How to Treat Wobbler Syndrome

Wobbler's Syndrome, technically known as spondylopathy, is a spinal condition that strikes large dog breeds such as Dobermans, Rottweilers and Great Danes. In animals with this condition, the vertebral canal is too small and compresses the spinal cord. This weakens the dog's hind legs, causing the pet to wobble. You can get help for your pet by following these steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Veterinarian visit
• X-ray
• Myelogram
• Neck brace
• Elevation of food/water bowls
• Rehabilitation
• Surgery if recommended

1. Determine if your dog has Wobbler's Syndrome by having his neck x-rayed at a veterinarian's office. If the x-ray looks like the dog may have Wobbler's, a myelogram needs to be done to be certain. The veterinarian will inject dye into the spinal area and another x-ray will be performed.

2. Follow the veterinarian's instructions for treatment. He will probably put a neck brace on the dog to stabilize the neck if Wobbler's Syndrome is caught in its early stages. If the dog has an acute case and is in the later stages, the dog will probably require surgery and/or be treated with steroids.

3. Reduce your dog's protein intake so that he is eating 22-24% of protein in his diet and discontinue any mineral supplements. Too much protein, calcium and phosphorous can affect growth in these large breeds and could possibly cause skeletal changes that could result in Wobbler's Syndrome or further the damage of the condition.

4. Let your dog rest often, reducing his activity level considerably. To avoid damaging the spinal cord, discontinue any activity where your dog will need to move his neck up and down, such as fetching a toy.

5. Elevate both his water and food bowls to a height where he won't have to bend the neck downward but not too high to force him to strain the neck too far upward.

6. Have the veterinarian do rehabilitation with your dog for treatment to increase the dog's range of motion so your animal can have as normal joint function as possible.

7. Ask your veterinarian what the future holds for your dog. If the condition is caught early or if your dog requires surgery, recovery may be slow and require medication and a rehabilitation program. If the condition is caught in the later stages the damage could be irrevocable and all you may be able to do is keep him comfortable until it's time to say goodbye.

Tips & Warnings

• Only have the myelogram done if the initial x-ray shows that Wobbler's Syndrome is probable, but it isn't certain. The procedure is painful to the dog and is expensive.

• When purchasing a large breed dog, make sure there are no cases of Wobbler's Syndrome in the parents of the puppy, since Wobbler's is thought to be most probable a genetic disorder. If breeding large dogs, do not breed dogs with a history of Wobbler's.

Resources

• Information for owners of Great Danes
• Information for owners of Rottweilers