Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
MRI shows early lumbosacral disc wear in healthy German shepherd dogs
By Amort, Kerstin H et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: MR-imaging of lumbosacral intervertebral disc degeneration in clinically sound German shepherd dogs compared to other breeds.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy German shepherd dogs was examined using MRI to check for early signs of lumbosacral intervertebral disc degeneration, a condition that can lead to nerve compression. The study found that even dogs younger than 18 months showed more signs of degeneration compared to other large breeds. This suggests that German shepherds may be more prone to this type of disc problem. If you have a German shepherd, it's important to monitor for symptoms like back pain or difficulty walking, and discuss any concerns with your veterinarian.
People also search for: German shepherd back pain · lumbosacral disc degeneration in dogs · signs of back problems in German shepherds
Abstract
German shepherd dogs are overrepresented in the group of dogs with cauda equina compression syndrome due to degenerative lumbosacral stenosis. A congenital predisposition for early degeneration of the lumbosacral intervertebral disc has been suspected. Our aims were to assess the morphologic appearance of the lumbosacral intervertebral disc and the lumbosacral junction in healthy German shepherd dogs compared to other breeds and to evaluate for an early onset of degenerative changes. The lumbosacral spine of 110 clinically sound German shepherd dogs and 47 healthy dogs of other large breeds was examined using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The degeneration of every intervertebral disc was graded using an established classification system. Signal intensity of the entire lumbosacral disc and the nucleus pulposus was determined independently. Lumbosacral malalignment was assessed according to a previously described method. The findings for the German shepherd dogs were compared to those of the other breeds. Although most dogs were younger than 18 months at the date of examination, significantly higher grades of degeneration were detected for the lumbosacral intervertebral disc of German shepherd dogs (P < 0.003). Degeneration of the lumbosacral intervertebral disc was independent from findings in the other lumbar discs. We conclude that the German shepherd dog has a predisposition for degenerative changes in the lumbosacral intervertebral disc.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22372662/