DLSS in dogs

Degenerative Lumbo-Sacral Stenosis (DLSS), often referred to as L7-S1, is a spinal disease that usually affects large breeds. Here you can read about the most common symptoms and how DLSS is treated.

Symptoms of DLSS in dogs

Stiffness
Unwilling to move
Hesitating to jump in the car
Pain when stretching their legs
Shows signs of pain when you are feeling their lumbar spine

How does DLSS arise?

The back disease DLSS occurs between the last vertebra (L7) and the first sacral vertebra (S1) due to the pressure on the nerve fibres that become. One of the first signs of DLSS is that the dog does not want to jump into the car and that it hurts when it stretches its hind legs. Lameness can also be seen and it can be difficult to distinguish the disease from other orthopaedic diseases. On examination, it hurts when you press the area and also when the tail is stretched. A CT or MRI examination may be required for diagnosis,

Hard work and strenuous movements such as crawling, which causes an overstretching where the lower back is pushed upwards, increase the risk of suffering from DLSS, but anatomical defects also contribute. If the dog is operated on early, however, the prognosis for recovery is good. Even hard-working dogs can often return to their regular duties.

How is DLSS treated?

In mild cases of DLSS, prolonged rest, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication combined with changing the dog's lifestyle can sometimes be enough.

In more severe cases of DLSS, surgery is usually necessary. If the problem is discovered early, the prognosis is usually good even with surgery. After an operation for DLSS, a period of physical therapy and medication follows in parallel with slowly training the dog again.