My dog is an 8 year old female husky mix. She’s fairly small for a husky and is lazier than most huskies I know. Yesterday morning she was laying in bed with me and began yelping in pain, a sound I’ve never heard her make. At first I was not sure what exactly was wrong. She would act fine for a few minutes but then when she would sit or lay down she was in obvious pain and would make the crying sound. We decided to take her to the emergency vet because we were afraid it might be something internal like her bladder or bowels.


As far as I know she didn’t fall off of the couch or the bed so I’m not sure how she did it, but the vet said she has a slipped disc. It could have been much worse and she could’ve lost control of her legs, but it seems like a “minor” case in comparison to other instances I’ve read about. Due to COVID we weren’t able to go inside so I only spoke to the vet over the phone.

The vet gave her an injection of hydromorphone (which really messed with her but I think helped with the immediate pain. She was high as a kite and whined for literally 8 hours straight before finally falling asleep) and he prescribed Robaxin (muscle relaxant), Rimadyl (NSAID) and Tramadol (pain killer). She is also supposed to have strict activity restriction for at least 5-7 days (no walks, only outside to go potty, no jumping up and down on furniture, only go on stairs if absolutely necessary.) They have also said to make permanent lifestyle changes of no jumping up and down on furniture and restricted stair climbing etc.

It is now the following day after her hydromorphone tripped out day and she is doing much better. She’s been eating normally and taking her pills, peeing and pooping regularly, and now is completely lucid. She also has not been crying in pain and seems to be able to lay/sit comfortably. I have her in her crate (which she already genuinely likes anyway so it’s not too bad having her in there) with some blankets and a pillow that she likes to lay her head on, a fan giving her some gentle airflow, and a few toys. I feel guilty keeping her in there so much but I know it is best for her recovery even if she acts like she is fine. We also have a cat that she likes to play with so I am saddened that they don’t get to really interact with each other and I’m trying my best to make her know she’s not in trouble or anything like that.

I’m supposed to meet with my main veterinarian after about a week but haven’t been able to call and make the appointment yet.

My main question here is if anyone has been through a similar situation like this where your dog has a slipped disc but it apparently isn’t super extreme and how did you handle it? Did your dog go back to normal after a few weeks and how has life been for them after? Also looking for some recommendations for good things for her to do in her crate. I’m home all day with her so even things that need monitoring are fine. Also for people with dogs that need assistance onto furniture, have you had any luck with ramps or stairs and which works better for you? My dog is about 40 pounds for reference. Thanks in advance everyone!

(I saw the previous post about the other person who currently has a dog with a slipped disc, but figured I’d make my own post because I had a few different questions)

My blind German shepherd has bad hips. Couldnt get in bed couldnt get in the truck to go to the vet. Ended up using a small tire ramp. Turns out he is also way overweight also.

So the tire ramp was like what you would use for a tractor or 4wheeler. It had astroturf type carpet. My vet said they usually use it for pigs but worked fine for shadow. Something like that potentially. Just dont use wood without something added for traction

For keeping her entertained in the crate I would look into things like Kong's, puzzles, and snuffle mats for feeding. It will at least give her some mental stimulation. There's some easy ways to make snuffle mats at home and even a towel that's bunched up a little can give you an idea of it's something she likes before you spend money or time making one.