Spondylosis in Dogs

Spondylosis in dogs can be extremely painful and uncomfortable for your dog. Generally affecting older dogs, canine Spondylosis can often go undetected until there is a physical problem visible in your dog. Knowing exactly what Spondylosis is can help you diagnose dog Spondylosis much quicker, meaning less pain for your precious pooch.

What is Spondylosis

Spondylosis in dogs is a progressive disease that causes a dog’s vertebrae to grow together.

Problems from Spondylosis become more common in older dogs. Younger dogs may be able to live perfectly happy, relatively pain-free lives and only suffer limited flexibility.

For older dogs Canine Spondylosis can be very painful as most owners cannot detect the disease until it is actually affecting their movement in the form of a limp or back pain.

Symptoms of Spondylosis

Many dogs experience no pain at all when they contract the Spondylosis disease, however many dogs experience severe pain, especially older dogs. As dogs cannot let us know their aches and pains, looking out for symptoms that can represent Spondylosis in dogs on a regular basis will be beneficial to your dogs long-term health.

Stiffness –if you notice stiffness in your dogs (this could be difficulty in climbing stairs or taking a while to get out of bed) this could be an early sign of canine Spondylosis, so monitor this for a few days and if there is no improvement, go and see your vet to get a diagnosis.

Swelling – check around your dog’s spinal column for any redness and swelling, as these are common symptoms of Spondylosis in dogs.

Pain – pain is one of the most common symptoms associated with canine Spondylosis. If your dog whines a lot, especially when touched on the back, you should get it checked out by a vet as soon as possible.

Treatment of Spondylosis

If you believe your dog is showing signs of Spondylosis in dogs then the first thing to do is take a trip to the vet.
A vet will initially x-ray your dog to check for signs of Spondylosis in dogs, this will also help rule out any other conditions that may be present.

Once dog Spondylosis has been diagnosed, standard veterinary treatment consists of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and occasionally surgery.

After and during treatment, dog owner must be extremely careful and very patient as Spondylosis dogs will struggle with the exercise and mobility they once enjoyed.

There are other natural treatments for Spondylosis in dogs, which can be used independently of or in conjunction with a veterinary approach.

Note: Sponylosis is known to be particularly common in certain breeds, such as Boxer Dogs