hello all,
I have an 8 year old gsd who has had surgery for a disc herniation in his neck, 7 weeks ago. To complicate matters, the next disc had ruptured also, but only slightly. But really compounding the problem are his arthritic elbows.  It was touch and go whether he would be able to stand again after the op, but thank goodness he did. The surgeon is brilliant, but is reluctant to vouch for the suitability of hydrotherapy for him. The situation has not been helped by a major setback 12 days after the op. when  he had to be rehospitalized for another 11 days. I am trying to obtain as much information as possible before the next check up in 4 weeks time, as I would like to take my dog to the hydropool but will not go against the judgement of the surgeon. Has anyone had a dog with neck slipped disc/and/or arthritic elbows.  My dog is struggling mentally to cope with the confinement and lack of exercise.  Before the operation he was such an active dog and loved his daily walks with me.  (Iam a dog walker so 3/4 hours was normal walking).  Any help or advice would be so gratefully received. Thanking you

Your surgeon has had the advantage of knowing exactly what was involved in repairing the neck, the extent of damage etc so I can't really see that you can possible get more informed advise elsewhere on what exercise would be appropriate :)  You have obviously discussed hydrotherapy but have you asked if he can suggest anything else that you might be able to do.  I suspect though that enforced inactivaty is inevitable :(  The only thing I could think of is any mental games that don't involve much movement like guess the hand the treat is in.  It's a pity they can't play chess isn't it :)

Haven't had a dog in that situation, but I do live with a perpetually bored/frustrated dobie/rotti X - she is my brothers, and is an incredibly energetic dog - but only gets 10 mins a day, if that, of walking, and is ignored most of the rest of the time.  Drives me nuts.

To keep her occupied I give her a giant kong stuffed with a mix of crunchy peanut butter, mini kibble (the puppy version of her normal food), and a few snapped gravy bone treats mushed in there as well.  It goes in the freezer last thing at night, and lasts a while the next day, keeps her busy.  Treat balls are also a good idea, so that the dog has to work for its food - don't know how well that would work with the joint troubles though.  An alternative could be a "molecuball", these don't roll around as freely as the regular treat balls so in theory your GSD could nudge it around whilst lying down.

Only other thing I can think of that *might* help is Nzymes - go to nzymes.com, they are a dietary supplement that have helped a lot of old, aching dogs as well as young ones and all sorts.  first4pets.co.uk sell them in the UK.  good luck!

Accupuncture was very effective for my retriever who suffered from prolapsed discs in her neck and back.

thank you for your reply.  May I please ask you how well did your dog recover from the surgery? Did he/she have a good quality of life? Was there ever any risk that other disc would subsequently rupture?I really would appreciate any additional information, if at all possible. |Thanking you