Degenerative Disk Disease in Bichons
Anne Jones RN, BSNE
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Degenerative disk disease is far from being one of the common
problems in Bichons but it does occur often enough that the owner
should know more about the condition, especially if your Bichon is
of the type that is heavy boned, long in body and short of leg. And
if your Bichon fits this body type and is also heavy for his size,
he may be looking toward a future problem with his spine.
The “ideal Bichon” that we seek to breed is described in the
standard for the breed, which is a word description of the ideal
dog. There will never be a “perfect” dog in any breed but we seek to
meet that standard that describes the perfect dog. In Bichons, some
of the earlier imported dogs were of the type described in the first
paragraph and they still appear in litters today. While degenerative
disk disease can occur in any dog, it will be more likely to occur
in the long, low, heavier dog. For this reason, any dog of this type
should be watched closely for obesity.
Let’s talk about disk degeneration and what happens. The spine is
like a lamp cord that leads from the electrical source to the light
bulb. It connects parts of the body to the brain and the wires are
the nervous tissue, carrying commands from the brain, while the
spinal column is the bony shell that protects it. The spine is made
in segments called disks and there are cushioning pads between the
disks. This is a very simplified description of the bony canal that
protects the spine. When the disk starts to break down, the inner
material escapes and makes pressure on the spine itself.
When this material seeps from the disk, it will move inward and
usually upward, sometimes causing enough pressure on the spine to
cause paralysis. One type of rupture will cause pain but may not
cause immediate paralysis and another type of rupture may cause
paralysis but little or no pain. Your veterinarian will be able to
determine a lot of what is happening based on these symptoms.
Regardless of which type of rupture or which disks are involved,
this will be an immediate veterinary emergency. Radiographs will be
taken along with history of the event and a myelogram may be
required. Surgery may or may not be performed but it can help to
relieve pressure and ease pain. A paralyzed dog will remain
paralyzed but the sooner treated, the better the chances of avoiding
paralysis.
What do you look for in your dog that indicates degeneration is
occurring? Remembering that trauma may seem to be a part
of the event, the more likely cause is genetic. Any “fall” or
“jumping” may only have accelerated a process that was already
underway. First the dog may experience pain and may be very
reluctant to move. He appears to be “lazy”, preferring his bed and
inactivity. This is clearly more apparent in a formerly active dog.
Next there may be evidence of lameness that is disturbing to the
owner but the owner may want to wait to see if it clears on its own.
If the dog exhibits signs of pain when you run your hands down his
spine, you may be fortunate enough to get to the veterinarian before
paralysis occurs. More often the owner notes lameness, watches for
improvement and then the dog’s condition progresses to paralysis.
The pet owner should be alert to these changes which may begin weeks
or months earlier.
If your dog has signs of pain in his back or neck, if he seems
uncoordinated, and if he seems incapable of activity when he
normally has been very active, get him to the vet clinic for an exam
and possible x-rays. Surgery will most likely not resolve the
paralysis but can relieve pressure and free the dog from pain.
Physical therapy may gain some activity and will certainly enable
the dog to have a better life than being in pain. There are modern
ways to aid the dog to have mobility and they can be described to
you by your veterinarian. Consultation with a veterinary orthopedic
surgeon may be your choice, depending on the experience and training
of your usual veterinarian.
The most important part you can play is to watch your dog for signs
of problems if he shows a reluctance to move, keep his weight down
to just short of skinny (where you can feel his ribs!) and remember
that he is still your beloved pet even if he does suffer a paralytic
event.
There is one interesting observation by the author that will make
you want to continue to love your Bichon with degenerative disk
disease. The very body type that we describe - long, low and heavier
boned - is often associated with the sweetest and most affectionate
of Bichons. They tend to be charming, intelligent and have gorgeous
faces and wonderful personalities. That is one reason they were used
in the early days for breeding – they also carried the genes that
produced the personality that we love!
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