Back Injury or IVDD Recommendations for your pet

These are a list of the things that the Veterinarians at the Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic may recommend for back pain or back injury with your pet.

1. CT (Computed Tomography) – A CT scan of the spine may be necessary in diagnosing the extent of the spinal injury or degeneration. Herniations of the disc may require Surgical intervention if medical management is not an option, depending on the grade of clinical signs.
2. Pain Medications – Tramadol, Methadone, hydromorphone, and buprenorphine are morphine type products that can help with back pain. This product may cause constipation; therefore, laxatives are recommended.
3. Amantadine – Used for treatment of chronic pain. It works by partially blocking a receptor within the central nervous system that is associated with pain pathways. Works best combined with other pain relievers such as NSAIDS, gabapentin, and/or tramadol.
4. Gabapentin – Used to treat chronic neuropathic pain, often caused by spinal injuries. Works best combined with other pain relievers such as NSAIDS, tramadol, and/or amantadine.
5. Muscle Relaxants – Methocarbamol or Diazepam may be used to help reduce the amount of muscle spasms that your pet may experience with back pain. These are recommended if they are restless, panting, or unable to sleep at night.
6. Weight Loss and Exercise – if your pet is overweight we will recommend weight loss. Exercise is recommended to keep the muscles in the back strong. Leash walk or swimming is the best exercise.  Absolutely no fetch, jumping should be allowed for the next month, as this type of exercise can continue to injure the back.
7. Anti-Inflammatory Medications – May include rimadyl, metacam, etc. These cannot be given with any type of cortisone, and should be discontinued if any vomiting or diarrhea is noted.
8. Steroid Therapy – Prednisone (cortisone) may be recommended for disc disease, this cannot be given with any aspirin type products. Some potential side effects include: diabetes, liver disease, immune suppression, and stomach ulcers.
9. Fiber – We recommend fiber to prevent constipation. Some sources of fiber include canned pumpkin, benefiber, vetasyl, or metamucil. Give 1-4 tablespoons of canned pumpkin per feeding. Give 1/4 – 1 cracker of metamucil 2 times per day. Docusate sodium (Colace) may also be recommended for constipation.
10. Injectable Adequan – Can speed healing with arthritis and with disc disease. This is usually given 1-2 times per week for one month, then monthly.
11. Heat and Massage Therapy – Applied on the area that is painful may help relax the muscles and aid in recovery. This can be performed daily at home. “Tail pulls” may also be effective at aiding your pet if they have thrown their back out or are having muscle spasms.
12. Acupuncture and Chiropractic Adjustment – Dr. D’Monte has had some significant success in treating back pain and back injuries.
13. Supplements – Duralactin is highly recommended as an effective anti-inflammatory agent for arthritis in the back and back injuries. This will probably be recommended for life if your pet injures their back. Fish oil appears to be helpful in the treatment and prevention of back injuries and arthritis. Fish oil does take some time to build up in the body to start showing its effectiveness.
14. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy – During HBOT, 100% oxygen flows into the hyperbaric chamber under pressures of 1.5 to 3 times that of normal atmospheric pressure. Very large amounts of oxygen are dissolved in the plasma, and can diffuse 4 times deeper into the tissue than oxygen carried by the red blood cells. This assists in reducing swelling, inflammation, pressure, and edema that is often caused by spinal cord injuries and promotes healing.