INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DEGENERATION (IVDD) IS A GENETIC DISORDER THAT CAUSES A DISEASE PROCESS IN THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS OF THE SPINAL CORD.
These discs are located in-between each of the vertebra in the spine of mammals. They are very watery in consistency. They function as pillows – shock absorbers – for the spine, allowing the mammal’s back to flex.
When a dog has IVDD type 1 (IVDD-1), over time, the discs dry out and are more or less replaced with cartilage and their ability to function correctly is therefore decreased. It has been demonstrated for years that IVDD-1 shows up reliably in certain families of dachshunds, and over three years ago, at least one generic basic was found for the disorder.
Interestingly, researchers also discovered that IVDD-1 does NOT seem to be directly related to what causes the type of dwarfism seen in dachshunds, bassets hound, corgis, and a number of other breeds, called hypochondroplasia. This is great news because it does NOT mean all dogs with short legs and long bodies are affected with IVDD-1 – in fact most aren’t. Dachshunds unfortunately, just happen to account for the majority of dogs with the genetic condition.
WHEN IT COMES TO IVDD, EDUCATION IS KEY!
REMEMBER, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.
Thankfully, veterinary medicine has come a long way, and IVDD is no longer a death sentence for affected dogs. By clicking on the below links, you can learn about ways you can go about preventing a serious disc episode, what to do in an emergency, how to recognise the signs and symptoms of IVDD, what treatment options are available to you and your dog and loads more.
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I was immediately on the road again heading home, and as soon as I walked back in the house, Snicky was shivering, crying and still trying to bust through those bars! I immediately took him out of the crate, where he hugged up to me as best he could and wouldn’t let go. It was from that very moment we knew the next few weeks ahead were going to be purely about Snicky’s recovery, and both my partner and I needed to take a step back from our daily routine and focus solely on getting him better. We didn’t even need to think about the next few decisions, given that we owed it to Snickers to be there for him and make the months ahead as painless as possible. We arranged with our work places to work half days, and ‘tag team’ between morning and afternoon shifts, to ensure someone was home with Snicky at all times. This work arrangement continued for the next 5 or so weeks.
Our encounter with IVDD started with a Yelp! It was the Friday evening of Mother’s Day weekend 2015. I picked Poppy up to put her in the car and she yelped. Oh no. Saturday morning we were at the vet who confirmed it was her back and gave her pain killers and advised keeping her quiet. But, through the day, she didn’t seem to be getting better, in fact, she got worse and worse. At bedtime I thought “We’ll be back at the vet in the morning”, but hoped she would benefit from some sleep. By 2 am Sunday morning (Mother’s Day) Poppy’s back legs had lost function and she was in clear pain. I knew I had to move fast. I rang the after-hours number for the vet and met him at 3am for a very serious discussion.