A dog is lying down and won't get up - a neurosurgeon is needed

Your pet couldn't get up, continues to lie down, and you don't know what the cause is? The limbs may have partially lost mobility. This is called paresis. If the paws are completely non-functional and insensitive, paralysis has set in.

Why can't the dog get up?

This problem is typical for chondrodystrophic dog breeds, i.e. those with disproportionately short limbs with normal body parameters. We are talking about such breeds as dachshunds, Welsh Corgis, pugs, French and English bulldogs, Pekingese, etc. Various factors can cause both paresis and paralysis:

• Injuries to the pelvic bones.
• Damage to the spine.
• Intervertebral herniated discs in different parts of the spine.
• Inflammation of the nervous system and spinal cord roots, which occurs in meningitis and encephalitis.
• Tears of ligaments.
• Infections that affect the nervous system.
• Heart or kidney failure.
• Paraneoplastic process - when the tumor is not formed in the limb, but blocks its functioning.
• Abdominal distension by an abdominal and pelvic organ, for example, with an enlarged spleen.

If the dog lies down and does not get up, a neurosurgeon is needed when the problem is a spinal hernia, trauma, inflammatory or oncological process. First, the veterinarian will examine the patient, conduct a neurological examination, take an X-ray to check for injuries, and a CT scan with contrast to identify the affected area.

How does a neurosurgeon treat a dog?

In the absence of limb support or paralysis (this is the 3rd-6th degree of neurological deficit), surgical intervention will be required. Surgical treatment involves eliminating the cause of the pathology, that is, the factor that puts pressure on the dog's spinal cord. Depending on the situation, one of the following procedures may be prescribed:

• Laminectomy - complete or partial removal of the vertebral lamina.
• Hemilaminectomy - cutting out one or more vertebral arches (spinous processes remain).
• Corpectomy - removal of the vertebral body and neighboring vertebral discs.
• Fenestration - gaining access to the disk and its subsequent removal.

After the surgery, the dog will need proper rehabilitation to restore the ability to move. Physiotherapy procedures are selected individually for each patient.