Dear Dr. John,
I travel back and forth between the Northeast and Florida with my 8-year-old spayed female Toy Poodle. She recently had a bout of lameness along with keeping her head down and not wagging her tail. I took her to a local emergency center where, after bloodwork and x-rays, we were sent home with gabapentin and meloxicam. She seemed to improve, but she relapsed when I stopped the meloxicam. It is my understanding that small dogs like this don’t typically have back problems. In Florida, I had her seen by a neurology team. An analysis of her spinal fluid was consistent with probable partial disc herniation. An MRI then confirmed that diagnosis of this in her neck. I have been told to keep her quiet and put her on gabapentin, tramadol, trazodone, and prednisone. I’m told that if things worsen, she might need surgery! How likely is that? N.M.
Dear N.M.,
I’m sorry to hear of the problem that your little dog is facing. It is relatively uncommon for a Toy Poodle to have a disc problem, but it is not necessarily uncommon in smaller breeds. It sounds as if you have been given sound advice on how to proceed and the diagnostics done by the neurologists was thorough. It is critical that you keep her quiet for an extended period of time and keep her on medications that are anti-inflammatory. I must respect what was dispensed for treatment, but I might have stayed with what was given initially.
Tramadol has mixed reviews as to efficacy and trazodone is used for anxiety so it can help keep your dog quiet. Prednisone is an effective drug but will require a weaning off period and will have side effects of increased drinking and urination.
I have seen and treated many dogs with medication that have never ended up having to go to surgery for a herniated disc. When there is herniation of a disc impinging on the spinal cord, the determinants on severity include location of disc, dog weight, amount of movement, and where the disc herniated. If the central nucleus of the disc bulges to the side that is more favorable. Hopefully, that will be the case for your little dog and she will be well.
Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.
