Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Recovery chances for walking and bladder control in dogs with lower
By Shaw, T A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2017·School of Veterinary Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prognostic Factors Associated with Recovery of Ambulation and Urinary Continence in Dogs with Acute Lumbosacral Spinal Cord Injury.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with spinal cord injuries in the lower back (L4-S3) were studied to see how likely they were to regain the ability to walk and control their bladder. The results showed that while fewer dogs with these injuries regained bladder control compared to those with upper back injuries (T3-L3), the chances of walking again were similar between the two groups. Factors that made recovery less likely included not being able to feel pain in the affected area and having certain types of injuries. Understanding these factors can help veterinarians provide better guidance for treatment options and expectations for recovery.
People also search for: dog spinal cord injury recovery · dog bladder control after injury · dog walking again after back injury
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limited information is available about prognostic factors for recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) to the L4-S3 segments. Previous research suggests that L4-S3 SCI does not have a worse prognosis than T3-L3 SCI. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To elucidate prognostic factors for regaining urinary continence and ambulation in dogs with L4-S3 SCI and compare prognosis to T3-L3 SCI. ANIMALS/METHODS: A retrospective study on 61 nonambulatory dogs with L4-S3 SCI, matched to dogs with T3-L3 SCI, compared 3 weeks after onset. Prognostic factors explored using logistic regression and used for matching: nonchondrodystrophic dogs >15 kg versus dogs that were chondrodystrophic or <15 kg; compressive versus noncompressive lesions; presence versus absence of conscious pain perception (CPP); and lower vs upper motor neuron (LMN/UMN) incontinence. RESULTS: Fewer L4-S3 dogs regained continence compared to T3-L3 dogs (64 vs 85%, P = .0033), but no difference existed for regaining ambulation (66 vs 75%, P = .1306). In L4-S3 SCI dogs, fewer dogs regained continence with loss of CPP (P < .001), LMN incontinence (P = .004), and noncompressive lesions (P = .006). Negative prognostic factors for regaining ambulation included absent CPP (P < .001) and large nonchondrodystrophic breed (P = .022). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with L4-S3 SCI have a poorer short-term prognosis than do dogs with T3-L3 SCI. Dogs with L4-S3 SCI had a poor prognosis with loss of CPP, or noncompressive lesions combined with LMN incontinence. Small-breed or chondrodystrophic dogs with retained CPP, compressive lesions, and UMN incontinence had an excellent prognosis. These findings may help guide decision-making in L4-S3 SCI.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28370379/