Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for spinal infection after disk surgery in dogs
By Canal, Sara et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2016·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk factors for diskospondylitis in dogs after spinal decompression surgery for intervertebral disk herniation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 372 dogs that had spinal decompression surgery for a slipped disk were monitored for a rare complication called postoperative diskospondylitis (POD), which is an infection of the spine. Out of these dogs, only 8 (about 2.2%) developed this condition. German Shepherds, older dogs over 8.8 years, and those weighing more than 44 pounds were found to be at a higher risk for POD. The study suggests that dogs over 44 pounds should be watched closely after surgery for any signs of worsening neurological issues. Most dogs recovered well, but early detection of complications is crucial for treatment.
People also search for: dog spinal surgery complications · German Shepherd diskospondylitis risk · signs of infection after dog surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of and risk factors for development of postoperative diskospondylitis (POD) in dogs that underwent spinal decompression surgery for intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH). DESIGN Retrospective single cohort study. ANIMALS 372 dogs that underwent spinal decompression surgery for IVDH between January 2007 and January 2011. PROCEDURES Medical records of dogs were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding signalment, type and anatomic site of IVDH, severity of neurologic signs, type of surgery, duration of anesthesia, esophageal temperature during surgery, and use of corticosteroid drugs were analyzed for associations with POD. RESULTS POD developed in 8 of 372 (2.2%) dogs. Univariate analysis revealed that German Shepherd Dogs had 9.8 times the odds of POD, compared with the odds for other breeds. In addition, dogs > 8.8 years of age, weighing > 20 kg (44 lb), or having disk protrusions were at higher risk of developing POD than were other dogs. The only factor that retained a significant association with POD after controlling for other factors in multivariate analysis was body weight > 20 kg. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Factors identified in this study may be useful for prediction of POD, an apparently uncommon outcome, in dogs undergoing spinal decompression surgery for IVDH. Dogs at higher risk than others, particularly those weighing > 20 kg, should be monitored carefully in the immediate postoperative period, and signs of worsening neurologic condition after initial improvement should be promptly investigated.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27270060/