Where to find more information

Question
First I must say I am not asking what I should do for my dog medically, because I know you have no way of knowing for sure based on a written description. I am merely looking for more options for my dog. My dog Simon, 4 y/o neutered Shiloh Shepherd, had his back x-rayed and we found out he has fused bones, the bones making up his back are shaped odd, and most likely he was born this way, because he was taken surgically from his mother when the placenta dried up, and he does have other weird things about him, like his eyes are very light, a toe amputated, etc. I understand that nature was taking it's course and people interfered, but none of this was held back from me, and I still chose Simon to be in our family. My question is where do I go to find out more information, we have been told there is not much I can do for Simon except different medicines until they no longer help him. He never showed symptoms of pain until 2 days ago, we always knew his gait was different than other Shepherds, and he had certain issues, but he has been a very healthy happy boy, and I do not want to settle for drugging him until he cannot be drugged any longer. I am sorry to ramble, I hope my line of thinking is clear and that you are able to understand what I am asking. We did get our vet to agree to contact Auburn University and see if he can get an appointment for us, but he seemed very discouraging about Simon's chances of a real recovery. So if you know of other information sources for us to check into that would be great. We are in lower Alabama, my husband is stationed at Fort Rucker, AL, I do not know if there is more information that I need to provide in order for you to help me. Thanks for your time, Jennifer

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

It's not surprising that Simon's bad back would catch up to him at some point. It's good (at least) that Simon had four good years, before the pain started.

Has your dog has been evaluated for surgery? Decompressive surgery can be very successful with congenital vertebral malformations.

You didn't say which medications were prescribed. If the medication worked in the past, then you're not "drugging" Simon. Rather, he's receiving medicine as therapy for chronic pain! You have to consider his quality of life. If being on medication makes him able to function, then it's a necessity, and should be provided.
Your dog was born with this problem, and aside from a surgical cure, he has to live with the condition. That means pain control.
Many people, including myself, live with chronic back pain and need medication to function either on an as needed basis or daily.

If Simon's back condition is preventing him from moving around, or if he has limited use of his rear legs, you can get him a dog cart, or dog "wheelchair". These carts, restore mobility to many dogs who may have otherwise be put to sleep. You can see this product here:

http://www.dogkarts.com/diy/index.html
http://www.doggon.com/home.html

These carts won't help your dog's pain, only a mobility issue, if he has one.

Acupuncture can help relieve pain, but it won't cure his back condition. It may help with pain and mobility so he'd need less medication. You can find a veterinary acupuncturist here:

http://www.ivas.org/member_search.cfm
http://www.aava.org/php/aava_blog/aava-directory/

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti