Fusion of the lumbar vertebrae
Our vet has upped his pain relief meds (he's still on a fairly low dose). He's fine when he's walking or lying down. It's tough getting down and shifting around when he's down. This also explains why he prefers to "poop on the run" instead of squatting. He still loves going for walks (unless it's raining), and does the sheepie bounce whenever we head to a wooded area. He also likes to chase Hudson around the house. There is a surgical option. But it would involve going to the vet college in Saskatchewan, and it's a very risky procedure. They'd be cutting out bone pieces around his spine. I don't think it's something we'd want to put him through at this point. It's too dangerous. Our vet is one of the most highly regarded in the city for ortho and other surgeries, and he's not comfortable doing it. He says it would require a specialist. I don't want to put Portage at risk, especially at the age of eleven. One brighter spot to this is that he tells us that once the two bones have completely fused the pain should be greatly relieved/possibly gone altogether. He just won't bend there anymore, which means he'll "poop on the run" forever. Also, his red blood cell count had gone down this summer (we did every single test in the book to find out why and nothing could be found), and now his numbers are back to normal, so that's a good thing too. Anyone have any experience with this? Or know anywhere online I could learn more? I've googled a few times, but I'm not having great luck finding anything so far. We spent over two hours with our vet, so he shared a great deal of information with me, but my head was spinning of course, so while I have gotten most of it, I know I've lost details. I'd like to learn all I can. If there's ANYTHING else I can be doing to help him, of course, I want to know. Thanks in advance. |
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| This sounds like spondylosis - "simple" arthritis of the spine. Unfortunately it's pretty common in dogs as they age if so. As your vet says, once the area is fused, the instability (that caused the arthritis to begin with) is gone and there is (generally) indeed a lessening of pain.
You do the things you do for all types of arthritis - supplements aimed at joints, keeping the dog fairly lean, keeping the dog moderately exercised (within the dog's tolerance limit). You can take him to a chiropractic vet for periodic adjustments as the changes tend to cause compensation which in turn can put stress on other joints and he can get a bit out of whack in the process. Belle who is also 11 and has spondylosis loves her chiro vet. I mean she kisses his feet. Literally. And any other part of him her tongue can reach. Accupuncture can also be helpful in some cases. You may want to ask about that. I wouldn't put an 11 year old through that kind of surgery either. In fact, even in a younger dog it would scare me to bits. Maybe some day they'll be more advanced and surgery will be a better option. Great news about his red blood cell count!!! Kristine |
| I agree with Kristine completely. If you can get a referral to a chiro in your area, I would look into it. Oscar has benefitted greatly from his holistic vet as well as his chiroprator, so if you have that option, you might want to check it out.
Also, what pain med is Portage on? If it's Rimadyl, or of that ilk, please talk to your vet about Pepcid AC to prevent stomach ulcers. Our first sheepie, Quincy, developed huge ulcers which perforated.  He showed no symptoms until the week he passed away, and the ulcers were only discovered in his autopsy. I was told after the fact that Pepcid might have helped to prevent them, had we known he had an issue. I hope I'm not freaking you out, but I don't want anyone to go through what we went through with Quincy.
Laurie and Oscar |
| He's actually taking two meds. He's on Metacam for imflammation, and on Tramadol (sp?) for pain. He's also taking those chocolatey treats (with glucosamine and chondritin and other stuff) for his joints. I'll definitely ask about tummy problems. Thanks for the advice. |
| Hard when they get old, agree at 11 the surgery I would not even consider just too risky for the oldies..
Palative care and making sure the dog is not experiencing any major pain is better for them in their golden years. That with supplements and pain medication when needed. Just watch the longer term use of Metacam, my oldie was on it for 5 months and did wonders but had to stop it as it was affecting her kidneys. Some dogs do well on it for long term and others it can cause side affects. Alternative treatments help also like a vet chiro or things like deep tissue therapy, to help the inflammation around the area. Massages, swimming them in a therapy pool to keep the muscles plump & to keep them mobile, Bowen therapy etc.etc. There's lots of alternatives out there that work in well with conventional treatment that can help them enormously 
We have similar issues with our old girl but managing it quite well and just focusing on keeping her mobile, eating well and comfortable in her golden era.  |
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