# Back Issues in Toy Poodle



## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I don't know about home remedies, but when my chihuahua had neck pain we had acupuncture done and it kept him pain free for years


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Both my girls have had issues with their back. My older girl it was from jumping off a bed. She got some steroid injections laser treatments and pain medication and we have never had any issues after that. Now my other girl seems to have a few issues with her back. She never had an injury like Branna did but she does have a deformity in her right leg that throws off her posture and that she has to compensate for. I think that is what causes her back pain. X-rays are a good idea and something I should do for her. Anyway what we did for her was laser treatments. At the time it was bad she was on steroids and couldn't have pain meds so that was our only option for pain relief. Another option that I didn't do is like you said ice. Ice for 10-15 minuets 2-4 times a day. Ice does relieve inflammation by slowing down blood circulation to the area. Plus it helps give a numbing sensation. I have used ice as pain relief for my self many times and it really does help. The only problem is when you take the ice off and the area warms up the pain comes back. But it is helpful when in a pinch and for with stand able pain you just want a bit of relief from. If you can pair with compression (wrapping an ace bandage around firmly to keep the ice pack on). The term we learned when dealing with inflammation due to recent injuries was RICE; Rest, Ice, Elevation, and Compression. Unfortunately with the back you can't apply rest because there is no possible way to keep a person or animal off their back. And elevation means elevating the injury above the heart to slow the rate of circulation. Unfortunately this again is not possible with a back injury (although I have noticed Killa randomly standing on the stairs with her butt higher than her head and I wonder if this is helping relieve the sore areas of some pressure or something) . But you can try the ice and compression part of the rice acronym. Also after the 24-48 hour point of an injury you can use contrast therapy. 2 mins of ice 2 mins of heat. Repeat for 10-15 mins if the pet allows and doesn't stress during the treatment. There is also a product I use on some sore or arthritic pets during a grooming session called Madra Mór Mud. They have a mobility mud that uses natural things like peppermint and menthol to sooth sore aching muscles. A thing you might also want to think about is just keeping some pain meds prescribed from your vet on hand. I have Metacam (an NSAID for pets) that I keep on hand for Killa when she is having a bad day. It helps her a lot on those days when she is just off. Also maybe ask your vet if they offer cold laser treatments. I was amazed at how much they helped Killa with pain when we did them. At our clinic we offer laser treatment plans that save a bit of money or our clients can always drop in with their pet and pay full price for a treatment. Which really isn't that expensive. $25 for the first treatment then $15 per after that. I have seen it help many pets with pain and it keeps a lot of chemicals out of their system.


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## Melissadawn91 (Sep 28, 2015)

Thank you! She has done the cold laser treatment. That seems to have helped immensely. 

I do have a few NSAIDs left over from the summer that I give to her when it seems like she's having a bad day; as you said. When she runs out I may just ask the vet for a prescription to keep on hand. Thanks!


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