Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Dog with stage V IVDD can't move back legs. Is recovery without surgery realistic?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 4 years old | 15 lbs

I have a four year old Jack-weenie mix, and two days ago she suddenly lost feeling in her back legs. She is being monitored at the vet now, with no signs of myolemacia. No deep pain in her rear legs either. The dr wants to keep watching her, because he ruled out surgery... I cannot stand to watch this draw out. Is recovery realistic with stage V IVDD, a type 3 vertebral concussion? Or would it be better to euthanize her humanely?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 21st, 2017

I'm so sorry Drew is going through this at the moment, and I'm sorry for you as well! This is a very hard situation. Unfortunately, the statistics with recovery are very poor with stage V IVDD. With medical and conservative treatment, the prognosis is less than 5% of recovery. With surgery, there is a 50% chance of recovery if the surgery is done less than 24 hours after symptoms appear, and less than 5% if it's done more than 48 hours after symptoms appear. As you can see, these numbers are quite poor, and if your vet has ruled out surgery, your only option is the medical treatment. I guess you need to weigh whether or not you want to see if Drew will be part of the less than 5% who can recover, but the fact that she doesn't have deep pain is not a good prognosis. You can have her monitored with the vet for another 24-48 hours, but if things still look poor after that time, euthanizing her may be the best option. Again, I'm so sorry you are going through this, and I hope my answer helps you somewhat.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 3 year old Pekingese with IVDD,diagnosed 2 weeks ago.She is grade 4, paralyzed,no bladder control, but has DPS.She takes 3/4 tab of Tranadol 50mg every 8 hours & 5mg Prednisone every 12 hours.She was given 4 shots of a high dose steroid on t
Hello. I am sorry that this happened to Gina. The most recent recommendations for IVDD do not include steroid use and do include surgical decompression (a surgery to remove the herniated bit). If surgery is not possible due to finances (usually at least $4000, but talk to vets in your area), then strict cage rest for 6 weeks is recommended. These are the latest recommendations. The best thing to do would be to get a consultation with a neurologist or a surgeon, and have surgery if you can. I would look into these options ASAP as prognosis and return of function decreases the longer the compression is in place, so surgery now isn't as successful as surgery when it first happened, however surgery does have very good outcomes, often getting 80-95% of normal function back. I would recommend a consultation with a surgical specialist or a neurologist if you can. Good luck with Gina!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My kitten is 3 months old and has IVDD caused by an accident. By this it has given him paresis in his back legs. Does he has a chance to recover without surgery? Can you give me an advice?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! If he has already lost the ability to use his legs, he is not going to recover without surgery. If he is able to use his legs, there is a very small chance that he could recover with medical therapy but that is based on other physical examination parameters. I recommend that you consider proceeding with surgery if it has been recommended by your veterinarian. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has been diagnosed with ivdd, and i just dont know how to cope and what to do. Im in a pile of tears right now and ive done the pinch test but im getting mixed signals. Sometimes he looks up like hey stop but other times he just lays there and
First off, I'm very sorry Dobby has been diagnosed with IVDD. I can understand how hard this may be for you. First thing to do is stop doing the pinch test. All you are going to do is worry and upset yourself. It's not beneficial to him or you. There are dogs that have lost deep pain and become paralyzed from the IVDD but still live full lives. Their owners are very dedicated to their care, and these dogs have wheelchairs to help them get around. Their owners also express their bladder. It's very full on, but it can be done. There may be options for you with treating him to prevent him losing deep pain sensation such as surgery, but your vet is the best to discuss those options. It's hard not to be upset, but working yourself into a state isn't good for you or him. Talk with your vet, see what treatment options are available for him. Hang in there, I hope this helped!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My pup Bellita was diagnosed 2 days ago with IVDD. 50% chance of walking again. Surgery is too expensive
I'm so sorry that you and your Bella are going through this. I recommend speaking to your veterinarian about financing options such as CareCredit that may allow you to have the surgery performed, as the surgery would give her the best chance at walking again. Also contact your local Humane Society/shelters to see if they know of other companies that provide financing options. If surgery is not an option for you, I recommend you look into pain management and crate rest through your veterinarian, and contact a veterinary acupuncturist immediately. In some cases acupuncture and rehabilitation/physiotherapy can help restore at least some function in dogs with IVDD. Time is of the essence in IVDD cases, so please look into treatment right away, preferably via immediate surgery. Best of luck to you both. See the links below for more information. http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx https://www.carecredit.com/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello. My dog went in for a procedure for IVDD but went into cardiac arrest during the end of the Mri so surgery didn't happen. She has a bulging disk and a blood clot in the mid left side of her spine. I am more than worried to have her go back unde
Oh my! How scary! I don't blame you for being worried about her going back under anesthesia. I would definitely have a cardiologist look at her. Of course surgery is the best option for her back, but it may not be worth it if she can't tolerate anesthesia. I would talk to the surgeon or neurologist about other options like high doses of steroids to see if this would help. Also, acupuncture and chiropractics have helps in some cases along with steroids. Unfortunately, this is a difficult decision because neither option is guaranteed to cure her paralysis. It is all about this risks versus benefit. I think you first have to see what the cardiologist says and see if a certified anesthesiologist would be present for surgery and whether they all feel the risk of Mia going back under anesthesia is worth the possible benefits of surgery. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pup bella was diagnosed with IVDD on tuesday. Surgery is too expensive so were containing her in the box. We lift her to potty. But atm she doesnt move her arms. She wants to just layer there. We werent told in the vet anything about this happenin
Poor Bella! Unfortunately IVDD can progress to paralysis. I'm going to give you some resources that may help you afford surgery for her. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I just went to my local Animal hospital for my Dachshund, She just lost feeling in her back legs and is unable to walk now. The vet I went to was unable to give me any answers. I was just told to give my dog Prednisone 5mg, 1 tablet twice dail
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Emmy! If Emmy lost the feeling in her back legs you should consider taking her to a specialty hospital to have an MRI done and see if she is a candidate for back surgery. There is a fine line with spinal trauma for the dog to be able to regain feeling and the ability to walk again. It is expensive but time is of the essence. If you would do surgery on her you should take her now. Based on the X-ray she may have a mineralized disk L6-L7 but they do not have to be visible on X-ray to be causing the problem. This condition is called Intervertebral-Disk disease and is very common is Dachshunds. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3223 I hope this helps and I wish Emmy the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
dog has minor IVDD cant afford surgery is it safe to work w/ chiropractor and acupuncture? do I have other options
Generally speaking, dogs with IVDD who do not have major neurologic deficits (i.e., no paralysis) of the rear legs can often be managed successfully without surgery. The recommended treatment for these dogs usually involves strict cage rest for at least 30 days, along with a steroid or anti-inflammatory medication, pain medication, and sometimes muscle relaxers as well. Laser therapy, chiropractic therapy, and acupuncture can certainly be helpful in some cases as well. If Tigger is still quite painful after 30 days on this treatment plan, or if things get worse or she develops paralysis of her rear legs, these are indications that surgery may be necessary in order to treat the problem effectively.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has two ruptured discs and has not been able to walk for about a month now. She is a cocker spaniel who is 10 years old. She pees and poops with no problem and she eats and drinks water. She tries to pull herself up and even moves her hind leg
If she has not improved for one month with medical management of intervertebral disc disease she may not completely regain normal function in her rear legs. Sometimes physical therapy or acupuncture can help - your veterinarian can refer you to someone in your area. If she is urinating and defecating normally and has some function in her rear legs she may also be a candidate for a wheelchair. You may also want to ask about surgery at this point - surgery may not be as successful for a chronic problem, but it may be helpful to discuss the pros and cons with a surgeon. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian to see what they would recommend at this point.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog fallen 20 feet on back bone he lost sense back two legs there is no fracture in bone but doc said no chance recover because spinal nurvous system damage i uoload xray pic tell me what to do with it how to recover i cant not get what to do hiw to
I am so sorry that this has happened to Tommy. Unfortunately I cannot not say for sure if there is any chance of recovery from just X-rays. An MRI or CT really needs to be done to get the best view of the spinal cord and his intervertebral disks. Also, you may want to see if there is a veterinary surgeon who is comfortable with back surgery as this could be an option for Tommy. If not, the only other suggestion would be high doses of steroids. None of these options are guaranteed to work but they might. I hope this helps and hope that Tommy is capable of healing. Hang in there and good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Supplies Dog Toys Dog Lift Harnesses & Wheelchairs Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Dog First Aid & Recovery Dog Recovery Cones & Surgical Suits Dog Braces & Splints Dog Health & Wellness Dog Pain Relief & Arthritis Meds Dog Incontinence & Bladder Control Medicine Deramaxx Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Vet's Best Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Vetality Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Previcox Dog Pain Medicine & Relief PetAlive Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Adequan Canine Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Best Friend Mobility Dog Lift Harnesses & Wheelchairs Prednisone Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Dogswell Dog Pain Medicine & Relief Deramaxx Dog First Aid & Recovery
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored