Displaysia Treatment for Dogs New Haven CT

Q. My 8-year-old German Shepherd Dog has arthritis, hip dysplasia and spondylosis. Her back section is becoming weaker and weaker. It looks as if that part of her body is drunk. Sometimes she can't get any support from her rear legs and drags her back end. She's been on the usual drugs (non-steroidal and steroids) I took her to an acupuncturist and saw some improvement, but then after being outside one day she came in the house dragging her rear area again. She then received steroids (prednisone) that helped a little. We tried another month of acupuncture to no avail. My vet says its the spondylosis and there isn't much we can do. The last time he took X-rays of her back was three years ago, so I don't know how he can tell it isn't something else.

A. It sounds like your German Shepherd Dog could benefit from some specialty care, or at least a consultation and exam. Just like in human medicine, there are board-certified specialists in veterinary medicine who undergo additional training and rigorous testing. However, they are also significantly more expensive than general practitioner veterinarians.

Typically, your regular veterinarian can refer you to a specialist. Most general practitioner veterinarians are aware of specialty care in their area. One of the challenges of pursuing specialty care is deciding what kind of specialist you need.

In your dog's case, it might be a neurologist or an orthopedic surgeon. Just as in human medicine, you may find yourself having ...

Author: Jon Geller, DVM

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