Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Discospondylitis in 33 dogs under 5 years old with spinal pain
By Long, Christina et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2022·Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: discospondylitis in 33 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 33 dogs, mostly under 5 years old, were brought in for chronic spinal pain or lameness lasting more than three months. Many showed signs of pain, and some had "hole punch" lesions visible on X-rays, indicating a condition called discospondylitis, which affects the spine. The dogs underwent various imaging tests, including MRI, to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment details weren't specified, but early identification and imaging are crucial for managing this condition. If your dog shows signs of ongoing back pain or lameness, it's important to consult your veterinarian for further evaluation.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · discospondylitis in dogs · puppy spinal pain symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and imaging findings of 33 dogs withdiscospondylitis (BDS). ANIMALS: 33 client owned dogs from four veterinary specialty hospitals within Colorado and Arizona with at least one positivetest and spinal diagnostic imaging. PROCEDURES: Retrospective review of signalment, physical and neurological examination findings, laboratory results,serology, and diagnostic imaging of 33 dogs with BDS. All imaging was reviewed by a board-certified veterinary neurologist. Radiographs were reviewed by a board-certified veterinary radiologist blinded to MRI and CT findings. RESULTS: 31/33 (94%) dogs were <5 years old (median = 2.5 years, mean = 2.9 years, range 0.5-10 years). 21/29 (72%) dogs had signs of nonspecific pain, spinal pain, or lameness for >3 months (median = 6 months, mean = 8.2 months, range 5 days-4 years). Fever was seen in only 4/28 (14%) dogs. Multifocal lesions were evident on radiographs in 21/29 (72%) dogs and MRI in 12/18 (67%) dogs. Smooth, round, central end-plate lysis, defined as "hole punch" lesions, were identified radiographically in 25/29 (86%) dogs. Vertebral physitis or spondylitis without discitis was evident on MRI in 7/18 (39%) dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dogs with BDS typically present at a young age with a long duration of clinical signs. Identification of radiographic "hole punch" lesions and MRI evidence of vertebral physitis, spondylitis, and paravertebral inflammation without discitis should increase suspicion for BDS. BDS may be increasing in frequency in the southwestern United States, and dogs with signs of chronic spinal pain and/or lameness should be screened for.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36406064/