lumbosacral stenosis

I don't really know enough on this condition to offer any real advise but i'd think lots and lots of rest (6+ weeks) with very very limited activity would be in order.  It probably depends on the severity of the condition...symptoms/pain, etc.  Prednisone might help some for pain/inflamation.

Xrays sound like a very good idea...there's also some type of staining they can do...can't remember the jist of this though.

He really really should have appropriate testing done to determine what exactly htis is!  Veterinary Teaching hospital/university nearby???

I hope he gets better really soon.  Sending healing vibes his way.

Karla -- is he in Florida? 

 Dr. Clemmons at the University of FL is quite an expert on this (that and DM in dogs which is sort of like multiple sclerosis) -- but both are neural problems with the LS being linked to arthritis.

But honestly -- and Dr. Clemmons would be the first to tell them this -- acupuncture is going to be THE best way to treat that.  Far less invasive, far less destructive and probably less expensive as well.  In fact, Dr. Clemmons is also on the faculty at the Chi Institute in Reddick (pretty near UF in Gainesville), and if he corresponded with them there's a good chance he could get in on a clinic and get free treatment and some free herbs/acupuncture (as well as being diagnosed by the best in the business).

 Acupuncture is awesome for all things related to arthritis because of both its pain management properties and it's neural advantages with something like lumbosacral stenosis.

Typically I would think x-rays would be involved, altho it could be a pretty safe bet given age, breed and certain characteristics.  But the meds they treat with for something like this are hard hard hard on the liver and the body.  Acupuncture is really going to help in a complimentary way.  I'm not saying for them to leave their vet -- simply to add acupuncture/TCVM as complimentary.  That's how it's approached at Gainesville -- and it's really incredibly helpful.

He is in New Hampshire. He's an 11 yr old. GSD. They do not want to put him on any strong meds. He was on Rimyidal for a couple yrs. and started having side effects. He gets up the stairs in good shape. He is also having other problems like beign restless. Going to the bathroom while walking. I haven't seen him like this yet so i may not be explaining things the best but this is what my brother is saying. Mind you my brother has very little dog or animal sense:) Any of these symptoms go with the Lumbosacral stenosis? I feel bad for the dog because i know how my brother is and he's probably missing alot. They keep him in a room all day so he won't go to the bathroom on the rugs. My mom goes over ther on Sundays to babysit and she leaves him loose and lets him out every couple hrs. He's been fine with no accidents. Maybe he's just loosing his ability to hold it as long because of his age, or could it have something to do with the LS?

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1569&aid=456

"What are the symptoms of lumbosacral stenosis?

The most common sign of cauda equina syndrome (lumbosacral stenosis) is pain. The pain may occur in the back, in one or both hind legs, or the tail. The dog usually has difficulty rising from lying down, but once he begins to walk about he works out of the stiffness. There may be muscle loss in one or both rear legs.

The dog may have difficulty urinating or defecating because of the pain, may become incontinent, or may be unable to urinate. Some dogs are unable to move their tail, or have severe pain if the tail is moved. Often dogs will have a shuffling gait, and scuff their toes. Some dogs will chew on their pelvic area, hind limbs, or tail, sometimes creating considerable damage by this self-mutilation.

Many of the signs seen with lumbosacral stenosis can mimic those of hip dysplasia, and the two conditions need to be differentiated."

Here is a site on the management of chronic pain:  http://www.dogaware.com/health/chronicpain.html

Thanks for the links I'll email them to my brother.

L-Glutamine can help with muscle atrophy.  http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/l-glutamine/

If the dog starts dragging its toes, this site provides custom booties that they can reinforce on the tops: 
http://www.dogleggs.com/files/booties.cfm

This site provides a wide variety of products for helping a dog walk -
http://handicappedpets.com/www/index.php/help-pets-walk.html

If anyone cares, essential oils (wintergreen or peppermint -- the essential oil NOT food flavoring)  can really help with pain -- unless the skin is broken.  wintergreen or peppermint oil both are incredibly good anti-inflammatories. The more you rub the more heat they feel, the more oil you use the more heat they get.  They can honestly do a LOT if they will massage him at night.

Osteo-Biflex Knox NutraJoint can be helpful to rebuild cartilage but in what I was looking at, LS is more similar to spondylosis which has bone spurs and you don't want to encourage more calcium there that may form bone spurs.

They can always belly band him to help with incontinence.  But the owners have to care to do *anything* for him. 

I can add that they symptoms you are describing like the poor bladder control, pain, etc, are the same that people experience when they have this condition.  I work in an MRI facility so I see quite a few people who have this sort of thing.  I'm not sure exactly how it would be diagnosed in a dog but I think you are right when you say he does need an x-ray to confirm this is what they are really dealing with.  If he does have this and it goes untreated, it will progress and he may not be able to walk-that is what I've seen in the worst cases in humans that come to our office.  These patients usually end up having to be hospitalized for further treatment.

 

calliecritturs

But the owners have to care to do *anything* for him.

Really, is this a necessary statement?  Just because the owner doesn't have a lot of dog sense (according to Karla's post), doesn't mean they don't care.  It sounds more like it is a situation of lack of knowledge of what can be done.

Karla, I hope your brother kind finds a solution for his dog.  Gentle vibes for pain relief for the GSD and decision making for your brother.

I may have misunderstood her -- if so I really didn't mean to be ratty -- but there *are* a lot of things that can be done if he wants to.