When spinal cord disease is identified, and your dog is not too lame or painful, conservative measures are taken. Anti-inflamatory medicines are given to see if your dog such as paralysis, then immediate surgery is indicated to prevent permanent spinal cord damage. The surgeon will remove the disc material which is placing pressure on the cord and causing the paralysis. When hip socket disease is suspected, anti-inflamatory drugs are given to minimize pain and lameness. When these measures are no help, then there are surgical procedures which can improve the joint function and result in a non-painful dog with little lameness.
Back problems are among the most difficult problems veterinarians face.
We cannot ask our patient where it hurts. We must rely on a combinations of history, physical examination, and x-ray findings to tell us where the problem is. In some cases we use treatment as a diognostic tool. By observing how a dog responds to a particular therapy, we can identify the problem. In many cases the help we can provide is only temporary or partial in relieving pain.