My dog has IVDD. It stands for intervertebral disc disease. For more info, the link is to Petmd IVDD page. It's a horrible disease that does have a cure, but it's not easy to go through--for dog and pet parent(s).

How did I find out Joey has IVDD? I just knew it. One morning, about five days ago, we (dogs and myself) woke up...Joey started dragging his back feet. Like seriously.

 I know enough about dogs to know what's serious vs not serious (like he just ate something and threw up stomach acids=not serious) and what deserves a vet call. That being said, I immediately did some PetMd research. Found out that Joey could have IVDD, which is pretty serious. I called the vet, they got me in within a few hours. Low and behold, Joey has IVDD.

How do I care for a dog with a slipped/prolasped disc/IVDD?

A few things:
-strict crate rest for minimum of 6 weeks. I just threw in some towels into a crate and called it good. Until he can go outside to go potty (more on that later in this post), I'll add the dog bed.
-a drug called rimadyl--a doggy drug prescribed for dogs with joint pain.
-a drug called tramadol, a human pain/muscle relaxer (works wonders :)

Surgery, acupuncture, water therapy and a few other "holistic" remedies can also be a part of treatment. But really, the cheapest, and probably the most effective, is rest and some type of pain management. By the way, I would imagine with some of the other options I listed above, you'll need pain management anyway (acupuncture is probably a form of pain management, but it's probably costly!) My vet said she can do x-rays, but they are not worth it as 1) expensive 2) she will only be able to see this part and not the part of Joe's back that's mostly likely "not working." Surgery may or may not help and a last resort and it's expensive.

Why crate rest and pain management? Basically Joey's discs and nerve endings just need to heal. They can't heal if he's moving and jumping around. The healing process is pretty painful, so drugs are needed. Rimadyl has some nasty side affects, but my dog is in pain and I'll deal with it. Like I said, surgery could work, but usually a dog recovers well with just old-fashion rest.
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Joe's been in recovery for about 5 days. And I already learned a lot about this disease through Google research and just dealing with it in general.

1) it's awful. Some websites even suggest that euthanasia is personal choice and isn't reversible. To me, this states that people THINK about euthanasia if their dog has IVDD. It's that nasty to deal with.

2) As a pet parent, you'll lose sleep (and sanity) over it. And not because you love your dog and his in pain, BUT he's in pain and he pants and cries and needs monitoring to make sure he's actually swallowing his meds.
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Some things that made my life (and sanity) a little bit easier:

-bath towels. And lots of them. Your dog will most likely not want to move after the first few days...until he/she can get back on his feet. Therefore, he'll pee/poo in his crate. You can then bring your dog outside to go potty (but goes right back to its crate!). You can buy...

-doggy diapers/male wrap. Seriously, folks.

-hot dogs, chicken, anything to stuff meds. in.  There's also a variety of pill pockets on the market, but with your dog taking one med. 2-3 times a day and another twice a day...do the math.

-moist dog food. Your dog will most likely be in pain/sick, so make things easier on him/her and give him canned dog food. There's a variety of grain-free, gluten-free and whatever else you can think of canned foods on the market. (I work at a pet supplies store, btw).

-crate crock. I only have one for water. (Your dog needs water 24/7.) I have a Cocker Spaniel and they are known to be foodies--they eat everything! Since my dog is stuck in a crate for six weeks, I only feed him a little bit twice a day...I just put his food in cereal bowl and stick in his crate and take it away after his done eating.

-a good relationship with your vet. Like people, all dogs are different. Therefore, one medication may not work for your dog. Call your vet and let them know that! Your dog can't recover from IVDD until his pain is in control. Plus the vet can give tips and be a cheerleader during the recovery. I say this because I know some people self give their dog shots/vaccines. Which is fine, but rimadyl is prescription only, plus your dog stops eating completely (or something else), you need advice/help that's NOT Google.

-a pain/drug management chart. Feel free to edit the one I made. :) It seriously helps because Andrew and myself work different shifts and we don't want overdose Joey on anything, so this just helps in making sure Joey gets the correct meds at the correct time.

-dodgerlist.com is really helpful! The author published because she couldn't really find help/support when her doxie had IVDD.


It seems like you and your dog will go through hell. But your dog WILL get better, I promise.