Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with suspected spinal abscess and epidural infection
By Cherrone, Karen L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2002·The Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Suspected paraspinal abscess and spinal epidural empyema in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog was brought in for sudden weakness in its back legs, which was found to be caused by a fluid-filled pocket pressing on the spinal cord. During surgery, the vet discovered this pocket was linked to the first lumbar vertebra. The dog received decompressive surgery along with antibiotics and pain medication, and thankfully, it made a full recovery. This case highlights the importance of considering spinal epidural empyema when dogs show signs of fever and rapid weakness.
People also search for: dog back leg weakness · spinal surgery for dogs · dog fever and weakness
Abstract
Epidural spinal cord compression was visualized myelographically in a dog presented for rapid development of paraparesis. A large, fluid-filled pocket in the epaxial musculature was found at surgery and appeared to communicate with the first lumbar vertebra. Unfortunately, cytopathological evaluation of the fluid was not performed. No etiological agents were isolated on aerobic culture. The dog responded well to decompressive surgery and medical therapy consisting of antibiotics, pain medication, and nursing care. In the veterinary literature, only two studies of spinal epidural empyema in the dog have been reported. Of these dogs, one had successful decompressive surgery performed. The other dogs in these two reports were euthanized. The dog presented in this report fully recovered. Spinal epidural empyema should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs presenting with a fever and a rapidly progressing myelopathy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11908832/