Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and recovery after disc problems in dogs' backs
By Crawford, A H & De Decker, S·Published in The Veterinary record·2017·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical presentation and outcome of dogs treated medically or surgically for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc protrusion.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An average 9-year-old German Shepherd was brought in for back pain and difficulty walking due to a condition called thoracolumbar intervertebral disc protrusion (IVDP), where a disc in the spine bulges and presses on nerves. The dog was treated either with medication or surgery. Those who had surgery showed better long-term improvement, with about 71% of them doing well for over a year, while only 30% of those treated with medication had similar success. However, some dogs in both groups experienced a return of symptoms within a year.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · intervertebral disc disease in dogs · German Shepherd surgery recovery
Abstract
To date, few studies have investigated the clinical characteristics of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc protrusion (IVDP). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the presentation and outcome of dogs receiving medical or surgical treatment for thoracolumbar IVDP. Eighty-four dogs were included, with a median age of 9.4 years. German shepherd dogs and Staffordshire bull terriers were the most common breeds. Significantly more surgically treated dogs (n=53) had neurological deficits and were non-ambulatory, compared with medically treated (n=31). Outcome data were available for 27 of 31 medically managed dogs; 11 initially improved, 7 remained stable and 9 deteriorated. Of 18 dogs that initially improved or stabilised, 10 (55.6 per cent) demonstrated recurrence of clinical signs within 12 months of diagnosis. Outcome data were available for 45 of 50 surgically treated dogs that survived to hospital discharge; 34 improved, 9 remained stable and 2 deteriorated following surgery. Of 43 dogs that improved or stabilised with surgical treatment, 11 (25.6 per cent) demonstrated recurrence of clinical signs within 12 months of surgery. Overall, significantly more surgically treated dogs (71.1 per cent) had a successful outcome, consisting of sustained clinical improvement of more than 12 months duration, compared with medically treated dogs (29.6 per cent).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283670/