Spinal stenosis - Page 1

 Just found out that my 15 month old pup may have spinal stenosis -- he is going to have an MRI in a couple of weeks to determine whether this is in fact the case -- does anyone out there have experience with this condition?  My dog has a "lazy" back end and "knuckles under" behind, wearing the toenails on his rear feet.

The dog is VERY young for this kind of diagnosis. I would hope that the MRI shows disk compression because that probably would be easier to treat. Depending on what the MRI shows, it could be more a case of cauda equina, but lets' hope it is not that as well.

When did this knuckling under start? Could the dog have been injured? Who made this current diagnosis, a regular vet or a specialist?

 No possibility of an injury, he has been with us 24/7 -- the preliminary diagnosis was made by a neurologist based on a physical examination.  He has been "knuckling under" since about the age of 4 months.  The preliminary diagnosis was made at a teaching hospital, where we took him for an evaluation of his hip dysplasia, which is severe and will probably require 2 complete him replacements.

I hope it all works out for your dog, Radarsmom. You sound like a wonderful dog owner.

 Thank you both for your kind comments -- this is SUCH a loving, special dog -- if and when you pray, please pray for Radar!  

I sure will, Radarsmom. Having owned a GSD with many health problems, I feel for you. On a happier note, I also owned a dog with severe HD diagnosed when he was only 6 months old. In time and with forced rest and controlled exercise, he was able to live a long pain free life as a companion to a blind child. We never had surgery for him. The only complaint I ever received from his owner was that they had to redo their 6 foot fence to prevent him from jumping over it.

Keep the faith............

 Thank you, Blitzen!  Three weeks ago, Radar jumped OVER an arm chair trying to flee a frantic Mom who was trying to rescue a throw pillow.  I suppose when we get all this sorted out, the sky will truly be the limit!

Sounds to me like he may soon be jumping over  6 foot fences too . 

 Just found out that Radar has Cauda Equina, a pretty bad case it was diagnosed by MRI -- and since he has been exhibiting these symptoms for so long, it is probably congenital -- please keep this special pup in your prayers, he is not incontinent yet, and will have surgery on Monday the 19th.  This was not discovered early since it is so rare in young pups -- just goes to show you that one should always consider all the possibilities.  If anyone has experience with CE I would appreciate your thoughts.

I'll be thinking about Radar and hoping for successful surgery and a complete recovery. Keep the faith.......our special needs dogs are the ones that take the biggest pieces of our hearts.