Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog suddenly paralyzed from spinal disc injury and vertebral lymphoma
By Mondino, A et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2026·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Concurrent ANNPE and vertebral T-cell lymphoma in a dog: A case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old neutered male poodle cross was brought to the vet after suddenly losing the ability to walk while playing fetch. The dog was diagnosed with acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE), which caused a spinal cord injury, and a vertebral lesion that turned out to be T-cell lymphoma. After treatment, the dog showed significant improvement, regaining motor function by day 6 and walking again with some wobbliness by week 3. This case underscores the need to check for other spinal issues when a dog has sudden mobility problems.
People also search for: dog can't walk after playing · poodle spinal injury treatment · T-cell lymphoma in dogs
Abstract
Acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE) is a recognised cause of peracute spinal cord injury in dogs, involving sudden extrusion of non-degenerated nucleus pulposus with minimal compression. While often linked to vigorous activity, its triggers remain unclear. This case describes an 8-year-old neutered male poodle cross dog who developed peracute non-ambulatory paraparesis while running to retrieve a ball. Neurological examination was consistent with a T3-L3 myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed disc space narrowing with intramedullary T2W hyperintensity at T13-L1 consistent with ANNPE and a T13 vertebral body lesion that was hyperintense in T1W/STIR and contrast-enhancing, later confirmed as T-cell lymphoma by surgical biopsy. The dog demonstrated rapid clinical improvement, with motor function recovery by day 6 and becoming ambulatory with mild ataxia by week 3. This case highlights the importance of considering underlying vertebral pathology in dogs with presumed ANNPE and emphasises that vertebral lesions detected on MRI may have clinical relevance and should not be overlooked.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41220221/