My dog is 12/13 years old cairn terrier and during thanksgiving break he seemed to be doing great. But two weeks later, I rush home after my college finals and he has intense back pain and wobbly back leg movement. Also muscle spasms near the sides of his back. The er vet intern told us she thinks it's either a ruptured disk on the back of his spinal cord, or a tumor pressing against his back. He's on a steroid, muscle relaxer, and pain killer and in his cage. He seemed to be doing better the first day, but he has periods where the spasms, pain, and panting come back. Here are some specific problems I need help with:

1. Bathroom-he can poop and pee on his own, but the vet told us to carry him out and put him on a leash. But when we do this, he either thinks we're taking him on a walk or he doesn't poop b/c he doesn't want us to watch him. So instead we let him walk by himself to the other side of the house to poop and stand outside....this may be making it worse for his back(b/c his spasms usually come back full force after he poos or goes out), but we don't know how else to get him to poo. It's suppose to snow 10 in tomm. too and we don't know what to do. Although he's sick, he has that stubborn terrier in him still.

2. Cage-right now his cage is in between our living room and kitchen but its a little chilly out here. Also it can get loud when ppl are cooking in the kitchen. The other alternative is my room which is quieter and warmer, but it's farther from the door to the backyard, meaning more walking for him. I could pick him up and take him out like the vet suggests, but when i do this, he seems to be in more pain. I don't want to touch any areas that could hurt him.

3.Food-right now he's eating light adult formula small bites. Does anyone have any suggestions as to possible supplements? I'm planning on asking the vet this later but they haven't got back to me yet.

Disc and spinal cord injuries can take a long time to heal, and it can be discouraging because we don't like to see our fur kids in pain.

The idea of taking him out on a leash is simply to reduce the amount of walking/running around, which can exacerbate the injury. If you carry him to an area where he's comfortable going poo, and turn your back while he does it, it should be OK. It's possible he experiences more pain after having a bowel movement simply because of the posture he assumes (squatting) and straining to produce a poo.

I'd place his crate in an area where he's comfortable and quiet. The purpose of crate rest is just that. Rest. If he's quiet and content where his crate is now, don't bother moving it. This may upset him more. If your concerned that it's too chilly, give him an extra blanket, and if he's not a chewer, you can fill a couple of socks with rice, tie them shut, and heat them in the microwave, then tuck them in around him.

We've had a lot of success with glucosamine/chondroitin supplements when treating dogs with disc injuries. But do discuss it with your vet before you supplement anything.

[jackbilbow]

Oh....poor cairn.Adopt for acupuncture rather stuffing with medicines. I will pray for him to get well soon. Take care of him.

[CorkyMax]

This is an old thread--almost 9 months old! Dog must be better by now.