My dog has spondylosis. Is stem cell therapy right for her?

Wheelchairs are generally indicated when a pet has trouble walking and can no longer use the back legs very well. If this is the case for Sara, then a wheelchair may be beneficial. Otherwise focus on providing pain medication and joint supplements. Also focus on daily, low impact exercise such as a daily walk and swimming which will help to maintain muscle mass and stability. If you have additional questions, please feel free to post.

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.

Hello, sorry to hear about Mollie. There are multiple causes of pain and lameness in the front legs. One of which includes inflammation of the biceps tendon, most often diagnosed with an ultrasound. Elbow dysplasia which can be composed by 3 different disease processes (elbow incongruity, fragmented medical coronoid process, and ununited anconeal process) which is diagnosed with a CT scan. And any injuries to the wrist or toes often seen with x-rays. Most of these can be treated first with medical management, strict rest, and occasionally a splint or bandage. However, of this is not working for Mollie, then she may need to see an orthopedic surgeon to determine if surgery is necessary. At that time, depending on what the findings of the orthopedic exam are, you may be faced with having to do additional diagnostics. Unfortunately, your insurance may or may not cover these. Speak with your veterinarian about adding more pain medications or considering a referral to an orthopedic surgeon if deemed appropriate. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Molly isn't feeling well. Unfortunately we are unable to give advice for medication without seeing Molly. I would contact your veterinarian to see if they can give you more assistance. I recommend making an appointment for her so they can find the source of her pain and get her the correct treatment. They may need to take x-rays to rule out a fracture. In the meantime, I would rest her in a kennel so she doesn't continue to injure herself. You could also try a warm compress on the area, but since it has been going on for so long, I would take her to a vet. Good luck and kisses to Molly!

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Before beginning steroids, I typically start joint supplementation and conservative management before resorting to steroids. Below are the things I currently recommend to combat the pain from arthritis: 1. Dasuquin for large dogs 2. Adequan injections 3. Cold laser therapy 4. Omega 3 fish oil 5. Pain relievers such as amantadine, gabapentin, methadone, and tramadol. If you really want to invest more money into arthritis management PRP injections can help quite a bit. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

It's a little difficult to say what other treatments could help without knowing for certain what joint is affected and what type of surgery was performed. That being said, there are some supplements that can be helpful for any joint disease including glucosamine and injectable glycosaminoglycans (Adequan). Molly should stay on the thin side of ideal body condition and keep a regular, moderate exercise routine as long as she has been cleared for exercise by your veterinarian. Physical therapy can also be helpful. Hope she gets well soon!