Spinal Fusion (not surgical)

I was wondering if anyone has experience or knowledge about spinal fusion--the spontaneous kind, not surgical? Angus had a spinal injury in 2005 and recovered beautifully, but now the vet says he sees fusion in the vertebrae in the area of the stroke, as well as some swelling and inflammation, thus the lameness.

Angus is on rimadyl and crate rest, but I am trying to find out more about the road ahead. He's around 10-12 years old now and from what I've read, this is something that can happen to older dogs, especially if they had an injury. It is difficult to find good information and I was hoping, with all the pugs and pug parents here, to hear about some personal experiences.

Thanks in advance guys. I'm trying hard not to freak out about this, there is so much difficult stuff happening right now, I don't want Angus' recovery to be effected by my stress/attitude.

I'm sorry Kim, this is something I've never heard of. As you know, Imi has just had her spine fused surgically and that's the only experience I have. I hope there is something that can be done for your precious boy.

Not sure I am understanding the original injury here. You mentioned "the area of the stroke", did your pug have an FCE? Fusion would usually occur with calcium build-up from an injury, but then you mentioned the stroke. I have 5 paraplegic pugs, so will try to help if you could explain this to me. BTW fusion would not normally happen after an FCE. I have 2 of those.
Joan

I have no idea what an FCE is?
He pulled up lame (for lack of a better term) in Jan. 2005, was limping, knuckling under with his back foot, swan necking--vet took xrays, saw bulging discs and a lot of swelling. Since he has had NO injury (he ran and played and did his normal thing, was playing outside with us and the other dogs and suddenly started showing symptoms) the assumption was a stroke in the spinal column. He had high doses of prednisone and was on crate rest for a month. He made a full recovery, the swelling and inflammation dissipated.
Fast forward to NOW...he was limping but NO neurological effects. Swelling shows on xray. Signs of bone spurs on xray, which my vet said was spinal fusion?
I do like my vet but think I am going to see a specialist. He has a recheck this week and I will ask for a written documentation of his diagnoses.
So far, we have been doing very well with training to keep him from jumping, learning to stay off furniture and sleeping in his crate at night. As of tonight, he is no longer limping but I do see reduced mobility on one side in the back, though it is very slight.

Kim, what you are describing is exactly what Imi had leading up to her surgical fusion - i.e. - spurs (osteophytes) on her spine, and bulging discs - classic Pug back issues. The remedy for this was the surgery for a spinal fusion, but the condition itself didn't cause any spontaneous fusion. Is there any chance what the vet said wasn't very clear and he made it a little confused and he was actually recommending a spinal fusion? I do agree that the best thing is to consult with a specialist. I'm here if you need to ask anything about the surgery. It's exactly 4 weeks today since Imi had hers.

Oh, and BTW, Imi will be 12 in December, so Angus and her are around the same age. It really sounds EXACTLY what Imi went through.

Thanks Rona. They said it was looked like the spine was fusing on its own. Not recommending surgery. I did a lot of reading and it isn't uncommon, especially when the dog had a previous injury/trauma to the spine.

FCE is a Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE) in dogs. It is really a stroke of the spine, but will not show up on xrays as damage to discs etc. Dogs will not display any pain, and need to begin exercise immediately, and a lot of them will recover somewhat.

Your dog had an actual injury, visible on xray, and is treated exactly the opposite,.....anti inflammatories, crate rest etc. Just wondered because your vet mentioned a "stroke" and it really was not. And yes, calcification of the spine is fairly common after injury or damage. I belong to a handicapped pet site that has a lot of great info on it, let me know if you are interested. There is a lady there with a pug that has spondylosis.

And now another condition I am adding to "things-I-didn't-know-but-will-now-worry-about" list. It's continually expanding! Thanks for the info Kim and Joan. Kim, I hope your boy responds well to the treatment.

PUGSMUM wrote:FCE is a Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE) in dogs. It is really a stroke of the spine, but will not show up on xrays as damage to discs etc. Dogs will not display any pain, and need to begin exercise immediately, and a lot of them will recover somewhat.

Your dog had an actual injury, visible on xray, and is treated exactly the opposite,.....anti inflammatories, crate rest etc. Just wondered because your vet mentioned a "stroke" and it really was not. And yes, calcification of the spine is fairly common after injury or damage. I belong to a handicapped pet site that has a lot of great info on it, let me know if you are interested. There is a lady there with a pug that has spondylosis.

Yes, please...any information is appreciated.
And thank you so much for reading my original post and responding.

Aussie Witch wrote:And now another condition I am adding to "things-I-didn't-know-but-will-now-worry-about" list. It's continually expanding! Thanks for the info Kim and Joan. Kim, I hope your boy responds well to the treatment.

He is already responding well and is almost "back to normal" with restrictions. He is no longer allowed on the couch and he is being GREAT about that. He is fairly easy to train if I do it right LOL but "stay off" was never his/our strong point. With the help of a lot of praise, a lot of repetition, and great treats, he is spending 99% of his time on the floor, his dog bed, or the crate (with an open door). At night, he is sleeping in the crate and that is actually beneficial to everyone :)

Rona, I'm tellin' ya...I am learning too much! Such a worry.

The forum is for handicapped pets, and deals with many different spinal issues. Great amts of info and nice people

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/viewforum.php?f=4

PUGSMUM wrote:The forum is for handicapped pets, and deals with many different spinal issues. Great amts of info and nice people

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/viewforum.php?f=4

Thank you! I'm reading there now :)