Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New regenerative treatments for disc degeneration in dogs
By Bach, Frances C et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2014·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Potential regenerative treatment strategies for intervertebral disc degeneration in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Dachshund was experiencing severe back pain and difficulty walking due to intervertebral disc disease, a common issue in certain dog breeds. Traditional treatments like pain medications and physiotherapy helped reduce her discomfort but didn't repair the damaged discs. Researchers are exploring new regenerative therapies that could help repair the discs and restore normal function. These treatments aim to improve the health of the disc material itself, potentially offering better long-term relief for dogs suffering from this painful condition.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds · regenerative therapy for dog spine problems
Abstract
Pain due to spontaneous intervertebral disc (IVD) disease is common in dogs. In chondrodystrophic (CD) dogs, IVD disease typically develops in the cervical or thoracolumbar spine at about 3-7 years of age, whereas in non-chondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs, it usually develops in the caudal cervical or lumbosacral spine at about 6-8 years of age. IVD degeneration is characterized by changes in the biochemical composition and mechanical integrity of the IVD. In the degenerated IVD, the content of glycosaminoglycan (GAG, a proteoglycan side chain) decreases and that of denatured collagen increases. Dehydration leads to tearing of the annulus fibrosus (AF) and/or disc herniation, which is clinically characterized by pain and/or neurological signs. Current treatments (physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory/analgesic medication, surgery) for IVD disease may resolve neurological deficits and reduce pain (although in many cases insufficient), but do not lead to repair of the degenerated disc. For this reason, there is interest in new regenerative therapies that can repair the degenerated disc matrix, resulting in restoration of the biomechanical function of the IVD. CD dogs are considered a suitable animal model for human IVD degeneration because of their spontaneous IVD degeneration, and therefore studies investigating cell-, growth factor-, and/or gene therapy-based regenerative therapies with this model provide information relevant to both human and canine patients. The aim of this article is to review potential regenerative treatment strategies for canine IVD degeneration, with specific emphasis on cell-based strategies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24387033/