Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Recovery chances after spinal surgery in dogs without deep pain
By Ripplinger, A et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2023·Small Animal Surgery and Clinic Area, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Functional outcome in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy for thoracolumbar disc extrusion but without nociception > 96 h: A prospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 dogs with severe back problems due to a slipped disc (thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion) and no deep pain perception for over four days underwent surgery to relieve pressure on their spinal cord. After the surgery, about 61% of the dogs showed some recovery in their ability to move, although the longer they had been without pain perception, the longer it took for them to recover. On average, it took about 30 days for these dogs to start regaining movement. While some dogs did well after surgery, others did not recover as hoped, highlighting the challenges of treating this condition.
People also search for: dog back surgery recovery · slipped disc in dogs treatment · dog paraplegia prognosis
Abstract
This prospective study investigated the functional recovery of surgically treated dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE) without deep pain perception (DPP) for > 96 h. Dogs (n = 36) with paraplegia secondary to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion with loss of deep pain perception ranging from 4 to 60 days were enrolled. All dogs underwent hemilaminectomy and fenestration of the affected intervertebral disc and postoperative follow-up was provided for a maximum of 180 days. Recovery of motor function was satisfactory (based on the owner's assessment) in 22 dogs, 61.1% (47.2% with DPP, and 13.9% without DPP) and unsatisfactory in 38.9% of cases (n = 14). Postoperative physiotherapy, preoperative anti-inflammatory drugs, and age had no effect on recovery. In this study, the longer the time taken to regain pain perception, the longer the recovery time. The median time to recovery was 30 days. A total of 47.2% of dogs with paraplegia and absence of DPP secondary to thoracolumbar IVDE lasting > 96 h, recovered functional ambulation after decompressive surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36646271/