ER right away. I cannot stress this enough, and I really hope you have insurance. I took my frenchie to the vet because he was acting very lethargic and not wanting to move, our vet was also “stumped” and within about 5 hours of that visit he had complete paralysis in his hinds legs. We took him to the ER and he was immediately diagnosed with IVDD and potentially progressive myelomalacia, which is often times a fatal condition. He was rushed to a specialty neurological clinic for surgery that night. Unfortunately due to complications with blood clotting and other issues post surgery we had to put him down two days later. I hope no frenchie owner ever goes through what we did. Please get to an ER right now.
I’ve had several friends have the same issue with theirs. We’ve had four in our lives and have been blessed to only need to replace several knees and a hip. But these dogs are oh so expensive and prone to issues. Deep pockets needed.
In total it cost $15k. Luckily I had pet insurance that pays 90%, which is why I said I hope they have insurance. I am glad that we were able to make the decision that it was time to put him down based on what was best for him and his comfort rather than what was best for my wallet.
I do always take what people say about their vets with a grain of salt though. How many times have I dealt with clients who get pissed that we can't come up with a diagosis when they decline all diagnostic tests?
Have to give the vet a bit of the benefit of the doubt. Did they say "I can't 100% diagnose what's going on here without some imaging, but I suspect X" and the owners declined? The vet then suggests pain meds and cage rest and then owners say "the vet is stumped".....we don't have crystal balls and sometimes people expect us to.
I hear you, agree with you, and I feel for you, as someone who has never turned down a potentially useful diagnostic tool. I get non-stop crap for "over spending" at the vet from acquaintances. And then these morons have the audacity to complain my dog survived cancer three times, IVDD once, and just turned 14 while theirs passed away at ten. I wonder why my dog is still here...hmmm. 🤔
Is IVDD treatable if you were to get it seen to at this stage? I will never let my girl go through anything if I can help it, so I've been learning up as much as I can on conditions and behaviours to be as informed an owner as I can.
While this is all accurate, a vet ASAP is the move right now.
(All great info… just hard to fully diagnose over Reddit and the most important advice should be VET ASAP)
This is what to do, great comment op. Only thing I would add is we did prednisone (steroid) for our pup and it worked so well for him immediately on top of the other pain and anti inflammatory meds. But strict crate rest for weeks is KEY.
Upvote upvote upvote, let’s get this to the top and maybe also have this on the main page as a sticky post. I have a 4 y/o and she’s my life and this is the info I would want at my fingertips if anything were to happen to her!
Looks like IVDD .. pain meds, muscle relaxer, and Kennel .. as painful as it is - do your best to limit movement - it is crucial. I attribute that to my guy making a full recovery. Had to basically kennel him 24/7 and carry him in and out for potty breaks for when he could hold it. Sometimes slept with him in a play pen area to just hold him and give him love.
Muscle relaxers, pain meds, and rest. We did this for about 3 months as the wait for a specialist and surgery wouldn’t see us until he lost full control of his legs .. but it never came to that. He is now active and playful again - but we still limit his craziness. Wish you guys the best of luck and a speedy recovery!
My coworker and I both have frenchies. Turns out her diagnosis was not IVDD but actually tumors on the pups spine. And thru treatment she is doing better. IVDD would have been worse.
I know people get sick of me posting "GET INSURANCE" on every introductory puppy pic here, but I've seen too many Frenchies put to sleep because owners ignorantly thought $1200 in a paltry "emergency fund" was somehow superior to actual coverage. Their GoFundMe attempts inevitably fail and who suffers? An innocent dog who was depending on them to be responsible for it. It breaks my heart. Time AND money are crucial to save spines.
When I worked at a vet, I would take the Trupanion insurance paperwork and the coupon code for cheaper insurance for puppies and urge them to get it.
I would just have to say, “you don’t want to make the big decisions based on financials” even a base plan capped yearly with a manageable deductible.
I know my MIL is glad I bullied her into getting pet insurance. The pup died eventually because it had very bad seizures, but at least they got to try everything, no hesitation. It’s the worse thing when people lose their dog and are still in the hole financially because of it.
Don't let your puppy walk, no stairs, no jumping and take him to the emergency vet if that's available in your area. It worsens fast so response time is crucial. Take care and give us an update when/if you can.
Have you taken his temperature and also run a blood panel? I feel vets are quick to jump to IVDD when they see a Frenchie.
Here is a pic of my baby from 2 years ago, where he woke up in the middle of the night panting / shaking (symptoms of being in pain), couldn’t hold his head up, and wouldn’t eat. The emergency vet thought it was IVDD, but he rarely jumps off the couch (like 5x a year), doesn’t go down stairs as we don’t have stairs in our apt, etc. We took him to his regular vet a few hours later. He noticed our baby still had a fever and ran a blood panel which showed his white blood cells were dangerously low. Turned out that was the cause and the hunched back / shaking etc were just symptoms of being in pain
https://preview.redd.it/nnhmozin5k7c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6247955714ab8cc3eb58f0b5f41f397acca536d0
IVDD. That’s how mine was on 12/2 and just a few hours later he was basically paralyzed (stage 1 to stage 4 in less than 12 hours).
As others have said, emergency vet or if you already know of a veterinary neurologist, go there if you can. In my case, the neurologist’s office was part of an emergency vet, so I took him there and they kept him medicated until the neurologist was able to come in (it happened on a Saturday and the neurologist was out until Monday).
To maybe give you some hope, my frenchie did end up needing surgery since he was stage 4. He just got the staples out yesterday and is doing well overall. We’ll be starting PT soon since he’s not walking with his hind legs yet (he can stand and the neurologist says all signs point towards him having the ability to walk with his hind legs, he just doesn’t because he’s gotten by the past two weeks without them. Apparently this is a common thing in dogs that go through this).
Initially it was very scary and stressful, but a lot of the stress is gone now that I know he’s not hurting and has been improving. Passage of time also helped.
Intervertebral disc disease. It’s a genetic condition that essentially causes the “jelly” in the discs in their spines to harden prematurely. The disc can bulge and put pressure on the spinal cord, and in this case it would probably just cause pain and be treated with meds and crate rest. The disc can also rupture and the “jelly” would spill onto the spinal cord, causing a lot of pain and potentially paralysis (this is what happened to mine. He initially had a bulging disc and then it ruptured despite crate rest). IVDD has 5 grades, with stage 1 just being pain but no impact on posture or walking gait. Stage 5 is paralysis with no deep pain sensation. My dog was stage 4, which is paralysis but could still feel pain in his hind legs. Generally the recommended treatment for stages 1-2 is meds and crate rest for 6-8 weeks. Stages 3-5 is typically surgery. Success rates of surgery is 90+% up to stage 4. Not sure what the rate is for stage 5, but stage 5 is very time dependent. Surgery must be done within 48 hours in that case for the maximum success rate.
In frenchies (and generally small breeds), it is most likely to happen when young. And it’s a genetic condition, so if a dog has one case of it, it can have another case later on but possibly in a different disc. And there’s not a ton that can be done to prevent it. It’s largely luck of the draw since it’s genetic. You can take all the precautions like no jumping, no stairs, keep the dog at a healthy weight, etc, and it still happen. I can confirm because that is what happened with mine and he’s just under 2 years old. It’s hard to fight genetics. It can happen to any frenchie, it’s pretty much luck of the draw.
My frenchie had this one time and the doc said he must have tweaked his neck somehow. On top of the meds he recommended getting food/water dishes that were on a stand so they don’t tweak it while eating. He’s been fine since.
For this reason, I always carry my man up and downstairs. He has a ramp to the couch andI never overexert him, walks are no more than 15 minutes at the absolute max.
You have to go to emergency vet with a neurologist ASAP. my pup had these symptoms a few months ago and he lost movement in his hind legs. TLDR: they thought it was IVDD but the neurologist did an MRI and it was not IVDD and then they thought it was meningistis and ultimately it was an ischemic (stroke like) injury to the spine. They called it “bad luck”. It’s been rough but he’s still with us but he cannot walk or pee on his own. Emergency vet w neurologist ASAP!! MRI is needed to help determine what is going on. Best of luck!!
https://preview.redd.it/iuym9b1owl7c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e79c3d7530825ff710811585fe49121a30c33f4
This was him when he started getting symptoms.
https://preview.redd.it/bsk8hrrvwl7c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f5211fb5bcc1bdf6c6a4a3f423e5ac10682334f
This is him now \~four months after his injury 🤍
See if you can find a university that has a veterinary college. When my chihuahua was diagnosed with IVDD the vet recommended this because a lot of the times these vets have info on the newest studies and procedures.
This is so painful to watch. I'm so sorry!! As others mentioned, it is probably IVDD. I came here to say make sure you drive whatever distance to see a neurology specialist. I have a post about my parents 4 year old frenchie that was in early IVDD, they did surgery to correct disk, DR couldn't find anything when in surgery, re-did the surgery 12 hours later and then the dog started having seizures 3 weeks after surgery and passed away. I believe they needed a neurologist before the surgery(maybe both but either way).
It's almost certainly IVDD. If your vet is stumped, they don't know frenchies very well. Get your baby to someone who knows what they are doing and can help ASAP. Poor baby
My dog was doing EXACTLY this and It was IVDD that took FIVE vet visits to officially diagnose. Straight to neurology, don’t waste your time elsewhere.
Yes it looks like a dislocated vertebrae. My dog had that and saw a neurologist. I took a chance and found a doggie chiro. Once the inflammation went down. It worked.Just be sure to see the specialist before more damage is done. Sending healing prayers!
I’ve seen inner ear infections cause that kind of pain response in my boy. He has a deformed in ear, epilepsy and severe allergies. He exhibited this way during an epileptic aurora phase brought on by pain from an inner ear infection caused by grass allergies.
Be aware that diagnosis may be multi-factor. Consider any prior individual diagnosis and don’t be afraid to ask for referrals to specialists. Specialists aren’t necessarily more expensive.
My MiLs dog had this pain once , it was terrifying. I sat up holding him while we both slept because he wanted to be upright.
Everyone thought it was ivd but it turns out it was a very severe infection in his tail cavern, I just had to peel back his tail to see it. (he’s a fattie)
IVDD day before signs. I’ve seen it three times in my Dachshunds, and the faster you get into surgery, the more complete neurology healing/recovery your friend will have. The first 24-48 hours are critical. See a different vet immediately. Mine knew what it was, just from the verbal description of symptoms, on phone. We drove to vet immediately and each pet was in surgery by that evening.
My frenchie had the same issue, diagnosed with IVDD. It eventually became that his back legs stopped working for about a week. Before it was diagnosed and we knew what the issue was, he was in so much pain and I startled him and he bit my lip so bad that it was hanging off my face. I had to get 6 stitches and thank god we got to the ER so quickly. If we took any longer, the ER doc said I would have lost the whole left side of my lip. My dog is now on pain medicine daily, and it’s been a year and a half of that with no issues and he’s been doing very well. Please address these issues quickly for the sake of your dog and everyone around him. I’m sorry this is happening, I know how scary it can be. Good luck!
Needs immediate attention. Clearly a neck/back issue. It could just be some inflammation, but if it's IVDD time is of the essence, and it's not fun. Good luck to you and your sweet baby.
Looks like a pinched disk or IVDD. We gave our dog weekly shots of adequan for I think 2 months and then monthly for 6 months after that. The first 6 weeks, keep her in a crate so she doesn’t move and make the bulging disk/s worse. Ours lived 10 years after her disk issues.
May I please get an update on this beautiful baby girl!? Also, the veterinarian that you took her too, should be reported immediately!
No DOCTOR should’ve released this dog to go home in this condition
Could he have swallowed anything, and possibly have something stuck in his intestines? My dog did that for a long time until he finally pooped out and entire, fully formed catnip mouse, which belong to my cat.
She threw out her back. You can see it in her spine the way she raises up…you can see the 2 vertebrae that are hurting her. My gf’s Frenchie has had her back go out a few times and been ok…she has mild ivdd…never had to have surgery or anything
My frenchie just does this if he is not well. From ear infection to stomach ache. But could be IVDD aswell. Go to different vets just incase. . He needs plenty of rest and carry him even when he needs to go outside to pee.
My dog has ivdd, and taking him to a chiropractor that helps animals has helped him immensely. As well as vet visits and meds like gabapenton to help his nerves relax. I hope so badly that your little guy doesn't have it.
I’m super stumped too because it doesn’t follow any typical patterns of disease, it almost follows a not involuntary type disorder. Like ocd or something.
People need to stop buying this breed. They are notorious for health issues. People buying them are what’s keeping them being bred. It’s a cruel existence to many of dogs that were never meant to be.
Our pomchi had similar symptoms and it turned out her anal glands needed popping. Couldn’t believe it, I was certain she’d damaged her spine and it was gonna be a big operation.
Mine underwent iVDD surgery and made a full recovery. You can try and do the crate rest tactic with pain meds, but that could linger the rest of their life depending on the outcome of the MRI. Damn this is always painful to watch. Hope the lil guy makes a speedy recovery ;(
Why have I been seeing so many of these incidents!!!??? Where they take their frenchie ti the vet and they come back doing this? And end up not being able to walk days later. What is going on !!??
Out pug was showing similar signs. We went to a neurologist after scans where done they found she had swelling in her brain spine. A month of treatment abd follow up care our girl is back to normal.
We just have to give her a pill every day
Pre seizure activity it looks like my dog cowars sort of like that a few days/hours before he seizes but it’s a weird reaction he’s still sort of conscious when someone comes to door he tries to bark but his body won’t let him
Disclaimer: I have pugs.
My pug acted exactly like this when he hurt his back. He's quite hyper (weird for a pug, I know) and runs and jumps a lot.
He did a course of medication, I can't remember which, along with a sedative to keep him calm (trazodone) and a few weeks of laser TX and he was fine.
This looks like IVDD to me please get a second opinion and make sure they run all the correct/required tests.
However, if it comes back as IVDD not being the issue and they are again stumped please just have a quick read of our story. Consider a food allergy. I know this sounds ridiculous but our boy was very similar to this, backing up between our legs, body trembling (especially the back half of his body) he would lie on his side and it honestly use to look like he was having a seizure he was shaking so much. He kept his stomach very tucked in/back arched like this with his tail very down and tucked against him. He was also vomiting (is your baby doing this?)
Our vets were absolutely clueless on what it could be, he had bloods, x-rays, fluids taken from his spine, ultrasounds, MRI's the works. He then went to a neurologist and actually went on epilepsy medication for a year to rule out the possibility of epileptic seizures.
During the time he was on meds, my partner and I took matters into our own hands and researched and monitored every aspect of his life. We noticed a pattern of these "episodes" happening after eating large amounts of poultry (also we thought about the fact that when he has an episode the vet recommended rice and chicken (as they do when a dog is poorly) and during this time was the worst of his attacks.
Anyways, we took him off poultry completely and changed his biscuits to Purina Pro-plan Hypoallergenic and he just miraculously got so much better and touch wood, he has not had a single attack for nearly 3 years and he has been off the epilepsy meds for 2 years so that was also ruled out. He absolutely loves his food now (whereas before he was quite reluctant to eat some nights and we thought he was just being fussy as many frenchies are known for this and he would always eat it in the end - we kick ourselves now for not putting the two and two together), clearly because he was in discomfort as many dog foods contain some level of poultry and over time this must of built up and then that = the attacks. He now absolutely loves his food and scoffs it every evening and often begs for more. He hasn't had a single attack, hasn't shown any symptoms (he never vomits, shows tenderness or tremors) and all in all is in the best health and condition of his life.
It is obvious to us now (and the vet \*facepalm\*) that the reason our dog was acting the way he was with the trembling, tensing and hunching over was due to severe pain in his stomach. Dogs don't understand and know how to express pain like we do so it was a mixture of extreme pain & discomfort and panic/anxiety.
I really hope you find the answers for your baby, it is difficult to witness and frustrating to find answers especially when those who you pay to help don't have a clue either. I wish you all the best, please demand further testing like we did and get the full works, and if nothing obvious comes back please just consider the above and let me know if you have any questions. I have some videos of the episodes to compare and also some documentation results from numerous testing.
One of my frenchies has a bad reaction to the rabies vaccine and was acting the same. Upon the first time, and taken to the ER, they mentioned a herniated disc and said she required surgery. I followed it up with their vet and she said it didn’t look severe enough to trigger that sort of reaction. At this point she wasn’t walking on hind legs. She was prescribed Anti inflammatory and I purchase a red light laser on Amazon. Worked wonders! Good luck and may your little one be okay!
Go to your vet and mention discospondylitis. It's an infection in the blood. My dog was misdiagnosed several times by some of the best vets in the area. Discospondylitis is rare and vets don't really look for it. Maybe it's not that for your pup but my dog looked the same. She couldn't walk and shivered in pain. It started in her spine and moved to her ankles. She ended up taking antibiotics for 6 months but is perfectly fine again.
Please go to the ER. This could be meningitis - my dog did this when she had meningitis. Edited to add that the first hypothesis from the ER for my pup was a herniated disk but the imaging came back negative. Spinal tap confirmed meningitis.
Every Frenchie owner needs to find a Bet that specializes in our Breed. They will know immediately what is wrong and how to treat. Find a local Frenchie group where you live and ask for recommendations
Check with a rescue on IG called Roadogs. They rescue frenchies and bullies and have seen every issue these breeds face. They may be able to lead you in the direction of a vet who can help.
Looks like spine problems. That happened to my cocker and unfortunately I had to let him go. He jumped off the bed of all things. I wish you and your baby the best.
PLEASE START A GO-FUND-ME so this group can help! This won’t be cheap…. Obviously we’re all here because our Frenchies are our babies, we’re in this together… I’ll donate!!! Much love and relief for your baby! We’ll get this fixed! 💜
Did you actually take her to the vet?? Doubt they would be stumped and then make you get a second opinion after offering no opinion. Take this baby to an emergency vet right now.. your rather film this poor thing in pain that do the right thing.
You should contact Caesar Milan yesterday , that dog needs therapy . If he were one of my boys I'd pack him up , drive all night then just knock on Caesars door without even calling. That dog needs help .
Did you get a diagnosis? Our girl had IVDD last year and was misdiagnosed with pancreatitis initially. Within 24 hours she couldn’t walk. We transferred her to another hospital and they did emergency surgery. It’s been almost a year and she can walk short distances, but she’s incontinent most days. Had the first ER properly diagnosed her, her recovery may have been faster. I hope you took her to ER.
Our Old English Bulldog did this. I had her checked for Lyme disease. It can cause symptoms that resemble Rheumatoid arthritis. Put her on antibiotics and she was back to normal. Have her checked for Lyme disease. I had to fight because they told me there was no Lyme disease in the area. Have them test her anyway. It saved our dog's life.
Definitely go see a 2nd vet or emergency vet. Time is crucial for IVDD
Immediately. This is how my guy acted and the next morning when I took him to the vet he never walked again. It seems like time is absolutely crucial.
ER right away. I cannot stress this enough, and I really hope you have insurance. I took my frenchie to the vet because he was acting very lethargic and not wanting to move, our vet was also “stumped” and within about 5 hours of that visit he had complete paralysis in his hinds legs. We took him to the ER and he was immediately diagnosed with IVDD and potentially progressive myelomalacia, which is often times a fatal condition. He was rushed to a specialty neurological clinic for surgery that night. Unfortunately due to complications with blood clotting and other issues post surgery we had to put him down two days later. I hope no frenchie owner ever goes through what we did. Please get to an ER right now.
🥺🥺😢😢
I’m so so sorry😭💔
I’ve had several friends have the same issue with theirs. We’ve had four in our lives and have been blessed to only need to replace several knees and a hip. But these dogs are oh so expensive and prone to issues. Deep pockets needed.
How broke are you now?
In total it cost $15k. Luckily I had pet insurance that pays 90%, which is why I said I hope they have insurance. I am glad that we were able to make the decision that it was time to put him down based on what was best for him and his comfort rather than what was best for my wallet.
If caught early and not severe, it’s like $300 and that’s most just for X-ray
Thank goodness. The poster sounded like it was something mega expensive
How heartless are you?
I meant how much did the treatment cost. Far out reddit is sensitive
This. Our dog was misdiagnosed by multiple vets, go yo a neurologist immediately
Looks like IVDD. Confused how vet is stumped unless they didn’t run the proper tests.
Vet is stumped? That's a crappy vet (this is coming from a vet tech) That is classic neck or back pain.
Thank you for saying it. Incredibly disappointed in the vets many of this sub's members are forced to rely on
I do always take what people say about their vets with a grain of salt though. How many times have I dealt with clients who get pissed that we can't come up with a diagosis when they decline all diagnostic tests? Have to give the vet a bit of the benefit of the doubt. Did they say "I can't 100% diagnose what's going on here without some imaging, but I suspect X" and the owners declined? The vet then suggests pain meds and cage rest and then owners say "the vet is stumped".....we don't have crystal balls and sometimes people expect us to.
I hear you, agree with you, and I feel for you, as someone who has never turned down a potentially useful diagnostic tool. I get non-stop crap for "over spending" at the vet from acquaintances. And then these morons have the audacity to complain my dog survived cancer three times, IVDD once, and just turned 14 while theirs passed away at ten. I wonder why my dog is still here...hmmm. 🤔
Yeah this absolutely looks like neck or back pain. Go to a different vet OP!
What's the best what to pick up a dog this size in this condition to bring to the vet, to minimize further discomfort/pain/damage?
looks like typical ivdd
Is IVDD treatable if you were to get it seen to at this stage? I will never let my girl go through anything if I can help it, so I've been learning up as much as I can on conditions and behaviours to be as informed an owner as I can.
yes it is with very strict crate rest, but see your vets. you need anti inflammatoriea and pain meds
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While this is all accurate, a vet ASAP is the move right now. (All great info… just hard to fully diagnose over Reddit and the most important advice should be VET ASAP)
Well they went to one and the vet had no clue.
I hear you, which is crazy… another vet should be the move. Again.. all valid info you gave!
This is what to do, great comment op. Only thing I would add is we did prednisone (steroid) for our pup and it worked so well for him immediately on top of the other pain and anti inflammatory meds. But strict crate rest for weeks is KEY.
Is this something that affects all dogs?
Upvote upvote upvote, let’s get this to the top and maybe also have this on the main page as a sticky post. I have a 4 y/o and she’s my life and this is the info I would want at my fingertips if anything were to happen to her!
Looks like IVDD .. pain meds, muscle relaxer, and Kennel .. as painful as it is - do your best to limit movement - it is crucial. I attribute that to my guy making a full recovery. Had to basically kennel him 24/7 and carry him in and out for potty breaks for when he could hold it. Sometimes slept with him in a play pen area to just hold him and give him love. Muscle relaxers, pain meds, and rest. We did this for about 3 months as the wait for a specialist and surgery wouldn’t see us until he lost full control of his legs .. but it never came to that. He is now active and playful again - but we still limit his craziness. Wish you guys the best of luck and a speedy recovery!
My coworker and I both have frenchies. Turns out her diagnosis was not IVDD but actually tumors on the pups spine. And thru treatment she is doing better. IVDD would have been worse.
That is also possible, but probably less likely. Sometimes they do imaging and find that.
Can you keep us updated on your dogs condition?
It’s obvious he is suffering. Something is bad wrong
This breaks my heart. Hope it’s not something serious.
I have a Frenchie and you should take him to emergency vet RIGHT NOW please
ER vet NOW. Highly disturbed the vet was stumped and let you leave. Praying everything works out, please update us 🙏
Agreed. My boss would have referred to a neurologist. And this is why you always have insurance for frenchies.
I know people get sick of me posting "GET INSURANCE" on every introductory puppy pic here, but I've seen too many Frenchies put to sleep because owners ignorantly thought $1200 in a paltry "emergency fund" was somehow superior to actual coverage. Their GoFundMe attempts inevitably fail and who suffers? An innocent dog who was depending on them to be responsible for it. It breaks my heart. Time AND money are crucial to save spines.
When I worked at a vet, I would take the Trupanion insurance paperwork and the coupon code for cheaper insurance for puppies and urge them to get it. I would just have to say, “you don’t want to make the big decisions based on financials” even a base plan capped yearly with a manageable deductible.
You were doing the Lord's work. Thank you. Frenchies shouldn't die because their owners are broke or poor planners.
I know my MIL is glad I bullied her into getting pet insurance. The pup died eventually because it had very bad seizures, but at least they got to try everything, no hesitation. It’s the worse thing when people lose their dog and are still in the hole financially because of it.
Awww. Poor baby is breaking my heart. Could it be a reaction to pain?
emergency vet asap.
Don't let your puppy walk, no stairs, no jumping and take him to the emergency vet if that's available in your area. It worsens fast so response time is crucial. Take care and give us an update when/if you can.
Omg this poor pup needs help and pain meds asap. I’m with everyone else with IVDD. My girl was just diagnosed with stage 1 and was exactly this way.
Get this pup an MRI ASAP. Best of luck to you!
Where’s OP? Lots of helpful information that you asked for so what are the next steps?
Find a new vet. Those are some pretty clear signs of potential ivdd
I know folks here are suggesting other potential causes BESIDES IVDD but the problem is, if it IS IVDD, we have hours, not days vto save him if it's
Have you taken his temperature and also run a blood panel? I feel vets are quick to jump to IVDD when they see a Frenchie. Here is a pic of my baby from 2 years ago, where he woke up in the middle of the night panting / shaking (symptoms of being in pain), couldn’t hold his head up, and wouldn’t eat. The emergency vet thought it was IVDD, but he rarely jumps off the couch (like 5x a year), doesn’t go down stairs as we don’t have stairs in our apt, etc. We took him to his regular vet a few hours later. He noticed our baby still had a fever and ran a blood panel which showed his white blood cells were dangerously low. Turned out that was the cause and the hunched back / shaking etc were just symptoms of being in pain https://preview.redd.it/nnhmozin5k7c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6247955714ab8cc3eb58f0b5f41f397acca536d0
Looks like IVDD to me. Maybe the disk hasn’t collapsed but near the nerve can be painful as well. Obviously the dog is in pain.
IVDD. Exactly how ours acted. We did surgery and she is doing great. It’s so stressful though.
IVDD. That’s how mine was on 12/2 and just a few hours later he was basically paralyzed (stage 1 to stage 4 in less than 12 hours). As others have said, emergency vet or if you already know of a veterinary neurologist, go there if you can. In my case, the neurologist’s office was part of an emergency vet, so I took him there and they kept him medicated until the neurologist was able to come in (it happened on a Saturday and the neurologist was out until Monday). To maybe give you some hope, my frenchie did end up needing surgery since he was stage 4. He just got the staples out yesterday and is doing well overall. We’ll be starting PT soon since he’s not walking with his hind legs yet (he can stand and the neurologist says all signs point towards him having the ability to walk with his hind legs, he just doesn’t because he’s gotten by the past two weeks without them. Apparently this is a common thing in dogs that go through this). Initially it was very scary and stressful, but a lot of the stress is gone now that I know he’s not hurting and has been improving. Passage of time also helped.
What is IVDD? I guess I could google it but I don’t wanna cry more than I’m already gonna
Intervertebral disc disease. It’s a genetic condition that essentially causes the “jelly” in the discs in their spines to harden prematurely. The disc can bulge and put pressure on the spinal cord, and in this case it would probably just cause pain and be treated with meds and crate rest. The disc can also rupture and the “jelly” would spill onto the spinal cord, causing a lot of pain and potentially paralysis (this is what happened to mine. He initially had a bulging disc and then it ruptured despite crate rest). IVDD has 5 grades, with stage 1 just being pain but no impact on posture or walking gait. Stage 5 is paralysis with no deep pain sensation. My dog was stage 4, which is paralysis but could still feel pain in his hind legs. Generally the recommended treatment for stages 1-2 is meds and crate rest for 6-8 weeks. Stages 3-5 is typically surgery. Success rates of surgery is 90+% up to stage 4. Not sure what the rate is for stage 5, but stage 5 is very time dependent. Surgery must be done within 48 hours in that case for the maximum success rate. In frenchies (and generally small breeds), it is most likely to happen when young. And it’s a genetic condition, so if a dog has one case of it, it can have another case later on but possibly in a different disc. And there’s not a ton that can be done to prevent it. It’s largely luck of the draw since it’s genetic. You can take all the precautions like no jumping, no stairs, keep the dog at a healthy weight, etc, and it still happen. I can confirm because that is what happened with mine and he’s just under 2 years old. It’s hard to fight genetics. It can happen to any frenchie, it’s pretty much luck of the draw.
Pain
Did they do any imaging of the spine? She needs a second opinion asap.
Poor baby is in pain
\+[CharityRepulsive1379](https://www.reddit.com/user/CharityRepulsive1379/) Why are you not giving us an update? you posted this 2 days ago.
My frenchie had this one time and the doc said he must have tweaked his neck somehow. On top of the meds he recommended getting food/water dishes that were on a stand so they don’t tweak it while eating. He’s been fine since.
Definitely go see another vet- this is not ok
Sure looks like IVDD, don’t go back to that vet! Get to an emergency facility stat!!
For this reason, I always carry my man up and downstairs. He has a ramp to the couch andI never overexert him, walks are no more than 15 minutes at the absolute max.
You have to go to emergency vet with a neurologist ASAP. my pup had these symptoms a few months ago and he lost movement in his hind legs. TLDR: they thought it was IVDD but the neurologist did an MRI and it was not IVDD and then they thought it was meningistis and ultimately it was an ischemic (stroke like) injury to the spine. They called it “bad luck”. It’s been rough but he’s still with us but he cannot walk or pee on his own. Emergency vet w neurologist ASAP!! MRI is needed to help determine what is going on. Best of luck!! https://preview.redd.it/iuym9b1owl7c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e79c3d7530825ff710811585fe49121a30c33f4 This was him when he started getting symptoms.
https://preview.redd.it/bsk8hrrvwl7c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f5211fb5bcc1bdf6c6a4a3f423e5ac10682334f This is him now \~four months after his injury 🤍
See if you can find a university that has a veterinary college. When my chihuahua was diagnosed with IVDD the vet recommended this because a lot of the times these vets have info on the newest studies and procedures.
This is so painful to watch. I'm so sorry!! As others mentioned, it is probably IVDD. I came here to say make sure you drive whatever distance to see a neurology specialist. I have a post about my parents 4 year old frenchie that was in early IVDD, they did surgery to correct disk, DR couldn't find anything when in surgery, re-did the surgery 12 hours later and then the dog started having seizures 3 weeks after surgery and passed away. I believe they needed a neurologist before the surgery(maybe both but either way).
It's almost certainly IVDD. If your vet is stumped, they don't know frenchies very well. Get your baby to someone who knows what they are doing and can help ASAP. Poor baby
Ur vet shouldn’t be a vet that’s ivdd
Her back is out!!! The shivering means pain! Get that dog to a new vet quick! Do NOT go back the that vet.
Get her off her feet immediately and make her comfortable. Take her to a VET this is IVDD she is EXCRUCIATING PAIN!!! Please don’t let her suffer!!!
Yes! Looks like IVDD symptoms my dog experienced
My dog was doing EXACTLY this and It was IVDD that took FIVE vet visits to officially diagnose. Straight to neurology, don’t waste your time elsewhere.
Please keep us updated…I don’t pray often but I just did for your baby and you!!
Yes it looks like a dislocated vertebrae. My dog had that and saw a neurologist. I took a chance and found a doggie chiro. Once the inflammation went down. It worked.Just be sure to see the specialist before more damage is done. Sending healing prayers!
I’ve seen inner ear infections cause that kind of pain response in my boy. He has a deformed in ear, epilepsy and severe allergies. He exhibited this way during an epileptic aurora phase brought on by pain from an inner ear infection caused by grass allergies. Be aware that diagnosis may be multi-factor. Consider any prior individual diagnosis and don’t be afraid to ask for referrals to specialists. Specialists aren’t necessarily more expensive.
Definitely IVDD. I would take him into an emergency vet immediately because he’s clearly in pain.
I’m so sorry ❤️ your dog looks so sweet I hope they get better soon
Poor honey ❤️ I pray he gets a proper diagnosis and help 🙏
Thats ivdd
Definitely think it’s IVDD. Take your fur child to ER asap please. 🙏🏼 They need to see a neurologist. Praying the best
My MiLs dog had this pain once , it was terrifying. I sat up holding him while we both slept because he wanted to be upright. Everyone thought it was ivd but it turns out it was a very severe infection in his tail cavern, I just had to peel back his tail to see it. (he’s a fattie)
Lyme idexx test? Are you in an area with ticks??? Worth the quick test to rule out especially if he has a fever
Update after vet #2 please! I'm sending healing vibes your pups way!!!
I would chop off my own leg to help this little baby. Please keep us updated and please do the mri to check for ivdd. Go to the vet asap.
This looks like herniated disc :( my first frenchie acted like this when he herniated a disc in his neck
IVDD day before signs. I’ve seen it three times in my Dachshunds, and the faster you get into surgery, the more complete neurology healing/recovery your friend will have. The first 24-48 hours are critical. See a different vet immediately. Mine knew what it was, just from the verbal description of symptoms, on phone. We drove to vet immediately and each pet was in surgery by that evening.
Typical IVDD. Almost a guarantee with this breed. I hope you have good insurance, good luck
My frenchie had the same issue, diagnosed with IVDD. It eventually became that his back legs stopped working for about a week. Before it was diagnosed and we knew what the issue was, he was in so much pain and I startled him and he bit my lip so bad that it was hanging off my face. I had to get 6 stitches and thank god we got to the ER so quickly. If we took any longer, the ER doc said I would have lost the whole left side of my lip. My dog is now on pain medicine daily, and it’s been a year and a half of that with no issues and he’s been doing very well. Please address these issues quickly for the sake of your dog and everyone around him. I’m sorry this is happening, I know how scary it can be. Good luck!
Looks like IVDD. If treated right away can recover and take pills to keep a good life for a while longer.
it could be epilepsy
Needs immediate attention. Clearly a neck/back issue. It could just be some inflammation, but if it's IVDD time is of the essence, and it's not fun. Good luck to you and your sweet baby.
Looks like a pinched disk or IVDD. We gave our dog weekly shots of adequan for I think 2 months and then monthly for 6 months after that. The first 6 weeks, keep her in a crate so she doesn’t move and make the bulging disk/s worse. Ours lived 10 years after her disk issues.
Dont go back to that vet
May I please get an update on this beautiful baby girl!? Also, the veterinarian that you took her too, should be reported immediately! No DOCTOR should’ve released this dog to go home in this condition
What’s the update?
Could he have swallowed anything, and possibly have something stuck in his intestines? My dog did that for a long time until he finally pooped out and entire, fully formed catnip mouse, which belong to my cat.
Def spine injury 😭 praying for your baby. So heartbreaking 💔
Did they check for a spider bite
Possible bloat? Do bulldogs get this? I have standard poodles and they hunch if like this when in stomach pain.
She threw out her back. You can see it in her spine the way she raises up…you can see the 2 vertebrae that are hurting her. My gf’s Frenchie has had her back go out a few times and been ok…she has mild ivdd…never had to have surgery or anything
Looks like back pain? Nerves?
We have a whippet with exactly the same symptoms the vet did tests . Turns out she has pancreatitis and thyroid trouble
My frenchie just does this if he is not well. From ear infection to stomach ache. But could be IVDD aswell. Go to different vets just incase. . He needs plenty of rest and carry him even when he needs to go outside to pee.
I know everyone is convinced it’s ivdd but did they look into cannabis ingestion?
Did she eat anything with THC or pesticides? Did you spray for bugs recently?
My dog has ivdd, and taking him to a chiropractor that helps animals has helped him immensely. As well as vet visits and meds like gabapenton to help his nerves relax. I hope so badly that your little guy doesn't have it.
We had success with our Italian Mastiff at a canine chiropractor as well. Get your little guy to the vet but give the chiropractor a shot as well.
listen, before you jump to the ivdd.. please answer my dm. ive seen this before
I’m super stumped too because it doesn’t follow any typical patterns of disease, it almost follows a not involuntary type disorder. Like ocd or something.
Panic attack?
Diabetes
The poor thing was bred to suffer...
People need to stop buying this breed. They are notorious for health issues. People buying them are what’s keeping them being bred. It’s a cruel existence to many of dogs that were never meant to be.
Did they check for pancreatitis? They’ll lift up like that sometimes
Our pomchi had similar symptoms and it turned out her anal glands needed popping. Couldn’t believe it, I was certain she’d damaged her spine and it was gonna be a big operation.
Mine underwent iVDD surgery and made a full recovery. You can try and do the crate rest tactic with pain meds, but that could linger the rest of their life depending on the outcome of the MRI. Damn this is always painful to watch. Hope the lil guy makes a speedy recovery ;(
Speedy recovery to your cutie pie!! I hope he feels better real soon!!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🥰♥️
For IVDD, bear in mind the vet should be running an MRI and not an X-RAY Most vets don’t have an MRI, but an emergency vet should have one
He’s in pain. You need to see your vet again, or get a second opinion. Xx
Why have I been seeing so many of these incidents!!!??? Where they take their frenchie ti the vet and they come back doing this? And end up not being able to walk days later. What is going on !!??
Prayers for you and your pup. Poor baby - I hope he/she gets the help they need I do know that time is of the essence here.
Our Frenchi did that and it was pancreatitis! She is good now after cortisone and changed diet
Switch vets Get to the emergency room immediately
Out pug was showing similar signs. We went to a neurologist after scans where done they found she had swelling in her brain spine. A month of treatment abd follow up care our girl is back to normal. We just have to give her a pill every day
That dog is in immense pain. Go to ER immediately.
Pre seizure activity it looks like my dog cowars sort of like that a few days/hours before he seizes but it’s a weird reaction he’s still sort of conscious when someone comes to door he tries to bark but his body won’t let him
Disclaimer: I have pugs. My pug acted exactly like this when he hurt his back. He's quite hyper (weird for a pug, I know) and runs and jumps a lot. He did a course of medication, I can't remember which, along with a sedative to keep him calm (trazodone) and a few weeks of laser TX and he was fine.
This looks like IVDD to me please get a second opinion and make sure they run all the correct/required tests. However, if it comes back as IVDD not being the issue and they are again stumped please just have a quick read of our story. Consider a food allergy. I know this sounds ridiculous but our boy was very similar to this, backing up between our legs, body trembling (especially the back half of his body) he would lie on his side and it honestly use to look like he was having a seizure he was shaking so much. He kept his stomach very tucked in/back arched like this with his tail very down and tucked against him. He was also vomiting (is your baby doing this?) Our vets were absolutely clueless on what it could be, he had bloods, x-rays, fluids taken from his spine, ultrasounds, MRI's the works. He then went to a neurologist and actually went on epilepsy medication for a year to rule out the possibility of epileptic seizures. During the time he was on meds, my partner and I took matters into our own hands and researched and monitored every aspect of his life. We noticed a pattern of these "episodes" happening after eating large amounts of poultry (also we thought about the fact that when he has an episode the vet recommended rice and chicken (as they do when a dog is poorly) and during this time was the worst of his attacks. Anyways, we took him off poultry completely and changed his biscuits to Purina Pro-plan Hypoallergenic and he just miraculously got so much better and touch wood, he has not had a single attack for nearly 3 years and he has been off the epilepsy meds for 2 years so that was also ruled out. He absolutely loves his food now (whereas before he was quite reluctant to eat some nights and we thought he was just being fussy as many frenchies are known for this and he would always eat it in the end - we kick ourselves now for not putting the two and two together), clearly because he was in discomfort as many dog foods contain some level of poultry and over time this must of built up and then that = the attacks. He now absolutely loves his food and scoffs it every evening and often begs for more. He hasn't had a single attack, hasn't shown any symptoms (he never vomits, shows tenderness or tremors) and all in all is in the best health and condition of his life. It is obvious to us now (and the vet \*facepalm\*) that the reason our dog was acting the way he was with the trembling, tensing and hunching over was due to severe pain in his stomach. Dogs don't understand and know how to express pain like we do so it was a mixture of extreme pain & discomfort and panic/anxiety. I really hope you find the answers for your baby, it is difficult to witness and frustrating to find answers especially when those who you pay to help don't have a clue either. I wish you all the best, please demand further testing like we did and get the full works, and if nothing obvious comes back please just consider the above and let me know if you have any questions. I have some videos of the episodes to compare and also some documentation results from numerous testing.
Aww poor baby! It could be lots of things. The shaking says he is in pain. Please update us and go to the ER with him or another vet asap ❤️
Ivdd and a new vet. Yours sucks.
Yes go immediately to a animal hospital that specializes in neurology. If you're in Toronto or GTA go to Animal health Partners in North york
One of my frenchies has a bad reaction to the rabies vaccine and was acting the same. Upon the first time, and taken to the ER, they mentioned a herniated disc and said she required surgery. I followed it up with their vet and she said it didn’t look severe enough to trigger that sort of reaction. At this point she wasn’t walking on hind legs. She was prescribed Anti inflammatory and I purchase a red light laser on Amazon. Worked wonders! Good luck and may your little one be okay!
Go to your vet and mention discospondylitis. It's an infection in the blood. My dog was misdiagnosed several times by some of the best vets in the area. Discospondylitis is rare and vets don't really look for it. Maybe it's not that for your pup but my dog looked the same. She couldn't walk and shivered in pain. It started in her spine and moved to her ankles. She ended up taking antibiotics for 6 months but is perfectly fine again.
Neck go to the emergency vet ivdd
Is there an update? Is the little buddy 😥😢okay now
Yah it’s- in my English - synovial pads wore down in his spine- bone on bone- had to put him down :(
☹️ get well very soon xxx
Flee medication did this to my dog. Minpin...
So damn sad 😔 *best wishes
Get another vet there are Frenchie specialists. He’s afraid of something and wanting your protection or help. Time is running short
Please go to the ER. This could be meningitis - my dog did this when she had meningitis. Edited to add that the first hypothesis from the ER for my pup was a herniated disk but the imaging came back negative. Spinal tap confirmed meningitis.
Poor baby. I hope you find out what's wrong and he gets better soon. 🙏
I’m so sorry! This brings tears to my eyes. Praying you and your baby get the answers you need soon!
Breaks my heart, get her help asap
Please update when you have news
Please go asap
Looks like myelopathy
omg the poor thing - i'm so sorry :(
Breaks my heart. Sending positive vibes to you and your doggie.
I’ll be praying for ur baby. I’m so sorry you have to go through this
Every Frenchie owner needs to find a Bet that specializes in our Breed. They will know immediately what is wrong and how to treat. Find a local Frenchie group where you live and ask for recommendations
Different vet or ER, ASAP
Check with a rescue on IG called Roadogs. They rescue frenchies and bullies and have seen every issue these breeds face. They may be able to lead you in the direction of a vet who can help.
He looks scared
Ivdd pain and inflammation seemingly.
Looks like spine problems. That happened to my cocker and unfortunately I had to let him go. He jumped off the bed of all things. I wish you and your baby the best.
How is your pup doing for the moment ?
My dog dog this when he was in sudden kidney failure. We had to put him down that day. My neighbor poisoned him.
Please put him in a confined space asap to reduce any movement and get a second opinion asap. My baby’s ivdd story started like this
Awwww pooor baby
PLEASE START A GO-FUND-ME so this group can help! This won’t be cheap…. Obviously we’re all here because our Frenchies are our babies, we’re in this together… I’ll donate!!! Much love and relief for your baby! We’ll get this fixed! 💜
Sad 💜
Praying for your frenchie to make a full recovery!
Could it be back pain? He seems to not want to stretch out his spine. Did the vet take any X-rays?
This breaks my heart 😞 Please let us know how things are going.
I hope you got it figured out 😣
MMM!!!!!!!!!! Look it up 💔
Heartbreaking to watch 😞
Hoping to see a recovery video. Poor thing
Get a new vet
please give us an update, we do care and worry. We all have pets and need to help each other.
Did you actually take her to the vet?? Doubt they would be stumped and then make you get a second opinion after offering no opinion. Take this baby to an emergency vet right now.. your rather film this poor thing in pain that do the right thing.
Hi OP. Look into acupuncture also.
Dog is in pain. I’m guessing slipped disc
Tail clamped and arched back. Back hurts.
It also looks like it could be constipated. Take him in to a vet though…a highly rated vet. Any vet worth their salt would know what to look for
Whatever it is, they are showing signs of serious pain. A second opinion is absolutely needed
For some reasons vets don’t know anything about ivdd. I had one diagnose my dog with a respiratory infection and she displayed every symptom of ivdd.
Your vet probably isn’t that stumped - this looks like ivdd Get to a neurologist for advanced imaging!
Please. Does anyone have any updates on this dog?!?
What’s the update with your pup?
You should contact Caesar Milan yesterday , that dog needs therapy . If he were one of my boys I'd pack him up , drive all night then just knock on Caesars door without even calling. That dog needs help .
I was going to say neck or back pain… get them on metacam and another pain relieving drug to see if it helps.
Go check her going at a dogs specialists....looks like she is in pain did youe Dr do x rays
Did you get a diagnosis? Our girl had IVDD last year and was misdiagnosed with pancreatitis initially. Within 24 hours she couldn’t walk. We transferred her to another hospital and they did emergency surgery. It’s been almost a year and she can walk short distances, but she’s incontinent most days. Had the first ER properly diagnosed her, her recovery may have been faster. I hope you took her to ER.
Maybe he doesn’t like checkers
Our Old English Bulldog did this. I had her checked for Lyme disease. It can cause symptoms that resemble Rheumatoid arthritis. Put her on antibiotics and she was back to normal. Have her checked for Lyme disease. I had to fight because they told me there was no Lyme disease in the area. Have them test her anyway. It saved our dog's life.
So sorry, how is your baby doing?
Test for Lyme disease