Spondylosis

[pampa]

My boss has a 12 month old boxer.

She is desperately thin (despite the best food / veterinary attention possible), has / had been diagnosed with a heart murmur (despite the breeder offering good scores of both parents) and today, she has been diagnosed with SPONDYLOSIS. Good news is, is that the heart murmur seems to have faded since her last check up 3 months ago...

I've just done a search here and only found a few brief passages on the Spondylosis disease.

Has anyone experienced spondylosis and if so, how can we ease this dogs' suffering ? What is her life expectany ? I'm really at a loss

Before buying the pu, my boss was assured by the owner that the dogs were free of any defects / disorders... Exceptions do happen, now we need to help this pup.

Anyone ????

Any insight on this disorder would be greatly appreciated.

[Garloch]

Hi,

There is a previous thread on this, dated 29 April 07. Health and Grooming Forum.

Sorry, don't know how to set up a link, and I haven't read it, but it may be helpful??

[pampa]

Hi,

There is a previous thread on this, dated 29 April 07. Health and Grooming Forum.

Sorry, don't know how to set up a link, and I haven't read it, but it may be helpful??

Thanks for responding Garloch, I read the thread you refer to but unfortunately it is only 3 posts long and has little useful information. Amazingly (all the better I guess), there seems to be very little info on this condition.

Anyone ?

[Debbi]

Hi Pampa,

Yes, we have had experience with what was originally diagnosed as discospondylosis however, effectively it was a radical infection of the vertabrae in the last part of the spine prior to the set on of tail (best way to explain it to you), in a young puppy.

It was caused from birth, where a vet nurse dropped the puppy, and the puppy hit the wall , (bum first), and later infection set in where the injury had occured.

It took a course of events where she developed as a normal and quite outstanding young puppy, and we kept her, however commencing at approximately 12 weeks, she developed anal gland problems where we had to express anal glands, and was put on antibiotics. THis continued, and we fought with the vet about the abnormality of this problem. Over a period of months she deteriorated to the point where she was literally unable to walk, her hind muscle had wasted, she was chronically thin, (all under vet care), and we constantly argued with the vet. Upon being advised that we had no alternative but to euthanise this puppy, we demanded a referral to a specialist clinic, for diagnosis, and with further argument, we sought a brilliant person, who under MRI found the severe infection between the discs, the infection had originally no external way out from the body, (as a baby) but via the anal glands, and then just localised between the vertebrae. With MONTHS of exceptionall strong courses of antibiotics, and an absolutely strong willed bitch, she pulled back to the once brilliant puppy that we first saw, and went on to do much winning. We owe much to the specialist who had the ears to listen to us, and the desire to search further than to just give up.

HOWEVER, having said all of that, we knew the whole history of this puppy, and could track down all the events leading to the problems.

Hope some of the above helps you!

Debbi

[pampa]

Thanks Debbi ;)

Glad to hear your pup pulled through that unfortunate ordeal.

Unfortunately we don't have any history on this bitch before my boss took her home for the first time at 12 weeks (I think :D ) so I couldn't say whether she had any spinal trauma early in life...

Shes very tall for a boxer and still quite "gangly". I guess this doesn't help the situation...

I will be looking after her whilst my boss is overseas and she'll be needing a weekly shot at the specialists so I'll question the him on the possibility of an infection whilst i'm there.

Any other experiences with this affliction would be appreciated.

Anyone ???

[Kelpie-i]

Hi Pampa

So sorry to hear of your pup's ordeal.

My GSD (14 yo) was diagnosed with spondylosis back in 2002 at the base of his spine, near the start of the tail. From what the vet tells me, spondylosis is like a growth on the bone tissue than can be sort of 'spike' like.... if you get what I mean. The vet told me there was nothing much they could do for him other than watch him for pain etc.

GSD's are prone to spondylosis and we were sort of lucky that it developed later on in his life however I must admit that it hasn't really caused him too much problem until just recently where it seems the spondylosis may be touching on his nerves and causing some pain. This has only occurred a few times and only when he's been lying down. He also suffers from mild arthritis but at his age, this is common.

Unfortunately, this is all I can give you on spondylosis. Have you tried doing a google search on it??

[nellybly10]

My mum had an old cat years ago that had it, but from memory the vet told her it was a form of arthritis, but maybe my memory is failing! The cat was put on cartrophen injections which i think helped.

Maybe you could try an arthritis product, if there was Joint Guard back then I'm sure my mum would have tried it! Anyway it couldnt do any harm to try it???

[Kelpie-i]

Hi,

Found this description of spondylosis on the net. I knew it had something to do with tissue growth of some sort.

Spondylosis is the term used to describe the usual cause of accumulation of new bone (calcium

deposits) around the spinal vertebrae. Usually, this condition does not cause discernible pain or

disability. However, there are dogs that do seem to experience one or the other problem as a result

of this condition. There is no clear answer to the question about whether to keep up with exercise or

not. My personal opinion is that it is better to continue with moderate exercise, though.

[becks]

My younger giant has been diagnosed with it (though still needing x-ray to confirm it). She is just coming up to 4 years old.

She has to do a 3 point turn to turn around as she can't bend to turn (so no way for her to do weave poles in agility!!). She has an unusual style of running, kinda looks like she is just running with 1 back leg as she uses them both to bunny hop. When she gets lots of exercise she tends to really build up shoulder muscles but not muscle up on the back end.

Not sure if it is connected or not but she is another who is thin and can't put weight on.

Last year my vet had a boxer in with this condition, the boxer had to have the whole tail removed as the bones had fused it over his anus and the dog couldn't toilet easily