Conservative management for milder IVDD presentations using strict rest and analgesia can be appropriate for some cases, but requires careful monitoring for deterioration requiring surgery.
Conservative IVDD management involves a welfare trade-off: avoiding the risks of anaesthesia and surgery while accepting prolonged strict confinement that itself causes welfare harm through restriction of movement and normal behaviour. Strict cage rest for four to six weeks is stressful for active dogs and requires significant owner commitment. The risk of deterioration to non-ambulatory status during conservative management requires vigilant daily monitoring. For dogs in whom surgery is genuinely contraindicated, well-managed conservative therapy with adequate analgesia is appropriate. For dogs that are deteriorating neurologically, surgery remains the welfare priority to prevent permanent deficit.