After surgery, your pet should lay low for six to eight weeks. The spinal cord recovers slowly and extra care must be taken not to allow running, jumping, stairs, playing with other dogs, or hopping on or off furniture. Physical therapy can be started right after surgery to help regain strength. Can dogs re-injure themselves after surgery? The goal of surgery is to remove the disc material that has “slipped” and is pressing on the spinal cord and/or nerve root, which is causing pain and/or weakness. In general, a ventral slot procedure is done to remove a herniated disc in the neck and a hemilaminectomy is done to remove ruptured disc material in the back.
Back Surgery – Hemilaminectomy/Ventral Slot
Hemilaminectomy is a surgical procedure that we perform on a regular basis for canine patients at our hospital. It is useful for correcting slipped or herniated discs in the spine. If your dog is having difficulty walking or has pain or lameness, a compressed spine might be the culprit.
Ventral Slot Surgery Recovery Disc
Sometimes anti-inflammatories or other joint medication can resolve the discomfort, but if limited mobility and discomfort persist, the condition can be further assessed for alternative treatment options.
When additional diagnostics are needed, a CAT scan can be performed to determine if surgery is needed. The imaging can pinpoint the exact location of the slip or herniation, which is followed by surgery on the affected area to remove the obstruction.
Ventral Slot Surgery Recovery Procedure
Once the disc material is removed, regular movement of the spine is restored after periods of rest, recovery, and rehabilitation.
If you have any questions, please call us at (512) 288-1040, and we will be pleased to provide additional detail.