Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with abnormal head movement and gait after trauma
By Rylander, Helena & Robles, Juan Carlos·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2007·Department of Medical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis and treatment of a chronic atlanto-occipital subluxation in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old Labrador retriever-cross was brought in because he had an unusual way of walking and was holding his head at an odd angle, six weeks after an injury. The vet found that a joint in his neck was out of place and pressing on his spinal cord and brain. After surgery to remove the bone causing the pressure, the dog started to improve within six weeks, and by eight months post-surgery, he had fully recovered.
People also search for: dog abnormal gait after injury · Labrador neck pain treatment · dog surgery for neck joint issue
Abstract
A 6-year-old Labrador retriever-cross was evaluated for an abnormal gait and head carriage 6 weeks after suffering trauma. The dog was presented with an ambulatory tetraparesis and was reluctant to move his head. Myelography and computed tomography demonstrated a subluxation of the atlanto-occipital joint with compression of the spinomedullary junction and the brain stem by the occipital bone. Removal of the compressive part of the occipital bone resulted in improvement of the clinical signs within 6 weeks, and resolution of clinical signs occurred 8 months after surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17473025/