It can be very difficult to decide whether it is time for euthanasia

It is often difficult to tell whether a dog is in pain or suffering.  If your dog has been diagnosed with a spinal condition such as intervertebral disc disease, fibrocartilaginous embolism or degenerative myelopathy you may be faced with the possibility of [...]

Degenerative Myelopathy is a condition that affects mostly German Shepherds, but can also be seen in German Shepherd mixed breeds, Siberian Huskies, Corgis and sometimes other breeds.  It is generally seen in middle to older aged dogs.

The condition starts with weakness in the hind end.  Sometimes dog owners will notice that their dog is occasionally [...]

A fibrocartilaginous embolism is an uncommon problem seen in dogs. 

An “embolism” means that a blood vessel is obstructed by a foreign substance.  In this case, the blood vessel is one that feeds the spinal cord.  The foreign substance is a small amount of material that came from inside of one of the intervertebral discs [...]

Intervertebral disc disease is a relatively common condition in dogs.  Fortunately, most dogs who have this condition, do not end up paralyzed, but rather have pain that can be treated with either non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (such as Metacam, Rimadyl or Previcox) or steroids (such as Prednisone or Dexamethasone).  However, some dogs can be very seriously affected [...]