Hi All, Jason here, I'm new as of today. Just wanted to reach out and see if anyone else has had their dog develop a pinched nerve in their spine. My dog Sid about a year ago started to poop in one spot but now he starts to poop and starts to walkaway while still going. Never pooped in the house but then started to because it's apparent that he is losing feeling in his lower region. I know because of x-rays that it is a pinched nerve. We have him seeing a chiropractor and he's on a few natural medications. He now drags his back knuckles when he walks just a bit and enough to rub them raw. I now carry him to the grass but when he runs he's fine. Outside of surgery, I was hoping to find out if anyone has a similar story and how they helped their dog heal or come back to some normal life. Sid is only 7 years now and it's breaking my heart to see him aging so suddenly. I may have to do the surgery, I don't know. Jason.
Hello Jason - I am sorry to hear about Sid's back problems. However, a pinched nerve would not show up on an X-ray, it would need an MRI to be able to show that, and a pinched nerve should not cause any loss of feeling or weakness below the area where the damage or problem is. Loss of feeling and/or weakness sounds more like a problem between two vertebrae, causing pressure on the spinal cord at the point of the problem. Whether surgery would be effective is difficult to say as it depends on what the actual damage/problem is, but if it is indeed just a pinched nerve then that would normally heal naturally without any surgical or other intervention, usually around three months after it happened. Sorry I cannot be of any real help.
I agree with Malka. This sounds more like a herniated disc. Be careful with chiropracty unless under the supervision of an orthopaedic vet. Crate rest is usually recommended.
Dogs spines are very much like human spines and I know more than enough about the latter, unfortunately. If a herniated disc hardens it can cause a spur and depending on which side of the vertibrae it herniates the spur can press on the spinal cord. Which is exactly what it did when I broke my neck. If the pressure is not enough to cause damage it could just cause temporary problems, in which case there should be no permanent weakness. If it occurs in the lower spine, as it sounds as if has happened in @Jstone710 Jason's Sid, it causes the loss of feeling, weakness, and possible bowel and bladder sensation. Definitely no chiropractic action though unless recommended by a canine orthopaedist though, as @CaroleC says, as it could cause a temporary problem to become permanent.
Thank you to you both for the advice. I think I will get a second opinion from another Vet or be sure they did an MRI. Thanks again. Jason.
Can you ask your vet for a referral to a canine orthopaedic specialist? That would be far better than just getting a second opinion from another vet.
