4 year old rottweiler - serious spinal problem

[Rottweiler]

Hello all you out there!

Now i am searching for all advice and pointers.
My name is Ardis, and i found this chat board when i was googleing "dog back brace". My friend owns a 4 year old Rottie boy, and recently he started developing signs of possible wobblers. Today was his second xray, where the xray showed some severe defects in spinal joint 3 and 4.

He has obvious signs of wobblers, but since vets here are not familiar with this syndrome, they cannot do anything for our favorite boy.

I have been searching for vets in the EU to import to here, to do some surgeries on large breed dogs with severe problems. But right now 2 dogs are in highest priority, this boy, and his sister witch has severe hip and elbow displacea, and again, no vet here can do operations.

This search would be pointless if they didnt have their strong spririt and happy attitude to life.

So what i am basicly asking here, is if anyone here knows good surgeons, or if they can point me in a direction of a massive back and neck brace for the boy, so we can try to stop the muscle deterioration while we are still searching. I am in contact with a few vets around here and there, but now we need some serious help.

In hopes of some good answers as fast as possible,

Ardis Petursdottir
owner of the hip and elbow disp. girl, the spinal syndrome dogs sister.

[critters]

Hmm. The only back brace I know of is this one. http://www.handicappedpets.com/brace/index.htm You know, you should also see the Mobility bb, for the girl, and the Neuro bb for the boy. Not everybody has back surgery, and some recover very nicely. Is he pooping and peeing OK? If not, see the Incontinence bb; there are red sticky posts on Incontinence and on Neuro with LOTS of info you might find useful.

[Rottweiler]

Hi and thank you for the welcome
I´m looking at these points you gave me here and thank you very much.

He is pooping and peeing normally, but i forgot to say anything more about his condition.

31. december 2007 he lost some control of his hind legs, and has been deterorating since then, he can still walk, but he walks like he is very drunk. This lack of control is now upto his right front leg as well, and from articles i´ve read it sounds like wobblers syndrome. When he´s peeing he usually starts off normally and lifts his leg, but falls down. He´s starting to pee like a girl, i think he´s realising he will fall down if he´s trying to raise his hind leg. He falls down if he tryes to turn around.
This is shocking to his owners, as well as all of us who know him well. He´s not in pain, but he is being given Rimadyl, i think i spelled it correctly.

We live in Iceland. Here is almost no knowledge of these advanced diseases and syndroms, but we are trying to change that.

Me and his owner were just talking, and he is in great shape, so maby that is helping him at the moment, but he is deteriorating very fast (almost 2 pounds off in two weeks), so we´re thinking possbility of bracing his neck and back so we can take him to a privately owned swimming pool to help him stop the muscle deterioration in the hind legs. But he´s not allowed to move his neck much or go out running, since that can damage his spinal cord eaven more, and he cannot run couse of his lack of strength.

This back brace you showed me might help my girl, she is very deteriorated in the back, but i´m doing her medical therapy at home and have been doing so for 2 years. I´m going to read through the other areas of this board right now Thank you so much for your pointers critters , i´m very greatful for any help right now.

Best wishes and god bless!

[CarolC]

Have you tried 6-8 weeks of strict crate rest and steroids? This may help the neck problem heal itself. I am afraid it will only get worse with so much activity, even light activity.