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Functional outcome following hemilaminectomy without methylprednisolone sodium succinate for acute thoracolumbar disk disease in 51 non‐ambulatory dogs
Author(s) -
Bush William W.,
Tiches Deena M.,
Kamprad Christina,
Murtaugh Robert J.,
Barr Christina S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of veterinary emergency and critical care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.886
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1476-4431
pISSN - 1479-3261
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-4431.2006.00202.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ambulatory , anesthesia , methylprednisolone , surgery
Objective: To report the functional outcome of hemilaminectomy in dogs with acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) without the administration of a methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) protocol. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Private practice specialty hospital. Animals: Fifty‐one, client owned, non‐ambulatory dogs weighing less than 15 kg that had not been treated with MPSS. Interventions: Myelography and hemilaminectomy Measurements and main results: Fifty‐one dogs met the inclusion criteria. Before surgery, all dogs were non‐ambulatory (26 paraplegic, 25 paraparetic), and 98% were painful. Preoperative incontinence was not assessed or unknown in most cases. Ten days following surgery, 90% were ambulatory, 98% were pain free, and 82% were fully continent. By 6 weeks, 100% were ambulatory, 94% were pain free, and 86% were fully continent. By 16 weeks, 96% were pain free, and 88% were fully continent. Conclusion: Hemilaminectomy is highly successful in returning non‐ambulatory, small breed dogs to full function and in these dogs MPSS may not be a necessary adjunct to surgery.