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Pomeranian in pain.

Species: Dog
Breed: Pomeranian
Age: 2-5 years
I have a 4 year old pom. All of a sudden, 3 weeks ago he started having abdominal like or spasms in his rear, they were constant every few seconds and would last for hours at a time. He also started hiding and seemed constipated. Went to the vet (3 weeks ago) and they did a urine test and x-ray and found that he had an elevated BUN and Creat. level and that his colon was slightly enlarged with stool in it and that it looked he had some spine compression, the vet was not sure as to if it was abdominal or a spinal issue that was causing his spasms. We were prescribed Metacam and Laxatone. The following week(2 week ago), after no improvement we returned and she prescribed Tramadol to see if that would help. The tramadol relieved the muscle spasms some but they were still continuing and none of the other symptoms improved and he started to become lethargic and not eating. We went to another vet (4 days ago) to seek out an answer to his problem, because it seemed the first vet was just creating a bill and didn't know what it could be. This new vet said it definitely felt like it was a nerve compression - prescribed Ramidyl and said to keep him confined from jumping or using the stairs until he felt better. He has one more pill of the Ramidyl to take tomorrow, and he is now eating and passing stool a little better than he was, but today all of a sudden his hind legs started shivering as he was standing. I layed him down and they continued for about 5 minutes and then stopped. The muscle spasms have stopped for the past few days and I thought this was helping, but the shivering is worrying me. I plan to take him into the vet in the morning if needed, but this is becoming a huge expense. So I was hoping I could get some help as to what this could possibly be.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh the poor little guy. I'm sorry to hear that Duke is having these problems.

From what you have written this definitely sounds like a back issue. It can often be difficult to tell what is going on when there is mild back pain and I have had cases like this where it is hard to determine if there is a back problem or abdominal pain.

It sounds like Duke may have some intervertebral disc disease. This happens when there is a problem with the discs between the vertebrae of the back. If there is inflammation between one or more of the discs then you can see pain, spasms and lethargy. Rimadyl is a good medication to help reduce inflammation. Often a course of Rimadyl will do the trick.

However, I do get concerned when a back problem improves and then suddenly gets worse. When this happens it may mean that there is more than just inflammation going on. There may be a bulging disc in between the vertebrae. This can be quite serious.

He definitely should see his vet in the morning. (If he gets to the point where he is very weak in his back end or not able to stand then he needs to see an emergency vet tonight). The vet will do some neurological tests (like trying to knuckle his back feet over) to determine how serious this is. They may take him off of the rimadyl and put him on a stronger anti-inflammatory such as prednisone or dexamethasone.

If they feel that there is a bulging disc then this is something that may need surgery. Unfortunately this surgery can be very expensive.

The best thing you can do for him tonight is to keep him really quiet. If you think he is getting more and more uncomfortable then he may need to see the vet on emergency.

I hope he is ok!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Thank you for your response. I'm going to keep him down for the night as he seems pretty content in his crate and take him to the vet first thing in the morning. I suspected it to be a disk problem from researching his symptoms with other questions/answers - but then again, I am no doctor.
Thanks so much for your help!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

This sounds like a good plan. I pray that he feels better soon!

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.