By Dr. Becker
Your dog's spine is made up of many small bones called vertebrae that run from the base of the skull all the way down the back to the end of the tail.
The vertebrae are connected by cushiony, flexible discs made of cartilage – the intervertebral discs. The discs function as shock absorbers between each back bone, and allow the neck, spine, and tail to bend and flex as your dog changes positions.
Sitting above the discs and running through the vertebrae is the spinal cord, which consists of a mass of nerve fibers that send messages back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body.
Diskospondylitis
Diskospondylitis, which is often spelled discospondylitis with a "c" instead of a "k", and is also called vertebral osteomyelitis, is the most common cause of back pain in middle-aged to older dogs.
