Intervertebral disc disease causes sudden, severe pain and paralysis in dogs, particularly in chondrodystrophic breeds, and requires prompt veterinary attention.
IVDD causes acute, severe pain followed by varying degrees of neurological deficit. Dogs in acute disc pain show obvious distress — hunched posture, reluctance to move, vocalisations and inability to settle. Delay in treatment worsens outcomes significantly. Owners of predisposed breeds must recognise warning signs and seek emergency veterinary care without delay. The selection of chondrodystrophic body forms through breeding — short legs, long backs — is directly linked to IVDD risk. Breed reform toward less extreme conformations would reduce IVDD incidence over generations.