Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Golden Retriever puppy born with limb and spine birth defects
By Gamito-Gómez, Araceli et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2018·From the Teaching Veterinary Hospital University of Có, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital Malformations Resembling VACTERL Association in a Golden Retriever.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old Golden Retriever was brought to the vet with a malformed left front leg and a small indentation on its back. X-rays revealed a split in the bones of the leg and a condition called spina bifida, where the spine doesn't close properly. The vet performed surgery to remove a skin tract connected to the spine, which was diagnosed as a dermoid sinus, a type of skin defect. After the surgery, the puppy was monitored for recovery, and the findings emphasize the need for thorough examinations in young dogs to identify any additional congenital issues.
People also search for: Golden Retriever leg malformation · puppy spina bifida treatment · dermoid sinus in dogs
Abstract
A 2 mo old golden retriever presented with malformation of the left thoracic limb and a small circular indentation of the skin in the cranial thoracic spine. Radiographs showed a cleft between the second and fifth metacarpal bones of the left thoracic limb compatible with ectrodactyly and spina bifida affecting T4 and T5 vertebrae. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine showed dorsal reposition of the spinal cord and a tract connecting from the dura mater to the skin. No other malformations were detected. Surgical excision of the tract was performed and histopathological examination diagnosed a dermoid sinus type IV. Dermoid sinus and spina bifida are well-recognized congenital spinal and spinal cord defects, yet association with other congenital malformation are rarely reported in dogs. The here-reported dog had spinal and spinal cord abnormalities with concurrent limb malformation, which are two components of a nonrandom association of birth defects described as VACTERL in people. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing concurrent dermoid sinus type IV, spina bifida, and ectrodactyly in a dog, and highlights the importance of patient examination for occurrence of multiple malformations to provide an appropriate prognosis for an owner.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29131674/