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Shilo

Sent to Pet Experts July 31 05:03 PM

My sons 6yr old beagle has either a ruptured or slipped disk in his lower back. He can still use his back legs for a very short distance and has feeling in them but it is very painful. I do restrict his movement by using his old puppy kennel.. He has been on predizone (sp?) for approx 4wks subscribed by our local Vet. Shilo has not gotten any better or any worse but is in pain. Our Vet advised to take him to a specialist. The consultation charge is $88 the Meylogram is $1,200 and surgery is $1,300. I am a single parent and can not afford these expenses but I do not want to put him to sleep. Are there any other alternatives?
Mom

 

Optional Information:
Age: 6; Male; Breed: Beagle

Already Tried:
Meds restricted movement

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $8
Answer
July 31 6:31 PM (1 hour and 27 minutes and 38 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
The best bet for this is surgery. But you could see if an alternative treatment such as accupuncture or swim therapy would help with the pain.
A holistic vet might help you with that
http://www.holisticvetlist.com/#search
You could see if www.carecredit.com will let you finance the care.
And here are some sites that might help you with financial aid
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/root/
http://www.uan.org/lifeline/resources.html
This site goes over back disease in dogs
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=428
There are mobility aids such as wheels available and you can see www.handicappedpets.com for info on those.
Hope this helps you!

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NancyH -- Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed -- 99% Positive Feedback on 7085 Pet Accepts
30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care
Reply
August 1 3:03 PM (20 hours and 32 minutes and 1 second later)
         
Reply to Nancy Holmes's Post: Do you know what % of the surgeries work? Is it effective and long term? Also is there pain medication to take off the edge if surgery does not take place on a long term basis?
Thank you so much for your help!!
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
August 1 3:14 PM (10 minutes and 59 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
When it works its effective and should last if no further injury occurs.
Yes there are good pain meds from the vet to help relieve any pain. I've used some of those meds to help dogs with painful bone cancer so you can see they work well. Metacam, Rimadyl, Deramaxx and others are all examples of available meds.
You can read here about the surgery
http://www.michvet.com/library/neurology_ivds_thoracolumbar.asp
and a think to ask any vet you consider working with is what their success rate is. Vets differ in this! Sometimes this depends on the type of injury, the amount of time between injury and surgery etc.

Please press Accept if you find my answer helpful. Want more info? Just reply on your question!
Bonuses for good work are always appreciated!
Thanks for the opportunity to help you!
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NancyH -- Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed -- 99% Positive Feedback on 7085 Pet Accepts
30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care
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