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Disc problems.

Species: Dog
Breed: Black Lab Dalmation
Age: 8-11 years
Hello,
Two weeks ago my 9 year old Black Lab start to have problems with his hind legs. During the night he had a seizure and after that he could not get up with his hind legs any more. He also peed all over the floor. I helped him to get outside. It was a Sunday and we did not have a Vet available in our area. Next day I drove him to the Vet. My Vet told me my dog has a dislocated disk and we should try anti inflammatory Medication and he don’t think it was a seizure .My dog also started to drink way more water lately and cannot hold his pee any more during the night. He had also another Seizure a week ago. Also these Seizures are new.
The anti inflammatory Medication is helping but his hind area is still weak.
Could that be Diabetes related?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having these problems. It sounds quite serious.

Diabetes should not cause the symptoms that you are mentioning.

Was the medication that George put on either Prednisone or Dexamethasone? If so, then these medicines can cause a great increase in thirst and urination. If this is what is happening then you can talk to your vet about whether to lower the dose of medication.

What concerns me is that a disc problem should not cause seizures. When I see seizures in a dog who is 9 years old I get really worried about serious problems like a brain tumor or an underlying issue with the kidneys or liver.

It sounds like George should have some blood tests done to see if there is an obvious internal problem. If these are normal, your vet may talk about medications to help reduce the possibility of seizures. But unfortunately if there is a brain tumor there is not much we can do.

If you have more questions, feel free to respond. I will be offline for the next hour or two though as I am just heading into a meeting.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

I think it is Prednisone twice a day.
Could the Seizure cause a disc problem?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Yes, the prednisone could be contributing to the urinary accidents.

A seizure could not directly cause a disc problem. However, if there was a weakness in the back brewing, the phyiscal activity of the seizure (i.e. shaking, etc.) could have been enough to trigger the back problem.



Customer reply:

If the Prednisone does not help, what are the next steps?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

This depends on a number of factors. If this truly is a disc problem and it isn't healed by prednisone then it means that there is more than just inflammation around the disc. It may mean that some disc material is pushing up on the spinal cord. If this is the case then surgery may be necessary in order for him to heal.

It's also possible that there is a different type of neurological problem going on. For example, he could have an infection in the spinal column (meningitis). This could cause seizures and the problems with the back legs. Or, it's also possible that there is a parasite affecting parts of the spinal cord (such as toxoplasmosis or neospora). Or, it's possible that there is cancer in the the spinal cord and possibly brain.

If the prednisone is not working then the next step is to have your vet examine him again. If you want to go further in getting a diagnosis and possibly seeing if we can help, your vet will likely start with xrays. If there is nothing obvious seen then the next step would be to have your vet to refer you to a specialist to do more extensive tests such as a myelogram or a CT scan or possibly a CSF tap. Unfortunately though these tests can be expensive and there is no guarantee that we are going to find a treatable condition.

I really hope things start to improve.

Dr. Marie



Customer reply:

Blood test and X-Ray, thats all i can afford. I rescued George when he was 4 month old just one day before they want to put him down. He start to have hip dysplasia when he was 3 years old.
I may have to put him to sleep.
Thank you very much for your help!

Peter


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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.