DJANGO Dog Blog

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a diagnosis that all dog owners dread. We (Mike and Steph) unfortunately saw our long-haired dachshund Django go through IVDD surgery earlier this year after suffering a serious back injury.

The path to recovery after an IVDD diagnosis is never easy. Dogs with IVDD always need strict crate rest, and many also need complicated and expensive back surgery like our dog Django. While recovering, your dog's movement must be restricted to a crate or pen, and he or she may not be able to walk without support. Your pup may also experience incontinence for several weeks and need help going to the bathroom via bladder expression. In other words, the recovery process can be difficult and daunting for us loving dog parents.

Fortunately, there are dog products on the market that help make your dog's IVDD journey and recovery easier. Here are 10 products that we found helpful and essential throughout Django's IVDD recovery.

Earlier this year, our long-haired dachshund, Django, had back surgery for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). Within 48 hours after his back legs became paralyzed, Django underwent spinal surgery, and a canine neurologist successfully removed herniated disc material from Django's spinal canal. You can read all about Django's IVDD experience here and learn what to immediately do if you suspect your dog is suffering from IVDD.

For the first time, we (Mike and Steph) became very familiar with the true costs surrounding dog back surgery. While the price of IVDD surgery varies greatly, we learned that the total bill is far bigger than just the operation cost; it also includes exams, boarding, medication, anesthesia, etc.

In this DJANGO Dog Blog article, we examine the “all in” cost of IVDD surgery for dogs. We also compare the success rate of IVDD surgery to non-surgical IVDD treatment options. And finally, we discuss which IVDD treatments are typically covered by pet insurance.

We (Steph and Mike) recently experienced what most dachshund owners dread happening. Our long-haired "tweenie" dachshund, Django, underwent spinal surgery for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).

Django had IVDD surgery on January 10th, approximately 48 hours after he lost function in his back legs, to remove all of the disc material in his spinal canal which was causing him pain and partial paralysis. As of writing (March 2022), Django is thankfully recovering nicely, albeit slowly. He finally started getting more feeling and function in his back legs about 3-4 weeks after surgery and is now starting to use them again! His back legs remain wobbly and weak, but we and Django's neurologist continue to expect Django to see a full recovery over time.

In this DJANGO Dog Blog article, we address what to do if you suspect your dog is suffering from IVDD. We cover what steps you should immediately take if your dog has symptoms of IVDD, explain what IVDD is, and also address additional frequently asked questions about Intervertebral Disc Disease in dogs.

While searching for high-quality, nutrient-rich dog food for our 14 lb long-haired dachshund Django, we (Mike and Steph) have tried almost every fresh dog food delivery service on the market. We prefer dog food brands that do not have artificial flavors, fillers, or preservatives. They also should be made with high-quality animal proteins and vitamin-packed fruits and veggies.

After discovering Raised Right earlier this year, we have been layering it on top of his small breed adult dry dog food. We feel great about feeding Django Raised Right because it is made with single-source animal protein, omega 3-rich oils, non-GMO herbs, and superfoods. Raised Right has also teamed up with carbonfund.org to combat climate change by reducing its carbon footprint. That is a cause we can support because our dog accessories and apparel small business, DJANGO, was built to give back to the environment.

Here is an unbiased and comprehensive review of Raised Right’s homestyle, human-grade fresh dog food. All opinions are based on our personal experience feeding Raised Right to our celebrity wiener dog Django.