Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How body weight affects recovery after back surgery in dachshunds
By Gordon-Evans, Wanda J et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2019·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The effect of body condition on postoperative recovery of dachshunds with intervertebral disc disease treated with postoperative physical rehabilitation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 32 dachshunds with back pain from intervertebral disc disease underwent surgery and rehabilitation to help them recover. The study found that the dogs' body weight and fat levels did not affect how quickly they healed after surgery. However, those with more severe disability before surgery took longer to recover. On average, the dogs lost some weight and body fat but gained muscle during their rehabilitation. This suggests that while pre-surgery disability can slow recovery, being overweight or underweight doesn't seem to impact the outcome.
People also search for: dachshund back pain recovery · intervertebral disc disease surgery dachshund · postoperative rehabilitation for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of obesity on postoperative recovery from thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy in dachshunds treated with rehabilitation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational trial. ANIMALS: Thirty-two dachshunds with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease and pain perception. METHODS: Dachshunds were entered into the study after unilateral thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy. Lean muscle and fat contents were measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the beginning and at week 12 of the study. Aggressive rehabilitation was performed 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery. Logistic regressions were used to determine the odds ratios between potential risk factors (age, duration of clinical signs, weight, body condition score, percentage body fat, percentage lean muscle mass, and disability index [DI] score at presentation) and return benchmarks of recovery. RESULTS: Body condition score, percentage body fat, percentage lean muscle mass, weight, and age did not influence the odds ratio for recovery. An increase in preoperative DI score was associated with increased risk of a slow postoperative recovery (P < .05). The odds ratios were 2.5, 4.8, and 1.8 for >7 days until standing, > 30 days until strong ambulation, and failure to return to normal within the study period, respectively. On average, dogs lost weight (2.2 kg) and body fat (2.4%) but gained muscle mass (3.0%) over the study period (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative disability but not body condition was a risk factor for a slow recovery after thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy in dachshunds with rehabilitation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A slower recovery is likely with increased preoperative disability, but body condition does not seem to affect the postoperative prognosis of dachshunds treated with rehabilitation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30549081/