Spinal cord injuries in dogs — from intervertebral disc disease, trauma, or degenerative conditions — require intensive rehabilitation and raise important quality-of-life welfare questions.
Spinal cord injury causes acute severe pain and loss of function. The welfare trajectory depends greatly on the severity of injury, speed of treatment, and quality of rehabilitation. Dogs with incomplete spinal cord injuries can make substantial recoveries with expert physiotherapy support. Those with permanent paralysis face ongoing welfare challenges including pressure sore prevention, bladder and bowel management, and the psychological impact of reduced mobility. Canine rehabilitation medicine has advanced significantly, and many paralysed dogs live full, happy lives with appropriate supportive care. Quality-of-life assessment using standardised tools should guide ongoing management and the difficult decision of euthanasia when suffering outweighs capacity for enjoyment.