Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
C2-C3 neck joint disease causing weakness and ataxia in 11 dogs
By Cooper, C et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2015·School of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Osseous associated cervical spondylomyelopathy at the C2-C3 articular facet joint in 11 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 11 dogs with neck problems were diagnosed with a condition called cervical spondylomyelopathy, which caused issues like weakness and coordination problems in their limbs. Some dogs showed signs of pain in their necks, while others had no noticeable gait issues. The dogs underwent either surgery or medical treatment, and follow-up results showed that many of them improved significantly. Four dogs that had surgery were doing well without any neurological issues, and three dogs treated with medication also showed no deficits. This suggests that both treatment options can be effective for this condition in dogs.
People also search for: dog neck pain treatment · cervical spondylomyelopathy in dogs · dog weakness in all limbs · dog surgery for neck problems
Abstract
In dogs, vertebral canal stenosis at C2-C3 due to articular facet joint degeneration is only sporadically identified. The authors' aims were to review the clinical presentation, MRI characteristics, treatment and outcome of dogs presenting with this condition. Eleven cases were eligible for inclusion. Neurological examination revealed tetraparesis and proprioceptive ataxia in all 4 limbs in 3/11, proprioceptive tetra-ataxia only in 4/11, pelvic limb proprioceptive ataxia in 2/11 and no gait abnormalities in 2/11 dogs. Cervical hyperaesthesia was present in 7/11 dogs. MRI revealed bilateral articular facet joint degeneration in 10/11 cases and unilateral degeneration in one. Surgery was performed in six cases and medical management elected in five. Long-term follow-up information was available for 11 animals. Four of the surgical cases are alive and have no neurological deficits, one was euthanased for an unrelated condition and one lost to follow-up. Of the cases managed medically, three are alive showing no neurological deficits, one is alive still displaying neurological deficits and one euthanased for an unrelated condition whilst still ataxic. This study shows that both medical and surgical management can result in good outcomes in dogs with vertebral canal stenosis resulting from articular facet joint degeneration at the level of C2-C3.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26510824/