Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ballistic injuries to the spine in 12 dogs and 1 cat
By Linder, Jessica et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2023·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ballistic trauma to the axial skeleton in 13 animals.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 12 dogs and 1 cat suffered serious injuries from gunshot wounds to their spines. Most of these pets survived after treatment, but one cat had to be euthanized shortly after arriving at the clinic. Many of the animals showed signs of neurological issues, and some required surgery to address their injuries. The pets stayed in the hospital for an average of 6 days, but some needed longer care. The chances of recovery varied based on the specific injuries they sustained.
People also search for: dog spine injury treatment · cat gunshot wound recovery · dog neurological symptoms after trauma
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation and outcome of small animals that sustained ballistic trauma to the axial skeleton. DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter observational study. SETTING: Two university teaching hospitals. ANIMALS: Twelve client-owned dogs and 1 client-owned cat sustaining ballistic trauma to the axial skeleton. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirteen animals sustaining ballistic trauma to the axial skeleton with complete medical records were included in this study. Twelve of 13 animals survived to discharge; 1 animal was euthanized shortly after presentation. Two animals had ophthalmic abnormalities, 9 animals had neurologic lesions, and 2 animals had no significant ophthalmic or neurologic deficits. Neurolocalization of injury included peripheral vestibular (n = 1), multifocal brain (n = 1), brainstem (n = 1), C1-C5 (n = 1), C6-T2 (n = 1), T3-L3 (n = 3), and L4-S3 (n = 1). Seven dogs underwent surgical intervention: 5 neurosurgical, 1 enucleation, and 1 laparotomy. Median hospitalization time was 6 days with a range from 1 to 31 days. CONCLUSIONS: Overall prognosis and outcome are variable and dependent on specific injury location and degree of injury.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36943187/