What is Spinal Trauma?
Spinal trauma can be broken down into events such as car accidents, direct injury, bites, gunshot wounds and multiple medical conditions. Depending on where in your dog’s spine he is injured, you may see different signs and symptoms. Your dog may become incontinent, lose his ability to walk, and experience great pain.
Due to the largely varying nature of the symptoms your dog may experience, his spinal injury could mimic other injuries or conditions. It will be important to bring your dog to his veterinarian to provide relief and to promptly diagnose the problem.
Spinal trauma in dogs is defined as any injury to a dog’s spinal cord that results in ongoing injury and issues. These injuries account for up to 2% of all injuries of dogs brought in to their veterinarian.
Spinal Trauma Average Cost
From 531 quotes ranging from $1,000 - $10,000
Average Cost
$6,000
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
Symptoms of Spinal Trauma in Dogs
Symptoms may vary in your dog depending on the type of injury and what caused it.
- Acute onset – You will most likely notice symptoms come on quickly and suddenly after an injury or trauma
- Loss of function – Your dog may lose some if not all function of his legs or lower half of the body
- Ataxia – There may be a loss of coordination in your dog’s limbs and this may give him an unsteady walk
- Pain – Your dog may begin to experience pain in his neck, back, and limbs due to the spinal injury
Types
Types of spinal trauma injuries are broken down into 3 broad categories.
- Intervertebral disk disease (aging disks that harden and cause pain, discomfort or paralysis)
- Trauma (car accident, gunshots, falls, bite wounds)
- Blood supply being blocked to his spinal cord
Causes of Spinal Trauma in Dogs
The causes of your dog’s spinal trauma will be either medical or accident induced. The causes will reflect the type of spinal cord injury.
Car accident – In the event your dog is hit by a car he may experience an injury to his spine that could result in partial or complete paralysis, pain, loss of coordination and more
Gun shots – In the event your dog is the victim of a gunshot wound, he may suffer injuries to his spinal cord resulting in pain, neurological deficits and other issues
Bite wounds – Depending on how severe the bite is and where it is on his spinal cord, your dog may experience pain, paralysis or long term nerve damage among other injuries
IVDD – Due to old age (although young dogs can be affected too) and hereditary issues your dog may develop compression of his spine resulting in pain, discomfort, and loss of use of his limbs; this condition has been found to be common in Dachshunds, Shih Tzus and other long-backed breeds.
Restriction of blood flow to spinal cord – More likely to impact large breeds, however miniature Schnauzers have a high rate as well; happens when blood flow is constricted to the spinal cord by obstruction or other means of prevention of flow. An embolism may be to blame.
Diagnosis of Spinal Trauma in Dogs
Diagnosing a spinal cord injury will need to be done by a veterinarian as the injury will most likely not be one that can be seen by the naked eye. Your veterinarian will want to perform a physical exam and her primary goal will be to stabilize your dog.
Once he is stable, your veterinarian will need a full history and any indication of injury, trauma, or fall that could be causing his symptoms and your concerns. Your veterinarian will want to rule out other possible disorders or underlying causes of his symptoms through testing.
Some of those tests may include X-rays, CT scans and MRIs to determine where the damage is and how severe it is. These tests are typically done while your dog is under anesthesia to minimise pain and so as not to injure him any further.
Treatment of Spinal Trauma in Dogs
Treatment will be largely dependent on the type of injury your dog is experiencing. If the injury is only a partial cord injury, the prognosis is better. When the cord injury is more severe, the prognosis is worse.This is because when your dog’s spinal cord is only partially injured, the healthy nerves can pick up the slack of the lost nerve endings versus a complete severance where there are no nerves left intact. A lack of deep pain sensation is negative prognostic factor.
Surgery may be necessary to release pressure on your dog’s spinal cord, and to treat any open wounds or other secondary injuries. Medication management is rare and typically consists of cage rest and steroids to help with inflammation as needed. One medication used is PEG, which if used within 72 hours of the injury, can prevent nerves from breaking completely and allow the spinal cord to heal better.
Depending on the severity of your dog’s injury he may begin to recover within a few days to weeks after initial diagnosis. However, if your dog loses his continence ability, that may not return and if he has complete paralysis he may not regain function in his limbs.
Worried about the cost of treating your pet's symptoms?
Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.
Recovery of Spinal Trauma in Dogs
If your dog is no longer able to perform normal bodily functions such as urination or defecation on his own, that will result in a lifelong change for him and you both. If his ability to walk or be mobile is taken away that can also change his lifestyle and may result in changes to his environment and mobility means. In some cases, euthanasia must be considered.
Follow up appointments will be necessary after any surgery as directed by your veterinarian and to check for any further issues or progress of his symptoms. Your dog can begin to get better within a few weeks once the underlying and immediate cause are treated.
Spinal Trauma Average Cost
From 531 quotes ranging from $1,000 - $10,000
Average Cost
$6,000
Top
Spinal Trauma Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Newfoundland
Apollo
12 Weeks
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Pain When Lifted
Our puppy Apollo tried scaling his crate and got himself wedged in the door frame of the crate. His hind legs were in the frog position when I found him and he has since not be able to move them significantly. He is able to wag his tail as usual and x-rays were negative for orthopedic issues.
Aug. 29, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Without knowing more about the injury that Apollo had, or being able to examine him, I have a hard time saying what might be wrong, or how to treat him, but if he has seen your veterinarian recently, it would be a good idea to ask them more questions about him, what might be going on, and how to treat him.
Aug. 29, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Mixed
Yogi
4 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Pain
Our month old 25 lb mixed breed puppy was pounced on by a 1.5 yr old German short haired pointer and suffered trauma to his lower spine. X rayed at er vet showed a possible lateral lunation of thoracic vertebral bodies t11-t-12. He's moving fine, peeing and pooping normally, but cries out in pain if you even gently touch his back end and cries when walking up the couple stairs to get in and out of the house. No ataxia or weakness. We've got him on pain meds and muscle relaxants from the vet and he's on leash and resting either in his crate or in a room with us. Advised for a neurological work up for possible stabilization. My question is what is stabilization and is his being a puppy predisposed him to such an injury. I'm honestly surprised that this could happen by a dog jumping on his back. What are the risks of him not recovering or worsening?
July 29, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
His reflexes sound like they are normal, which is positive. Without knowing more about his actual condition, I don't have any way to comment on what sort of stabilization that your veterinarian is discussing, or how he is expected to recover. Since your veterinarian has seen him recently, it would be very reasonable to call them and ask what to expect and what possible further treatments he will need.
July 29, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Mini Dachshund
Oshie
7 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Incontinence
Stiffness
Our 7 yr old mini doxie had mid-back surgery almost 2 months ago and while he has slowly regained the ability to walk (after 2 wks) he has regressed to the point that he defecates in the house, usually overnight. It seems that he has trouble holding a squat when he goes outside and that he will defecate when he stresses his core during extended barking or stress. Is there something that we can be doing to get him back on the right track, and is it possible that he just needs more healing time? His gait is not 100% and at times he has more trouble and appears to be stiffer.
July 27, 2018
0 Recommendations
Spinal issues are common with Dachshunds and faecal incontinence among other symptoms shouldn’t be surprising; however the faecal incontinence is probably due to inflammation which is leading to a loss of control, there is nothing specific I can recommend for Oshie without examining him first and probably you just need to wait for him to improve more after the surgery but prepare yourself as it still may not improve. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 28, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
German Shepherd
Tommy
8 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
No Sensation In Tail,
Hello 15 days backa table fan fall upon my dogs back while playing.and now after 15 days he is not able to walk,pee and stool .after CT scan dr said that he has a vertebral fracture in L3 vertebrae.
July 25, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
If Tommy has a fracture in his vertebrae and isn't able to walk or urinate, he may not recover from this injury. Since I don't know anything about his situation, it would be best to discuss his prognosis with your veterinarian, and make any decisions for him that are kind.
July 25, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Dalmation
Lucky
12 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Not Walking
Hello! My dog lucky is 12 years old dalmation. Just 2 days back will running he slipped in water and was okay, he was playing the next few hours like jumping etc. However since yesterday he is just lying down and trying to move his limbs but is not able to get up . He hasnt passed bowels since 2 days and slightly passed urine. He had little food yesterday and now is taking very less amount of water and is not eating. He is moving all his limbs, he gets excited seeing us, wags his tail, but he is unable to get up and walk. I belong to a small town and the vet said he has fever and has spinal cord injury and he cannot improve, another vet saw him the same evening, at that time he was afebrile and doctor said that he is weak so he gave him multivitamin injections. I want to ask is it really spinal cord injury or is it something else?
July 23, 2018
0 Recommendations
Without examining Lucky I cannot determine whether there is a spinal injury, hip injury or another cause; you should allow Lucky to get plenty of rest and monitor for improvement however I cannot give you any specific advice without an examination unfortunately. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 24, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
English Bulldog
Lou
5 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Pain
Uncoordination
Crooked Walking
Walking Low
For about a month my dog has been having his head tilted to his left side, crying in pain and walking with little to no coordination. The other day I took him to my vet and got xrays done and we discovered that he displaced his back.I'm not sure how he injured himself. The vet told me he couldve jumped or even was running and made a very sharp turn. During his feedings i have to put on his harness and leash to support him up or else he falls and all four.Although when he does this, he gets up quicker but im not sure if its because of the meds.He also has been urninating on his beds so i have to wash every other day and give him a new bed to rest on while his good cover is in the wash. I start him on Predisone tonight and i hope this give him some relief as i cannot think to put my bubba through surgery. hes on a very strict rest and only comes out when its time to eat, drink water and use the bathroom and to hangout and walk around for no longer than 5 minutes.In the past he head buts the cage and gets out so we now have to zip tie is closed when we leabe for work and at night. He still walks low to the ground and has even fallen over himself and pees on himself. we are not sure how he injured himself but the vet did recommend that we get him stairs or even a ramp so he can go on the couch and for easier access to both my car and my boyfriends truck. I'm hoping this predisone helps along with rest.
Spinal Trauma Average Cost
From 531 quotes ranging from $1,000 - $10,000
Average Cost
$6,000
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
