What are the clinical signs of disc disease?
The most common sign is pain localised to the back or neck. Apart from yelping, common signs of spinal pain are abnormal posture (e.g. hunched back with head down), shivering, panting, unwillingness to move and difficulty jumping / doing stairs. In more severe cases there may be difficulty walking – ranging from poor control of the hindlimbs to complete paralysis. Most severe cases have a paralysed bladder and may be unable to urinate and / or dribble urine. The most severe cases are paralysed, have lost bladder function and have lost the ability to feel painful sensations. How is disc disease diagnosed? Disc disease may be strongly suspected on the basis of clinical signs especially in predisposed breeds however diagnostic imaging is required to confrim the diagnosis. Spinal radiographs (x-rays) may reveal characteristic changes of disc disease e.g. calcified disc material within the vertebral canal or narrowing of the IVD space or the foramen however radiographs rarely provide the ac
