Imagine your dog running, playing, catching a ball and having a great time. Suddenly, without any warning, your dog collapses to the ground screaming. Once the dog stops screaming you notice that your dog may be dragging his legs, walking wobbly or not walking at all.
You rush your dog to the to the vet and his diagnosis is a fibrocartilaginous embolism or otherwise known as a FCE.
a piece of intervertebral disc material blocks a portion of the spinal cord causing a blood clot and results in paralysis of the dog. Dogs that are typically affected by FCEs tend to be large, athletic, male dogs between 3-6 years of age.
Although, not as common, small dogs can also be affected and the breeds most at risk are Shelties, Miniature Schnauzers and Miniature Pinchers.