[Canine intervertebral disk disease: a retrospective study of clinical outcome in 238 dogs (2003-2004)]

The aim of the study was the assessment of the prognosis of intervertebral disk diseases on the basis of a large case load with the help of currently available therapy modalities. Medical records of 238 dogs presented within 2 years (2003-2004) with neurological deficits resulting from intervertebral disk disease and surgical treatment at the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover were reviewed. 85% of the patients showed a good and 15% a poor long-term functional outcome. Both the presence of deep pain sensation and the weight of the dog were the only variables detected as having a significant impact on prognosis. The time needed to motor function improve depended on the degree of neurological deficits before surgery, and patients with a cervical lesion had a more rapid recovery than patients with a thoracolumbal disease. All other variables, including age, previous signs of intervertebral disk disease, preoperative steroid medication, a lower motor neuron involvement and durotomy did not significantly influence the outcome. Radiographic changes of the vertebral column such as spondylosis, spondylarthrosis, a narrowed disk space up to a fusion of the vertebral bodies mostly were found at the site of a removed intervertebral disk. In dogs with intervertebral disk disease evaluated in the current study a good result could be obtained after surgical decompression.