Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
French Bulldog's slipped disk in lower back healed without surgery
By Steffen, Frank et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2014·Vetsuisse Faculty·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spontaneous regression of lumbar Hansen type 1 disk extrusion detected with magnetic resonance imaging in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old French Bulldog was brought in for sudden back pain and difficulty walking. An MRI showed that a herniated disk was pressing on the spinal cord, causing these issues. The vet recommended conservative treatment, including cage rest, limited leash walks, and anti-inflammatory medications. After five weeks, the dog had fully recovered, and a follow-up MRI showed a significant reduction in the herniated disk material.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · French Bulldog disk herniation recovery · dog spastic paraparesis care
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 3-year-old French Bulldog was evaluated because of acute signs of back pain and spastic paraparesis. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Neuroanatomic localization indicated a lesion in the T3-L3 spinal cord segment. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed extradural spinal cord compression at the ventral right aspect of the intervertebral disk space L3-4. On the basis of these findings, a diagnosis of sequestrated Hansen type 1 disk extrusion without extradural hemorrhage was made. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The dog was treated conservatively with cage rest, restricted exercise on a leash, and NSAIDs. Results of follow-up examination 5 weeks later indicated complete resolution of clinical signs, and results of repeated MRI indicated a 69% reduction in the volume of the herniated disk material. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings for the dog of this report indicated spinal cord compression attributable to extruded intervertebral disk material resolved. Functional improvements in dogs with such problems may be partly attributable to spontaneous regression of intervertebral disk extrusions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24568114/