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IVDD surgery success rates and risks

EMReviewed by Eben Martin, Veterinary Surgeon · Updated August 2026

For dogs that still feel deep pain, decompressive surgery has an excellent track record, with the large majority walking again. For dogs that have lost deep pain, published outcomes are genuinely mixed, with roughly half or fewer regaining walking even with prompt surgery. That line, deep pain, is why the examination matters more than any average.

Holding a quote or a diagnosis? It costs nothing to ask.

Tell a veterinary surgeon what you have been told. You will know what they can do and what it costs before you pay anything.

Next step: your name and email so the surgeon can reply. No charge to ask.

The risks worth naming

  • Recurrence at another disc: the disease affects the whole spine; a meaningful minority of dogs have a second episode, which is why some surgeons fenestrate neighbouring discs during surgery
  • Progressive myelomalacia: rare and devastating cord softening after severe injuries, worth knowing exists when the injury was severe
  • Surgical and anaesthetic complications: bleeding, infection and anaesthesia risks exist as with any major surgery, at specialist centres these are uncommon
  • Incomplete recovery: some dogs plateau with residual wobbliness or incontinence; most still enjoy full, happy lives
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Facing an IVDD decision right now?

Send what your vet said and quoted. A veterinary surgeon reads it and comes back to you with what they can do and what it would cost, before you pay anything. A written second opinion is from $250.

  • If the surgeon can't add anything useful to your case, they'll say so and there's no charge.
  • You hear back from a surgeon within 2 business days.
  • Spinal surgery is quoted from $5,000 to $15,000 in Australia. A surgeon's read on your quote is the cheapest line in this decision.
Read by a veterinary surgeon who does these operations, not a call centre. No charge to send. You know the price before you pay anything.
By sending this you agree to be contacted about your enquiry. Privacy policy. A written second opinion is from $250, confirmed before you pay.

How to use these numbers

Averages set expectations; your dog's examination sets the odds. The two facts that matter most are the neurological grade right now and the time since it changed. That is why a genuinely useful second opinion on IVDD is fast, and why we prioritise these cases: the window in which an independent read can change the decision is sometimes measured in hours.

Still deciding? It costs nothing to ask.

Send the case, hear back from a surgeon with what they can do and what it costs, and only pay if you go ahead.

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Common questions

The surgery worked but my dog is not perfect. Did it fail?

A dog that walks, toilets and lives happily with a slightly drunken gait is a success story by any honest surgical measure. Failure means ongoing compression, deterioration or no return of function, and each of those has its own next conversation.

Should the surgeon have fenestrated other discs?

Preventive fenestration divides good surgeons: it reduces recurrence at treated discs but adds surgical time. Either choice can be defensible. It is a fair question to ask, and a fair thing to have reviewed if recurrence has happened.

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