My dog has spinal stenosis. How long can he live comfortably?

So sorry to hear Kona is having this issue. This is a personal decision but my opinion is that you should wait. A dog with spinal stenosis can be unstable walking around and another dog could cause him harm by knocking him down or jumping on him or fighting with him, etc. You don't need him getting hurt or being in more pain. I think you should focus all your time, money and energy on Kona and worry about getting another dog later. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am so very sorry to hear your baby has a tumor! That is devastating! Depending on what type of tumor it is and it's location (if it is in the bone vs in the spinal cord) can vary the average life expectancy of the animal, so it is really difficult to say without knowing these things. There are definitely treatments/medications that can help improve Caesar's quality of life for as long as possible. Additionally, some tumors respond favorably to radiation treatment or potentially chemotherapy as well, so that may or may not be an option for Caesar. If you aren't doing further treatments, then often adding in steroids to reduce swelling and inflammation can potentially make Caesar's quality of life as good as possible. I would discuss medication and expectations with your vet, as they will hopefully be able to give you more information based on what they are seeing in the x-ray. I would also focus on how he is doing day to day and how comfortable he is. Not every dog "reads the book" on how cancer progression is suppose to go and we always hope for longer time than the average. I would consider getting area rugs or carpet runners to give Caesar more grip when he is walking. Hard wood floors and tile can be difficult for any older dog to walk around on, so giving him more traction may help. I would also discuss pain management with your vet. Sometimes if they are more painful, we can adjust their medication for the "bad" days. Ultimately we look for good quality of life. If Caesar quality of life is starting to decline ("bad" days outnumber the "good" days), then I would consider humane euthanasia. It's never an easy decision for any owner (vets included!) but ultimately it is the last kind thing you can do when there is nothing else you can do for him. Again, I am so very sorry for you and your boy!

This question is tough to answer because every spinal cord injury is different and all dogs heal at different rates. I would recommend judging Rayna’s improvement on a day by day basis. If she is improving, even slowly, it is a good sign. Continue supporting her and giving the medication as prescribed and she will most likely continue to improve. Some dogs don’t show any improvement until 6 weeks post injury. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Poor Socks! It sounds like she may have diskspondylitis, which is inflammation of the vertebral discs due to infection. Because her symptoms return when the medication is done, she may need surgery. It sounds like her spinal cord has been severely compromised, and surgery should be considered to decrease pressure on the spinal cord. This tends to be a specialist surgery, so I would discuss with your vet if this is an option for Socks, and they can make a referral.

It’s a little difficult to see the fracture in your picture of the x-ray, but it doesn’t look like the spinal canal is severely affected so if Luna doesn’t have neurologic deficits then cage rest alone may be fine. I would definitely recommend at least consulting with a surgeon however - they would be able to give a better idea about the chances of recovery with surgery vs rest.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!. I am so sorry to hear about Kika. What a long life she has led! When I have the talk about quality of life with my patients, I tell them to measure the good and bad days. When the bad day far outweigh the good then the time has likely come. You as the owner know your dog best. When the pet no longer interacts with family, stops eating well, urinates or defecates around the house, uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhea or is unable to move with out pain are all indicators of a poor quality of life. Dementia is a terrible disease in humans and people. We can only imagine how the dog feels. I think taking her to your Vet for at least an exam to see if there are any medical conditions that they could treat to help her feel better. Maybe she has urinary incontinence and some medications would help. Also there are some treatments that help dementia, though it is progressive. I hope this helps in some way.

Yes, euthanasia is definitely a very valid option here, it is quite likely that inflammation in and around her spinal nerves is contributing to both the paralysis and incontinence and severely impacting her quality of life