Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gastrointestinal signs in French bulldogs after spinal surgery
By du Toit, Michelle & Motta, Luca·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Gut feelings: gastrointestinal signs in French bulldogs undergoing spinal surgery.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 97 French bulldogs undergoing spinal surgery for intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) experienced gastrointestinal issues, with 76% showing symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and regurgitation. Most dogs developed these signs after surgery, with diarrhea being the most common. On average, the gastrointestinal problems lasted about 2.2 days, and dogs with these issues stayed in the hospital longer than those without. The study found that longer anesthesia times were linked to the development of these gastrointestinal signs.
People also search for: French bulldog diarrhea after surgery · IVDH surgery complications in dogs · vomiting in dogs after anesthesia
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The French bulldog (FBD) is a brachycephalic breed prone to several neurological conditions, of which intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) is considerably prevalent. Gastrointestinal (GI) disease is a reported complication in dogs surgically treated for IVDH. The objective of this study was to describe GI signs and their outcome in FBDs surgically treated for IVDH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data regarding the GI signs (vomiting, diarrhoea and regurgitation), their frequency and short-term outcome in FBDs surgically treated for IVDH (cervical, thoracolumbar or lumbar) between January 2017 and April 2023 were obtained from medical records at one institution. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher exact tests, and ordinal/continuous data between categorical groups using Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: Ninety-seven FBDs were included for analysis. GI signs occurred in 74/97 (76.3%) FBDs while hospitalised, with 33.8% and 66.2% developing GI signs pre- and post-operatively, respectively. FBDs that developed GI signs had a mean of 4.9 episodes. Diarrhoea was the most common GI sign encountered (51/74) compared to regurgitation (38/74) and vomiting (22/74). Resolution of GI signs occurred within a mean of 2.2 days. Mean duration of hospitalisation post-surgery was 4.6 days in FBDs that developed GI signs versus 3.7 days in FBDs that did not ( = 0.033). Anaesthesia length was associated with developing GI signs (p=0.037). Neurological severity, neuroanatomical localisation and surgical procedure were not associated with development of GI signs ( = 0.42, = 0.794 and = 1, respectively). CONCLUSION: GI signs were commonly encountered in FBDs surgically treated for IVDH and associated with length of anaesthesia and prolonged hospitalisation.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39391219/