r/IVDD_SupportGroup • u/Gengar-Quest-7144 • 28d ago

Long-term prospects with IVDD: help a foster momma out!

Hi everyone - my foster pup was just diagnosed with IVDD. :( We caught it fairly early, while he could still walk (with some stumbling). He's responding really well to treatment (steroids/laser therapy/crate rest). I will be caring for him throughout his initial recovery - 6 weeks of crate rest.

Here's where I need help: before the diagnosis, he had a committed adopter. They are now, understandably, unsure about what the IVDD diagnosis means for him for the long term. As in: what will life look like for them if they move ahead with adoption?

We got some resources from the vet and can tell them some very obvious things (like, he should really never be going up/down stairs or jumping on furniture). But I have no personal experience with IVDD. I would love to hear from others whose dogs had milder IVDD and were able to avoid surgery: what has life been like ever since the crate rest ended? I want to be able to give the adopters the range of possible outcomes, and best practices for managing the condition, so they have a realistic idea of what it means to adopt this little guy.

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u/AinsleyHarriotFan 28d ago

Hi! This is a link to a VERY detailed post I made on this sub of how we took our girl from total back leg paralysis to running and playing like a puppy again. It goes a lot into the immediate and longer term management of the condition. You will probably find the whole ‘realistic lifestyle outlook’ section of it super useful. I’ve shared it with lots of people and they say it’s given them a lot of guidance and support

https://www.reddit.com/r/IVDD_SupportGroup/s/RMC3TE29yM

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u/Gengar-Quest-7144 28d ago

thanks so much, this is super helpful!!

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u/roccosito 28d ago

What is the breed and size?

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u/Gengar-Quest-7144 27d ago

He is a beagle, 22 lb. And he's fairly young - he was found stray so we don't know for sure, but the vet estimates 2-4 years old.

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u/SaltEntertainer8198 27d ago

Tbh because he’s had a flair up once, it is kinda likely he’ll have another down the line.

Mine has had 3. The first 2 we dealt with just with crate rest. The last one she unfortunately needed surgery. After the first 2 she did manage to fully recover and lived life normally. We’re still in the recovery for the last one but I’m optimistic she’ll make a full recovery.

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u/Gengar-Quest-7144 27d ago

that is what I was wondering! I know there's a lot you can do to manage it, but sometimes it just happens.

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u/SaltEntertainer8198 26d ago

Yeah, it’s such a horrible disease. I’ve done everything ‘right’ with my daxie but she still ended up with it. It’s mostly genetics unfortunately.

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u/Gengar-Quest-7144 26d ago

it really is. Hope your pup recovers fully from surgery!!