Sudden loss of movement

Hello Vets! I’m hoping to get a second opinion. I have a 7 year old Shih-poo, spayed, she has progressive retinal atrophy but other than that she is a healthy dog. She got a tooth removed in n Wednesday and is taking Zodon and Onsior. Yesterday when I got back from work, she was walking funny, this has never happened before. She kept losing her balance, walking sideways, falling on her side and couldn’t stand properly on all paws. I took her to the vet and they prescribed Gabapentin until I could book an appointment with a neurologist, which will probably take a few months due to their availability. The vet said that because she can still walk, it’s not urgent and will probably go away with Gabapentin and that this is very common, possibly a hernia. I have never heard such a thing and am worried she may have fallen or something. Today when I got back from work, I could see she is not in pain like she was yesterday but movement is not much better. Is it possible fr this to have appeared on its own? Is it likely that she will be able to walk again? She is very active and full of life, it would be devastating for her not to be able to walk again, so if it’s urgent, I want to book her in ASAP. I apologise for the long post and hope that someone might be able to enlighten me. I have videos but I can’t upload them here, so if they are needed to be able to get a better understanding of what’s happening, I am happy to send them. Thank you so much!    

Hello - I'm afraid that I cannot answer this question as well as your vet, because they have examined the patient and assessed this case with all the information available to them, which I have not.  You do not tell me what your vet thinks may have herniated, although I suspect from context that they must be referring to one of the discs; one of the cartilage rings sandwiched between the bones of the spine.  These can slip out of place, applying pressure to the spinal cord and resulting in symptoms that can be quite severe, such as hindlimb paralysis (one or both sides).  However, to my understanding, bruising or inflammation in the area may also impact these nerves, and this can have temporary, or reversible effects.  Without an MRI scan, a vet cannot explain what is going on, but if the area has recovered then it seems likely that your dog does not have a slipped disc at the moment, which may explain why the referral has now been classed as non-urgent.  Please do not take my word for this, however; if you would like more clarification of what is going on, it is important to go back to your vet.   Are there any precautions they would like you to take between now and the referral, for example?  This is always a good question to ask.

A way to get a second opinion on this matter (as I am in no position to give you one), would be to ask whether the referral vets will triage this case themselves, because you are unhappy with the waiting time.  My knowledge is extremely inferior to that of a referral vet in this area.

The decision should rest with your GP and referral vet.