Congenital Malformations Resembling VACTERL Association in a Golden Retriever

A 2 mo old golden retriever presented with malformation of the left thoracic limb and a small circular indentation of the skin in the cranial thoracic spine. Radiographs showed a cleft between the second and fifth metacarpal bones of the left thoracic limb compatible with ectrodactyly and spina bifida affecting T4 and T5 vertebrae. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine showed dorsal reposition of the spinal cord and a tract connecting from the dura mater to the skin. No other malformations were detected. Surgical excision of the tract was performed and histopathological examination diagnosed a dermoid sinus type IV. Dermoid sinus and spina bifida are well-recognized congenital spinal and spinal cord defects, yet association with other congenital malformation are rarely reported in dogs. The here-reported dog had spinal and spinal cord abnormalities with concurrent limb malformation, which are two components of a nonrandom association of birth defects described as VACTERL in people. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing concurrent dermoid sinus type IV, spina bifida, and ectrodactyly in a dog, and highlights the importance of patient examination for occurrence of multiple malformations to provide an appropriate prognosis for an owner.