[Dailydrool] Back trouble

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

>  Since MRI's are really pricey, it's not something you'll do unless  
> the dog goes down, probably. But don't place too much weight on  
> that X-ray.

Was it a myelogram that Abner had, Pam? That's what our late Jane  
Basset had to diagnose her ruptured disks--an x-ray with dye  
contrast. Because it involves the injection of dye and the dog being  
perfectly still, a myelogram is done under anesthesia. Then, if a  
rupture's detected, the dog can go straight from the x-ray into  
surgery (but get a veterinary specialist who's had plenty of  
experience to do this kind of surgery). A regular x-ray won't show  
soft tissue, which is what disks are. It'll show the spacing between  
the vertebrae, but you won't be able to see exactly what's going on  
with the disks, which is where trouble seems to happen so often.

Thanks, Sara, for such a thorough and informative post about basset  
backs! I'd love to see what you wrote become a permanent part of the  
Daily Drool web site, along with bloat, pano, etc., because bassets  
are prone to back issues and too few people know what they can do to  
help prevent problems. Keep toenails trimmed--who'd have thought?

Elizabeth