Health
Intervertebral disc disease
Spinal discs that harden early and rupture into the spinal cord, causing pain, wobbling or sudden paralysis — the classic long-backed-breed emergency.
The discs between vertebrae are shock absorbers. In breeds built long and low, a gene for short legs also changes disc cartilage, so the discs degenerate in early adulthood rather than old age. A hardened disc can burst upward into the spinal canal during something entirely ordinary — a jump off the sofa.
Signs range from a hunched, reluctant dog to back legs that stop working within hours. Sudden loss of movement is an emergency, and the window in which surgery works best is measured in hours, not days. Ramps, weight control and skipping the stairs are the everyday version of prevention.
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