Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)

Written By: Dr.Marie 2 Comments

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 and end up with paralysis.

Intervertebral Disc Disease

The intervertebral discs are the spongy cushions that are between each of the vertebrae (bones) in the spinal cord. Have a look at the xray of a dog’s spine. You can see that between each of the vertebrae there is a black space. This area is not actually a space, but rather it is made up of cartilage (which does not show up well on xrays). On this xray there is an area where the disc space is extremely narrowed. This dog has intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).

There are varying degrees of IVDD. Most dogs will have spinal pain that improves over time with anti-inflammatory medication. However, if the disc protrudes and pushes up on the spinal cord this can cause paralysis. Sometimes a surgery can be done to remove the offending material. However, this surgery is very expensive and not all dogs are candidates for surgery.

IVDD is most common in daschunds but can happen in any breed of dog.

If you have questions about your dog’s condition, you can click here to ASK A VET QUESTION.