Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Great Dane puppy with sudden front leg weakness from calcium deposits
By Wünschmann, A et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2000·Department of Veterinary Biosciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Calcium hydroxylapatite deposition disease in a Great Dane Puppy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-week-old male Great Dane puppy suddenly had trouble walking and was unable to use his front legs. X-rays showed unusual mineral deposits in his spine, which were causing pressure on his spinal cord. These deposits were linked to inflammation and changes in the surrounding tissues. Unfortunately, the puppy's condition was serious, and he did not recover. Treatment options were limited due to the severity of the spinal compression.
People also search for: Great Dane puppy front leg weakness · puppy spinal cord compression · calcium deposits in dog spine
Abstract
A 10-week-old male Great Dane Puppy was presented for sudden onset tetraataxia and severe paresis of the front legs. Mineral deposits were detected radiographically, at gross postmortem examination, and light microscopically between the vertebral arches of multiple cervical and lumbar vertebrae. These deposits were associated with the interarchial ligaments (ligamentia interarcualia), along the interfaces of the synovium and articular cartilage of multiple cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facets, on the dorsal aspect of several thoracic intervertebral discs, and at the insertion of muscles at the lateral aspect of several cervical and thoracic vertebral bodies. The mineral deposits were associated with a granulomatous inflammation and synovial fibrocartilaginous metaplasia and proliferation, which was focally exuberant. X-ray diffraction analyses of the mineral deposits revealed calcium hydroxylapatite as the major component. The clinical signs in this puppy were due to focal compression of the spinal cord by marked extraarticular ligament-associated fibrocartilaginous proliferation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10896398/