Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thoracolumbar disc hemorrhage in dogs - signs and outcomes
By Bridges, Jenni et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Ethos Veterinary Health, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and clinical features of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc-associated epidural hemorrhage in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 160 dogs with sudden back problems underwent MRI and surgery for intervertebral disc herniation, and 63 of them had a condition called epidural hemorrhage (EH). French Bulldogs were found to be particularly affected, making up a significant portion of the EH cases. Dogs with EH showed symptoms within 48 hours and were often unable to walk when they first arrived at the vet. Those with EH also had more severe spinal cord compression seen on MRI. The good news is that with surgery, many of these dogs can recover and regain their mobility.
People also search for: French Bulldog back problems · dog unable to walk after injury · intervertebral disc herniation treatment for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc-associated epidural hemorrhage (EH) in dogs is a poorly understood neurological condition. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes, and clinical outcome of dogs with acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (TL-IVDH) with and without EH. ANIMALS: One hundred sixty client-owned dogs that underwent MRI and hemilaminectomy for acute TL-IVDH at a private practice in Colorado, including 63 dogs with EH and 97 dogs without EH. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical record data from 160 dogs presenting sequentially to a single practice with acute TL-IVDH that underwent MRI and hemilaminectomy surgery. RESULTS: Sixty-three of 160 (39%) dogs had confirmed EH. French Bulldogs were significantly overrepresented (23/63; odds ratio [OR]: 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-9.0; P < .001) of the EH cases. Dogs with EH were more likely to present with clinical signs less than 48 hours than were dogs without EH (24-48 vs 48-72 hours; OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2-4.6; P = .02) and were more likely to be nonambulatory on presentation (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.0-4.1; P = .04). Dogs with EH were more likely to have <50% cross-sectional spinal cord compression than dogs without EH (OR: 2.3 vs. 0.4; 95% CI: 1.2-4.4 and 0.2-0.9, respectively), longer longitudinal spinal cord compression (3 spaces vs 1 space, P < .001), and greater intrinsic spinal cord change (grade 3/severe vs grade 1/mild; P < .001) based on MRI. The location of the intervertebral disc herniation in French Bulldogs with EH was more likely to be thoracolumbar (OR: 10.8; 95% CI: 2.1-55.7; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: French Bulldogs have a high prevalence of intervertebral disc-associated EH. Dogs with EH have a shorter clinical course and are more likely to be nonambulatory on initial presentation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35521894/