Does my dog have a hernia?

A hernia is a bulge of a part of the intervertebral disc located in the spine.  This bulge presses against spinal cord, this causes back pain, and a display to the hind legs where there is a chance of possible nerve loss and loss of strength while walking. A hernia can occur anywhere in the back and neck. It can cause paralysis in the longer term. and the dog may have difficulty urinating and faeces. A hernia can also occur in the neck, recognizable by a stiff neck, and howl of the dog when touching the neck. In case of mild symptoms, the dog regularly falls with one of the forelimbs and suffers from loss. Hernia occurs mainly in dogs that have a long back, such as a dachshund.

The symptoms differ depending on the site of the hernia:

Hernia in lower back:

  • sit slower or have trouble with opstaa
  • Not being able to jump
  • Weak hind legs or lameness
  • difficulty urinating and faeces
  • limp or low tail

Hernia in middle back:

  • Not being able to pee
  • Paralysis or muscle weakness of the hind legs or muscle weakness
  • Traag and stiff walking
  • abdominal pain-like complaints, raised abdomen, bulged back

Hernia in the neck:

  • Stiff neck
  • Muscle weakness of all legs or only hind legs
  • Don't move your head up
  • Pain attacks, anxious (when stroked over the head)

You can treat a hernia in several ways:

  • Surgery: surgery is not necessary until the paralysis symptoms increase. Surgery is necessary for severe paralysis with severe pain. The veterinarian will then send you to a specialist together with your dog.
  • Absolute hokrust for 6 weeks:  hokrust means that you leave your dog in his  bench and that he can only go outside to pee. Often 6 weeks  of loft rest ensures a full recovery, even in dogs with complete paralysis.
  • Corticosteroids: it is not always certain whether this works well, but it is often administered, if it is a less severe case, the dog often receives painkillers.
  • Support at the neck or back: there are certain objects that you can purchase to relieve the neck or back, such as a chest harness, dog coat against the cold and a gangway

A hernia with paralysis symptoms is always an emergency. Depending on the site of the hernia, special treatment is applied.