Hi Everyone.  This is my first post to the group.  I have a ~12 year old Corgi mix (his name is Simmie) who is experiencing some sort of IVDD/neurological/inflammation problem.  A little history might be helpful.  I adopted/rescued him from a nasty shelter in Zanesville OH in August 2002.  It was love at first site for both of us and we've been best buddies ever since. I frequently say that Simmie is smarter and more loving than most people I know.  Anyway, shortly after I adopted him we discovered that he had hip dysplasia.  I sought treatment from a vet who practices alternative therapies and he has undergone accupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustment, gold bead implants and a variety of chinese herbs.  He has done wonderully up until last Thursday.  He woke up acting kind of funny but when we got home from work, he couldn't stand/walk and was in pain.  We immediately took him to the ER vet. After a digital x-ray and evaluation, they sent us home with pain meds and a muscle relaxant and instructed us to consult with his primary vet.  Simmie actually has 2 vets; one here in the city (Pittsburgh) and the other who manages his alternative care (about an hour north of Pittsburgh).  We were concerned about transporting him to the vet up north, so we took him to his vet here in the city and he prescribed steroids and crate rest. The steroids began working within 24 hours - which is a good sign - but we know that the underlying problem is still unresolved and there's a high probabilty that this will happen again.  We are reluctant to have him evaluated for surgery because of his age, the complexity and cost of the care required, and what appears to be an "iffy" prognosis - i.e. cost (putting him through the whole process, monetary) vs. benefit (what will his quality of life be aferwards); basically is it all worth it?  There are also alternative therapies, but again these are costly and would involve quite a bit of travel and time (and I don't have the luxury of setting my own work schedule). And without knowing exactly what the problem is, I am reluctant to be overly aggressive with treatment.   I am curious what experiences others have had with this type of problem.