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SwissTony

(2,560 posts)
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 04:51 PM Apr 2013

Anyone know about wobbler syndrome in dogs?

My very large almost 9 year old Dobie has been having walking difficulties for a while and it's getting worse by the week. The vet I usually go to diagnosed the problem as HD (hip dysplasia), not uncommon in large dogs including Dobies. My daughter didn't agree with this and took my dog to her vet. Upon seeing the dog walk into the surgery, he immediately said "It's not his hips". My dog also has problems with his front paws. He sometimes stands with his front feet turned inward (pigeon toed). He can't really lift his back leg to pee. But he's mentally sharp and his heart etc is great.

We're going to the University of Gent (Belgium - we live in Holland) on Thursday . He'll have a scan of his spine and neck and discuss possibilities.

It breaks my heart to think about what might have to happen. He's my Boofie Boy, my Lumper Slumper, my Ripper (his real name).

Anyone had any experience with wobbler? I'd be glad to hear of it.

Many thanks.

Joseph

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Anyone know about wobbler syndrome in dogs? (Original Post) SwissTony Apr 2013 OP
I'll PM you hlthe2b Apr 2013 #1
I think my dog may have it.....I checked here: dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #2
Also,check this out dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #3
Thanks for the replies, good people. SwissTony Apr 2013 #4
Cross post in the Pets group--maybe you'll get some insight there, too. Best of luck. MADem Apr 2013 #5
Thanks, we'd never heard of wobblers till Thursday of last week SwissTony Apr 2013 #6
It was news to me too, but having had a bout of "shaker dog syndrome" with a MADem Apr 2013 #7

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
2. I think my dog may have it.....I checked here:
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 04:56 PM
Apr 2013

What are the symptoms of Wobbler’s?

Clinical signs are usually slow and gradual in onset. Some dogs will appear to suddenly get worse if they have trauma to the spinal cord during exercise or have a second spinal cord problem such as a sudden disc herniation. Lack of coordination in the rear limbs is the most common symptom. Dogs will walk with their legs spread farther apart, sway side to side, and take longer strides. Forelimb involvement can vary greatly depending on the abnormality and severity of the case. Some dogs have no clinical symptoms in the front limbs, while others have a stiff short-strided or floating front limb gait. Some dogs have difficulty turning around and cross their front limbs over each other when turning. Some dogs will appear painful in the neck and reluctant to bend their necks down or turn their necks from side to side.

http://veterinarysurgicalcenters.com/Wobbler-Syndrome.html

SwissTony

(2,560 posts)
4. Thanks for the replies, good people.
Fri Apr 26, 2013, 05:01 PM
Apr 2013

been to the hospital and it's wobblers.

The damage was shockingly clear on the CT scan and the MRI scan. The doc expressed her surprise at how well he was walking given what she saw on the scans (C6 and C7 looked pretty gnarly). She explained that surgery wouldn't probably help him get better but could slow down/stop the deterioration. But of course, any surgery to the neck or spine has its risks.

He's now on a 3 week course of prednisolone. A good response to this is an indication of greater success with an operation.

I thank you for your input.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
5. Cross post in the Pets group--maybe you'll get some insight there, too. Best of luck.
Fri Apr 26, 2013, 05:09 PM
Apr 2013

I think if that diagnosis is correct you have reason to be hopeful--surgery has a decent success rate if it comes to that:


What are the treatment options?

Dogs can be treated medically or surgically. Medical management usually consists on the use of anti-inflammatory drugs (steroidals or non-steroidals) with restricted activity. Because they have a neck problem, neck leashes should not be used, and a chest harness is strongly recommended.

How is surgery done?

Surgery can be done in many different ways. There are at least 21 different types of surgery to treat wobbler syndrome. Several factors must be taken into consideration when deciding on the type of surgical treatment, for example how severe are the symptoms, how many lesions are present in the spine, how severe is(are) the spinal lesion(s), the presence of other concurrent medical conditions, such as dilated cardiomyopathy, etc. The attending Neurologist or Surgeon will discuss the options with owner, taking into consideration the short and long term expectations of the family.

What is the success of the treatment?

We have done a study looking at the success of surgery and medical management of wobblers in 104 dogs. Based on that study we learned that approximately 50% of dogs will improve with medical management, approximately 30% will remain stable and 20% will worsen. Surgical treatment offered a success rate of approximately 80%. The other 20% of dogs either remained stable or worsened. We have had very good success with both medical and surgical management.


http://vet.osu.edu/wobbler-syndrome

You'll get the full scoop that's specific to your dog's situation from the vet, but it's never a bad idea to have a bit of background ahead of time.

SwissTony

(2,560 posts)
6. Thanks, we'd never heard of wobblers till Thursday of last week
Fri Apr 26, 2013, 05:46 PM
Apr 2013

We had been going to one vet and they didn't pick it up. We thought it was his hips. The vet we were going to did some tests on his hips and found nothing wrong. My daughter wasn't happy and took our dog to her vet and without even touching the dog, he said "It's not his hips". He's a graduate from the University of Gent. The Faculty of Animal Medicine there looks like a University on its own. He's going to be in contact with his former university and I'm glad he's on our side. He's very proactive. He encouraged us to go there, he rang me up at home, he's talked to my daughter several times.

We found that site today. If we'd found it a year ago, we could have acted much earlier. Our dog has been to our old vet several times, seen by various vets, and none of them picked it up. The osu site described our dog for the last 6-9 months.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
7. It was news to me too, but having had a bout of "shaker dog syndrome" with a
Fri Apr 26, 2013, 05:58 PM
Apr 2013

white westhighland, I know that dogs can have some kind of oddball neurological issues. I got lucky, found the dog in the throes of an episode, and was able to figure out what the problem was and get her to a vet to start a course of treatment.

FWIW, steroids worked well to fix that situation, but it was scary. She was on them for several months and they made her a bit lethargic. It also left her a bit, er, "stocky" as westhighlands go, but she's my big-assed darlin' nonetheless!

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