Advice please: cockapoo "slipped disc"

[Sue18556]

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Hi there, I have a 5 year old male cockapoo who has a history of lameness and pain on his hind right leg. We have been back and forth with various different vets over the years and different scans, xrays etc... and we can never get a straight answer. The latest answer we have is that he may have a slipped disc in his spine, but without an MRI we won't know for sure. Our insurance won't cover us for the MRI and we can't afford it, what should we do?

 

[JoanneF]

Can you ask your vet if there are other ways to diagnose it?

What would the treatment be? I'm thinking along the lines that if ithe treatment plan for a slipped disc was something like anti-inflammatories, could you go straight to those without the MRI?

 

[Hemlock]

"slipped disc" is a turn of phrase rather than an actual diagnosis because if a disc genuinely could slip, your dog wouldn't be able to walk (I spent 9 years as a physiotherapist). So as suggested above, I'd investigate the treatment options and if you like the idea of them, go straight there. And if you don't, you don't have to. If painkillers/anti-inflammatories improve the condition, that may be the way to go. Some people have seen great results from acupuncture, targeted physio massage, or chiropractic treatment.

 

[Flobo]

I agree with both the above, it does annoy me that vets seem to go straight for the big options, quite often still with inconclusive results.. I would ask the vet if the MRI showed up a back problem what would the treatment options be, other than surgery, which is quite often the next step they would probably talk about.
Sometimes managing a condition is the best way forward, monitoring exercise etc, as well as the suggestions @Hemlock made, I did a bit of work with an animal chiropractor and she was amazing!