Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Open spina bifida diagnosed before birth in a dog fetus
By Chen, Yue et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2023·Chengdu Bio-HT Company Limited, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Open spina bifida characterisation in a dog foetus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Poodle was found to have a serious birth defect called open spina bifida in one of her puppies during pregnancy. This condition was detected using X-rays and ultrasounds, which showed problems with the puppy's spine and other organs. Unfortunately, the puppy died just three days after being born. Further examinations confirmed the diagnosis and revealed additional issues with the puppy's internal organs. This case highlights the challenges of diagnosing and understanding open spina bifida in dogs.
People also search for: dog spina bifida symptoms · Poodle puppy birth defects · what is open spina bifida in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Open spina bifida is an uncommon malformation in animals, and there is a lack of imaging, clinical, and pathological characterisation of this condition in dogs. OBJECTIVE: Open spina bifida is rarely observed in animals due to high levels of perinatal mortality and frequent euthanasia. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first case of spina bifida in a dog was diagnosed in-utero and then followed post-partum. METHODS: A 3-year-old Poodle was presented with twin pregnancy. Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings were suggestive of vertebral malformation and open spina bifida with myelomeningocele in one foetus. Conservative treatment was given but the puppy died 3 days after birth. Thereafter, anatomical and histopathological analysis of several organs was performed to characterise the disease. RESULTS: When the twins were born, one puppy had a linear dorsal midline cutaneous defect extending from the level of vertebrae L2-L6. R Radiographic examination showed several congenital vertebral malformations involving the thoracic segment, lumbar segment, sacrum and scapula. Histopathological examinations confirmed the presence of open spina bifida and identified additional abnormalities in several internal organs. CONCLUSIONS: This case presents a complete characterisation of open spina bifida, before birth and after death, using imaging and histopathology techniques.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37705413/