IVDD Answers

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a serious disease of the vertebral column affecting the spinal cord, causing pain and neurologic damage. IVDD can affect all dogs but is predominantly a disease of dogs with chondrodystrophy. Chondrodystrophic pets are literally those with “bad cartilage growth,” including but not limited to the Dachshund, Corgi, Cocker Spaniel, Shih Tzu, Basset Hound, and Bea

gle. In the United States, there are approximately 300,000 dachshunds. Over 25% of dachshunds will suffer from IVDD during their lifetime, resulting in 75,000 pets requiring some form of treatment for IVDD. This group is designed to answer the questions that arise when a pet is affected with this disease. Garner, who is a specialist in IVDD diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Garner treats IVDD both conventionally and with novel approaches using stem cells.