Watching the decline of your pet’s physical and/or mental health after years of vitality can be heart wrenching.  We often have fond memories of watching Fido playing fetch or watching Fluffy race around the house in apparent glee. 

The intervertebral discs (the cushion that resides in the space between adjacent spinal vertebrae) are subject to a number of degenerative conditions and forces that predispose them to bulge or rupture over time. This rupture leads to two types of damage to the spinal cord, compression and concussion.

It happened without warning. One moment my young male Belgian Tervueren was snuggling against me as I sat on the couch; the next moment he lost control of his hindquarters and fell onto his side, unconscious.