In most cases, a dog's back and neck pain can be controlled with anti-inflammatory drugs and plenty of rest (but the vet will know what's best). Never give ibuprofen or Tylenol to your puppy when they are experiencing back and neck pain, as it is toxic and can cause serious health problems. Give a pet the home it deserves. Help us help cats in our community and encourage others to do the same.
See all of our available reward-based training classes. Learn about the ways we provide compassionate access to resources, education and services. From an online donation to a charitable giving annuity, your contribution will have a significant impact on the lives of thousands of animals. Patient signaling is essential to help formulate a list of differential diagnoses.
Although differential diagnoses are usually ordered from most common to least, it is still beneficial to have a full list of differential diagnoses to keep all possibilities open, as those rarer diseases will appear from time to time, depending on how many cases of neck pain are seen in any veterinary clinic or hospital. Level 3 tests, including MRI, CT, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, pathology review, joint aspiration and cytology, infectious disease titers, and cerebrospinal fluid culture and sensitivity, should be considered early in the initiation of care, with clinical judgment and informed consent that guides the decision to initiate conservative treatment or perform timely tests to obtain a definitive diagnosis. If conservative management is chosen before considering further testing, the importance of a means of follow-up within a week, either by email or telephone, on behalf of the client to the veterinarian cannot be overstated. Recovery will depend on the repair needed or extent of pain, your pet's response to therapy, and the degree of degeneration involved.
For some dogs, resting in the cage and restricting exercise will be enough to repair and correct a condition that is causing back and neck pain. For others, a more extensive treatment plan will be needed. If your pet requires surgery, for example, a hospital stay and prolonged physical therapy may be recommended. If the furry in your family has experienced loss of sensation along with pain, the prognosis may be less favorable.
Your veterinarian will analyze all possible avenues for your dog with the main objective of achieving a good quality of life. There are several possible causes of dog neck pain, including injuries, infections, cancer and a number of neurological diseases. Soft tissue injuries are common in dogs and can occur anywhere on the body, including the neck. These types of injuries can be caused by trauma, such as a car accident, or by repetitive stress from activities such as jumping and agility training.
Symptoms of a soft tissue injury to the neck include pain, swelling, and stiffness. Treatment will vary depending on the severity of the injury, but may include rest, ice, physical therapy, and pain relievers. The prognosis is usually very good with rest and conservative treatment. Drugs often used in medical regimens for a conservative approach to neck pain include NSAIDs, gabapentin, tramadol, amantadine, opioid patch, methocarbamol, and corticosteroids.
Common symptoms of neck pain in dogs include reluctance to move the neck in any direction, pain or screams when touching the neck or forequarters, and reluctance to eat and drink. Therefore, signs of pain in the dog's neck can be difficult to recognize, but it's our job as pet parents to look for clues. A specific type of inner ear infection (otitis media) is called secretory otitis media, in which fluid builds up inside the inner and middle ear and can cause neck pain in dogs. Some causes of neck and back pain (such as a virus or fungal infection) can be detected with this simple type of test.
Once neck pain is established with an ordered list of differential diagnoses, a minimal database is often an excellent set of tests to start with. When the cause of neck or back pain is infectious in nature, antibiotics and rest may be the only therapy required. In addition to some type of traumatic neck injury, such as a bite or sports injury, neck pain in dogs is usually caused by a disc that comes out of position and presses on the spinal cord or one of its branches. Abnormalities, atlantoaxial malformation and cranial occipital malformation syndrome (COMS), can cause severe neck pain.
Because the causes of neck and back pain are very varied, treatment is determined according to the nature of the disease and the degree to which the tissues of the spine are involved. Some dogs can recover with strict cage rest and chin-to-chest cervical support; other dogs require surgery to stabilize the neck and lower pressure on the spinal cord. Large breed dogs, such as Dobermans, Pinschers and Great Danes, have neck pain due to cervical spondomyelopathy, also known as “wobbler syndrome”. The discs between the bones in the neck press on the spinal cord or the bones in the neck expand, causing a problem.
The connection between the first and second neck bones depends on a small, faint projection of the second neck bone called the teeth. . .
