Medical treatment may relieve pain and inflammation, but surgery is often required to relieve severe pressure. Surgery involves scraping out the diseased disc material to relieve the pressure and prevent future episodes of pain. Neck lesions usually require surgical intervention whereas lower spinal problems may or may not require surgery. The problem tends to reoccur in other disc locations, especially if the pet continues to do a lot of jumping and is overweight. The treatment recommended by your veterinarian, and the prognosis for recovery is based on the severity of the signs, the rapidity in which the problem developed, and the time elapsed since the problem began.
Diagnosis is based on clinical signs and x-rays.
If medical therapy is utilized, complete rest with exercise restriction is vital and instructions must be followed explicitly . Early treatment increases the chances of recovery. In mild cases, drugs are given to decrease inflammation and swelling of the spinal cord. Muscle relaxants, antibiotics, and pain-relieving medications are also given. If surgery is advised, laboratory work and special x-ray studies may be needed prior to surgery.