Veterinary Disclaimer

Education and organization only

IVDD Companion is for education and organization only. It is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The website and optional tracking app do not create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship and should not be used as a substitute for care from a licensed veterinarian.

Content on this site may describe symptoms, common veterinary vocabulary, recovery organization, crate rest tracking, medication logging, post-surgery notes, conservative care notes, and questions to ask your veterinarian. That information is meant to help you communicate, not to decide treatment.

Your veterinarian's instructions override anything you read here. If your dog's plan differs from a page on this site, follow your veterinarian and ask them for clarification.

Emergency symptoms

If your dog has sudden weakness, paralysis, severe pain, loss of bladder or bowel control, trouble urinating, rapidly worsening symptoms, repeated vomiting, bloody diarrhea, breathing trouble, collapse, or any symptom your veterinarian told you is urgent, contact a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital immediately.

Do not delay urgent care to fill out a tracker, read an article, search a forum, or wait for a response from IVDD Companion.

Limits of the app

The app cannot determine IVDD stage, diagnose disc disease, recommend surgery, recommend medications, evaluate deep pain, interpret imaging, or decide when crate rest should end. It can help you record what you observe and organize the questions you want to ask.

Medication and exercise information must be confirmed by your veterinarian. Never start, stop, combine, taper, or change a medication because of information on this site. Never begin exercises, stretches, rehab routines, or activity changes unless your veterinarian or rehabilitation professional has cleared them.