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Expert: - 8/4/2010


Question
My dog is a springer spaniel mix who weighs 63 pounds we went camping in our trailer for a week. We live in a ranch house and the trailer we were in has steep stairs, I noticed after 5 days of going in and out of the trailer he would look up at the stairs and if to say I don't want to climb up. When we returned home he would not even sleep in bed where he has for 7 years and just laid around not at all himself. But I thought maybe he was getting arthritis and just needed to relax, I took him to the vet 2 days later and he said he had a pinched nerve in his back, they gave him a cortisone shot and muscle relaxers to take and pain meds, I know it has only been 3 days later but he still cannot move very well and sleeping alot. Should I take him to a dog chiropractor ??? Also my vet said by the end of the week if he still is not doing better he will put in on a round of predizone.. HELP what should I do and how long does it take for him to do better.  
Thank-You

Answer
Most dogs feel better in 24 hours with a shot of cortisone. A chiropractor for dogs wouldn't be a bad idea.

You didn't mention his age but he could be just having issues due to his weight as well. 63 lbs is a bit much for a springer unless he is all muscle. More like 55 lbs is what he should be. Sometimes taking a bit of weight off of them helps tremendously.

A little massage could also help him. Sleeping a lot is a way to escape pain. I would wait until the end of the week then call the chiropractor.

Traditional drugs and injections are not the only way to treat this.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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