a veterinarian neurosurgeon. Very capable man. But not for our Euan. It will be 2 years ago in 14 days when we had to last him go.
