jules i have split off your topic

[jules]

hi val i have just stumbled across this site in my search for some info, i have had my baby to the vets today with a painful neck..... they have diagnosed a shattered discin his neck, they say it is common in his breed. i have read many books and never come across this..... heart eyes etc yes but not this. you seem to know your stuff on dogs and i was wondereing if you had heard of this, the vet says he needs an op which will cost £2500 but there are no guarantees it will work the money is not the issue but i am concerned about putting him through this if it fails, a friend of mine has suggested a second opinion which i am doing tomorrow. but the real question is could this be controled with drugs and him lead a pain free happy life, or would the op ....which may not work and which could lead to other problems in his neck, sorry if this message sounds muddled but i am at my wits end on what to do for the best . yours julie x

[kizkiznobite]

hi jules and welcome a sad welcome a subject close to my heart and val not here at the moment so i will answer: you have a cks? is that correct?
ok - this is what we call in the clumber spaniel world a herniated disc
we do not know if it genetic in the sense that it is carried in the dna or if it about certain lines giving a certain conformity when they are mated together.
imagine the back bone is like a tube of polo mints with the spinal cord going through the middle - and between each one is a cushion - this normally acts like a shock absorber but when a disc starts to herniate then the cushion becomes brittle and can shatter - this then bulges into the spinal column and causes a 'bubble' sometimes if it is mild then the bone will calcify around the injured point and nature will work to protect - sometimes if it has happened suddenly as a result of jumping up or coming downstairs (the 2 most common ways for it to happen) then it can actually sever the spinal cord causing death.
the treatment depends on how bad it is and how long it has been there - for mild disc injuries then the vet will say rest in the hope that the calcifying happens - dogs that have not responded to this or have/ had multiple relapses or are parallised or have weakness of or pain in the limbs will want to do surgery - has your vet done any MRI, myelogram, or CT scans/tests - these must be done to confirm the diagnosis and to locate the site of the problem.
the surgery involves decompression to relieve pressure on the spinal cord caused by the bits of disc that have shattered - the vet does what is called a hemilaminectomy - this creates a cap out of the bone overlying the spinal cord and then removes the bits of bone debris - relieving pressure on the spinal cord - the success rate is about 70% if done soon enough and the nerve damage has not caused any neurological impairment - in breeds that are prone then chest harnesses can cause/aggravate this - which always makes me cross because most are sold to the owners of the dogs that have the problem in the breed first place.

do you know how it happened - what are his lines?

i am sorry for your boy - it is a very painful and can be very very nasty

[kizkiznobite]

just keeping this one in the list incase jules comes back on

[kizkiznobite]

pretty busy tonight - help me keep this one active in the recent list- hoping the poster comes back

[Joly]

you want people to post in it so it stays active right? or not sorry if thats a dumb question?!! 

[kizkiznobite]

yeah joly new user not used to the board thanks

[Joly]

ok i can do that!  if it starts disappearing i will bump it back up! 

[Val]

Hi Jules
Have just got back from the Guildford Champ Show sorry to read about your lad I would second everything that Bev has said, Just like to add I would not like this operation done by a none specialist, if you post where you live I maybe able to help.

If your vet is doing this op then I think that is expensive if it's with a specialist and it incudes the hospital fee's then it's not a bad price.

Have you got insurance? defiantly you need an MRI, myelogram,

Give the lad a (((hug)))) from me as Bev said it's painful
Val

[kizkiznobite]

yep - this needs a neuro surgeon

[kizkiznobite]

holding

[tjhoe68]

Hello jules and a sad welcome to the board  I don't know anything about this condition but just wanted to send ((((((((((hugs))))))))))

[jules]

hi all thank you all so much for responding to my post, it is deeply appreciated. and yes i am not up on the site and how it works. i have rung a specialist in wimbledon ...clare rusbridge and she seems to be pretty sure its a disease called 'syringomyelia' which is really bad . my baby is having quite a rough nite so have not been on the pc. he is asleep rite now but wincing in his sleep its heartbreaking.

[kizkiznobite]

hi - am pleased you came back - was worrying about the wee lad

syringomyelia is a cyst that grows in the spinal area and presses on nerves - it is genetic in ckcs - lots of work has been done both here and in the states to try and isolate the genetic coding - contact your breed club - they will have lots of information - is the vet going to do a MRI scan?

poor lad - he is very young for this to start - have you contacted your breeder? it is important that s/he knows
 

http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/health/syringo/news/jan04.html
the club does have lots of info - and they do a  newsletter

[piglet]

*bump*


p.s.

kiz - its called "bumping" when you post in a topic to keep it live  

[jaydex]

hi all thank you all so much for responding to my post, it is deeply appreciated. and yes i am not up on the site and how it works. i have rung a specialist in wimbledon ...clare rusbridge and she seems to be pretty sure its a disease called 'syringomyelia' which is really bad . my baby is having quite a rough nite so have not been on the pc. he is asleep rite now but wincing in his sleep its heartbreaking.

gentle (((HUGS))) and  to him poor wee soul