Success Of Texas A&M-Led Clinical Trial Offers New Hope For Dogs With Herniated Discs

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108 – September, 2025

By Courtney Price

Small breed dogs — including dachshunds and French bulldogs — have a high risk of developing a herniated disc in their middle back, which can lead to partial or complete paralysis in the hindlegs. Until recently, the only treatment for dogs that do not respond to rest and therapy has been a costly decompressive surgery that involves removing the herniated disc.

Now, thanks to a new treatment developed by Texas A&M University professor Dr. Nick Jeffery, more dog owners will be able to afford treatment for herniated discs, which affects hundreds of thousands of dogs in the United States alone.

The new treatment comprises injections of an enzyme administered into the dog’s back. In previous work, Jeffery had used the same product to remove scar tissue in the spinal cord of dogs that had suffered very severe injuries. Through this work, he realized that the enzyme also can dissolve the core component of intervertebral discs, which is how the injections are used to treat herniated discs.

In January 2023, a dachshund named Oscar was the first participant in a clinical trial testing the enzyme for this purpose.

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108 – September, 2025

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