Canine Back Pain

By: Michael Lamping, DVM

             Attending the 20^th Anniversary Addison Oktoberfest in late September, I encountered a dearth of dachshunds all ready for the dachshund races and parade.  Trying hard to avoid stepping on one of them reminded me of my time in veterinary school when we studied spinal disk disease and we called it "dachshund disease" instead because the condition is so common in this breed.  As you see, the design of their body puts a greater strain on their back.  Can you think of other long dogs?  The Basset hound, beagle, Welsh corgi, Lhasa apso, Shitzu, and Pekingese come to mind.  These and other long-spined, short-legged breeds experience back problems.  Cats very rarely suffer from this disease.

            The actual name of the condition I am referring to is intervertebral disk disease (IVDD).  Twenty short bones called vertebra make up the middle 2 sections of a dog's spine.  Disk herniation occurs most commonly along this portion.  Positioned between each vertebra are disks composed of dense ring-like tissue with a soft shock-absorbent core.  This soft core can squeeze out through a weak spot in the ring and press on the spinal cord, usually leading to pain and nerve damage.  Symptoms can arise suddenly and without obvious cause such as a fall or getting stepped on.  However some incidents do follow jumping.  Most commonly, severe pain and difficulty using the rear legs are seen.  Some dogs will stand with their back arched.  Other dogs become suddenly rear limb paralyzed and refuse to move.