Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Upper thoracic disc disease in large-breed dogs explained
By Hearon, Kendra et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·Surgery Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Upper thoracic disc disease (T1-T9) in large-breed dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of large-breed dogs, particularly German shepherds, were found to have intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) affecting the upper part of their spine, specifically between the first and ninth thoracic vertebrae. These dogs often showed symptoms like weakness or difficulty moving, and many had multiple affected areas in their spine. The study highlighted that older and larger dogs were more prone to this condition. It’s important for any large-breed dog showing signs of spinal issues to get a full spine evaluation through imaging to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.
People also search for: large-breed dog back pain · German shepherd spine problems · intervertebral disc disease treatment in dogs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify large-breed dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) in the upper thoracic region (thoracic vertebrae 1-9 [T1-T9]). Medical records of all dogs that were diagnosed with IVDD on MRI between February 2008 and September 2011 were reviewed. Of 723 dogs diagnosed with IVDD based on MRI, 527 (72.9%) were small-breed dogs. There were 21 (10.7%) large-breed dogs with IVDD in the T1-T9 region, whereas no small-breed dogs were identified with lesions in that region. The most common upper thoracic lesion sites were T2-T3 (33.3%) and T4-T5 (25.9%). The majority of dogs with T1-T9 lesions were German shepherd dogs (52.4%). Larger, older dogs were more likely to have T1-T9 lesions and more likely to have multiple regions with IVDD, in particular German shepherd dogs (35.1%). Dogs with T1-T9 IVDD were more likely to have IVDD in another region (66.7%). All large-breed dogs presenting with T3-L3 myelopathy should have diagnostic imaging performed of their entire thoracic and lumbar spine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24446398/