Tendi

Tendi (tendipet.com) is a free educational resource for people caring for a dog with IVDD, or intervertebral disc disease. IVDD is one of the most common spinal problems in dogs, and it often arrives without warning: a dog who was running in the yard yesterday is suddenly wobbly, crying when picked up, or unable to use its back legs. Caregivers in that moment usually have the same questions at once. Is this an emergency? What will the vet ask? What do the grades mean? Is surgery the only option? How do I keep my dog still for weeks? Tendi exists to answer those questions in calm, plain language.

The site is organized as an IVDD Path that meets caregivers where they are. The first section covers the urgent hours: the warning signs that mean a dog needs to be seen right away, how to move a dog with a possible back injury safely, and what to bring to an emergency or specialty visit. The next section explains diagnosis, including neurological exams, imaging such as MRI and CT, and how veterinarians describe severity, so that caregivers can follow the conversation and ask better questions.

From there, Tendi walks through treatment choices side by side. Guides describe what conservative management with strict crate rest involves, what spinal surgery involves, and the kinds of factors veterinarians weigh when recommending one path over another. The goal is not to push anyone toward a decision but to help families understand the trade-offs and talk them through with their own veterinary team.

A large part of the site is about recovery at home, because that is where caregivers spend most of their time and feel least prepared. Tendi has practical guides on setting up a crate rest space, choosing the right crate size, using playpens during rest, bedding and flooring, bathroom breaks, bladder care, keeping a confined dog calm and mentally engaged, and recognizing setbacks that need a call to the vet. Later guides cover rehabilitation, physical therapy, long-term mobility, and adapting a home for a dog with lasting weakness.

Every guide is built around real caregiver questions and written to be read in a stressful moment: short sections, clear headings, and specific next steps rather than long medical essays. Each page includes a source trail pointing to specialty veterinary references so readers can see where the information comes from. Tendi does not make miracle claims and does not promise to diagnose, treat, or cure anything. Education supports, and never replaces, the dog's own veterinarian.

Tendi is made for first-time IVDD caregivers, families of breeds prone to disc disease such as Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, Corgis, Beagles, and Shih Tzus, and anyone helping a friend or relative through a recovery. It is also useful for people who have been through IVDD before and want a refresher on crate rest routines or warning signs of a relapse.

The site is free to read, needs no account, and works on phones, which is where most worried caregivers are searching late at night. New guides are added regularly based on the questions caregivers actually ask, with the aim of making a frightening diagnosis feel a little more manageable, one step at a time. Start where you are at tendipet.com.