Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cervical disk herniation in small-breed dogs needing surgery
By Hakozaki, Takaharu et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2015·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cervical intervertebral disk herniation in chondrodystrophoid and nonchondrodystrophoid small-breed dogs: 187 cases (1993-2013).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of small-breed dogs, including many Beagles, underwent surgery for cervical intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH), which can cause neck pain and neurological issues. The most commonly affected disk was between the second and third cervical vertebrae, especially in breeds like Beagles and Dachshunds. Recovery times varied by breed, with Yorkshire Terriers taking the longest to heal, averaging about 37 days, while Beagles recovered in about 17 days. This study highlights that certain breeds may be more prone to specific types of neck problems and may recover at different rates.
People also search for: dog neck pain Beagle · cervical disk herniation treatment for small dogs · Yorkshire Terrier recovery time from surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of chondrodystrophoid and nonchondrodystrophoid small-breed dogs with cervical intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 187 small-breed (≤ 15 kg [33 lb]) dogs that underwent surgery because of cervical IVDH. PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed for information on breed, sex, age, weight, location of affected intervertebral disks, duration and severity of neurologic signs, and recovery time. RESULTS: 55 of the 187 (29.4%) dogs were Beagles. The most frequently affected intervertebral disk was C2-3 (81/253 [32.0%]), and this was the more frequently affected intervertebral disk in dogs of several chondrodystrophoid breeds, including Beagles (29/66 [43.9%]), Dachshunds (13/37 [35.1%]), Shih Tzus (16/41 [39.0%]), and Pekingese (3/10 [30.0%]). However, caudal disks (C5-6 or C6-7) were more frequently affected in Yorkshire Terriers (13/24 [54.2%]) and Chihuahuas (9/13 [69%]). Shih Tzus and Yorkshire Terriers were significantly older at the time of surgery (mean ± SD age, 9.6 ± 2.3 years and 9.5 ± 2.5 years, respectively) than were Pomeranians (6.2 ± 2.3 years), and Yorkshire Terriers had a significantly higher number of affected disks (2.0 ± 0.9) than did Dachshunds (1.1 ± 0.3). Mean recovery time was significantly longer in Yorkshire Terriers (36.7 ± 13.0 days) than in Beagles (16.5 ± 17.1 days), Shih Tzus (17.8 ± 14.5 days), or Chihuahuas (12.2 ± 7. 2 days). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that there may be breed-specific differences in the characteristics of cervical IVDH in small-breed dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26642135/