Conservative management of suspected low-grade IVDD
Our basset/beagle girl (4.5 yo) has had two suspected IVDD flare-ups in the last 5 months, and we’re really worried about future episodes.
First flare-up: sudden pain, couldn’t jump, slow-moving. She responded very well to carprofen and fully recovered after 4 weeks of strict rest and meds.
About a month later, she flared again, likely because we got too lax and let her jump on/off the bed while playing. We started carprofen right away, and she improved quickly. Unfortunately, we may have rushed recovery again after ~2 weeks, and she had a setback while boarding. When we picked her up, her back legs were wobbly with some occasional knuckle dragging.
After strict crate rest + meds, the wobbliness mostly resolved within 3–4 days, and she now shows no pain — just a very whiny dog who thinks she’s healthy. So the fact she responds to carprofen and rest is a good sign for us.
We’ve learned we need to take jumping/rest much more seriously. We’re considering PT for strengthening and looking into at-home prevention options like PEMF pads.
Has anyone had success managing a milder suspected IVDD case at home and preventing future flare-ups? Can nerve damage like what we observed fully recover?