Neck Issues

Deerhounds can experience neck pain, which is known in the breed as “Deerhound Neck” (DN). This situation happens in the breed with some regularity, but it isn’t just one condition. 

Here is a description of typical symptoms from one of John Dillberger’s Claymore columns on this topic:

• Grunting, yelping, or crying out when laying down, getting up, shifting positions, stretching, or bending down to eat or drink. An affected dog may be reluctant to eat or drink at all, unless the bowl is elevated sufficiently.
• Reluctance or refusal to bend the neck. An affected dog often holds his neck rigidly extended straight in front, parallel to the ground. To avoid bending his neck, he may follow a moving object with only his eyes or turn his whole body to keep the object in view, instead of turning his head to follow the object. He may back out of a tight spot, instead of bending his neck or body to turn around.
• Pain when the neck is bent. Sometimes any attempt to move the dog’s head to the side or up and down elicits pain. Some dogs resist even having their head touched, their mouth opened, or their ears examined. In extreme cases, affected dogs will refuse to eat because chewing is too painful.
• Young age. The typical neck pain sufferer is a younger hound. According to the Deerhound Health Survey, the average age of the first pain episode is about 4 years old.
• Episodic: pain can come or go, with or even sometimes without treatment.

Causes & Treatment

Most common scenario: This survey on DN shows that many cases are caused by injury or trauma. Long-necked dogs—especially young and active ones—can hurt themselves easily. Most cases of DN can be resolved using rest, NSAIDS, chiropractic, and/or acupuncture, so this is where most people start DN treatment, and it usually works. 

However, if your dog’s DN is resistant to this treatment, or there are additional symptoms, here are some more rare (and severe) causes:

Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis (SRMA): dogs (it doesn’t just affect Deerhounds) with this problem often present with neck pain and lethargy. SRMA can be diagnosed using some specific blood tests and a spinal tap. It is treated with high doses of oral corticosteroids. Here is more information on SRMA.

Cervical Vertebral Facet Joint Arthrosis (CFJA): Deerhounds (it doesn’t appear to affect other dogs) get inflammation at the facet joints between the second and third vertebrae in the neck. Facet joints are pairs of small joints located on the back of the spine, between each vertebra. Diagnosis requires specific X-rays and/or a CT scan, and treatment is an injection of a mixture of corticosteroids and local anesthetic into the affected joint using fluoroscopy for guidance. Here is more information on CFJA.