Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fecal incontinence linked to spinal cord problems in seven dogs
By Chen, Annie V et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2005·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fecal incontinence and spinal cord abnormalities in seven dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Seven dogs were brought in for fecal incontinence, which means they were having normal stools without being able to control when they went. They also showed unusual walking patterns, and their symptoms had been going on for anywhere from 5 months to 3 years. After imaging tests, vets found spinal cord issues in all the dogs, including cysts and one tumor. All dogs with specific spinal cord problems underwent surgery, and four of them no longer had fecal incontinence afterward. This shows that spinal cord issues can lead to fecal incontinence, but surgery can help resolve the problem.
People also search for: dog fecal incontinence treatment · dog spinal cord problems · dog abnormal gait causes · dog surgery for spinal cord issues
Abstract
Seven dogs with fecal incontinence and abnormal gaits were evaluated. Fecal incontinence was characterized as defecation of normal stools without posturing. Duration of clinical signs prior to evaluation ranged from 5 months to 3 years. Five dogs had upper motor neuron (UMN) paraparesis, and 2 dogs had UMN tetraparesis. With magnetic resonance imaging, spinal cord abnormalities primarily involving the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord were identified in all dogs. Five dogs had focal abnormalities, and 2 dogs had diffuse abnormalities of the spinal cord. Of the dogs with focal spinal cord lesions, 4 had cystic spinal cord abnormalities and 1 had a meningioma. Surgery was performed on all dogs with focal lesions; 4 of the 5 dogs had resolution of fecal incontinence after surgery. Results in these dogs suggest that fecal incontinence can be associated with spinal cord abnormalities and, depending on the characteristics of the lesion, can resolve after surgical treatment of the abnormality.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16379631/