Ruptured Disc on my Chi-Any advice???
 

My friend has a 2 yr old male Chihuahua that the vet says has a ruptured disc in his back, he is on meds and maybe facing surgery, I was wondering if any one else had been in this situation? Has any one ever tried to have acupuncture done on any of their pets? Any suggestions would be a great help. Thanks so much!!!

acupuncture
 

I have a friend and her mom's best friend does it on her dog... well... has it done... and they swear by it... the dog could barely walk before it!

My daughter's yorkie just went through this medical problem of a ruptured disc. She didn't opt for surgery as it wasn't guaranteed and would have had to travel out of state for the surgery. He had partial paralysis in his back legs and would fall over when he tried to walk. He was on prednisone, a pain killer and a sedative and had to be kept in a cat crate, unless someone was holding him. There were many times we gave up hope, but finally, after 6 weeks, he started getting better and has been getting better ever since. He lost his muscle mass so has to build that up and the paralysis is almost gone in his back legs. During that 6 weeks, he could only walk when we carried him outside to go potty, then pick him up as soon as he went. The biggest thing with dealing with this, is to keep them as quiet as possible and allow no exercise, as they can hurt themselves worse and also, pain control. Kirby is now off all his medication and allowed to move around as much as he wants. We are so thrilled with his improvement! We wanted to get Kirby acupuncture, but there were no vets in our area that do that. I'd say if there is a vet that does it, give it a try! I have had acupuncture many times with excellent results.

Please keep us updated on how this little one does! Best wishes!

If it was me, I'd try to investigate dog acupuncture before any surgery. I've heard nothing but great stories from humans, so it's worth a shot.

This happened to Zippy about 7-8 years ago, he is 15 now. My sister opted for the surgery, which at the time was around $2,000 if he had surgery now it would be $3,000. Since then he walks with a limp, most resembling walking like a drunk since he can't walk in a straight line. He used to be a constant jumper and isn't able to do that any more. After the surgery he was able to get up the stairs by himself if you gave him some time, but now he has human elevator service up the stairs but can manage down the stairs on his own. In the most recent years he has lost some muscle mass in his back legs, and nerve loss with the end result being incontenence.At the time of his surgery they didn't aquatic physical therapy as widely available as they do now, but that is what the vet suggested. Accupuncture was a side thought, since it's only a temporary fix. So now he is on Metacam for pain, and Proin for the incontenence. Even with the meds, when its rainy or humid he has a really difficult time.

Last year Zippy went to see his Neurologist, and they thought that all of the damaged tissue may not have been removed. An MRI to check would of cost $3,000 and surgery another $3,000. Considering his age my sister decided against more procedures. Otherwise he still has the spirit of a young dog, and you can tell he doesn't like that he can't control what his body does.

Sorry I don't know anything about that, but I sure hope that your chi get better :animal-pa