Choices and Decisions in Decompressive Surgery for Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Herniation.

Once decompressive surgery has been elected, the approach that maximizes the likelihood of gaining access to the herniated material for complete removal should be chosen. In most cases, a procedure that optimizes access to the ventrolateral aspect of the spinal cord will be advantageous but it is important to tailor the details of the surgical procedure to suit individual patients. Decompressive surgery for chronic (type II) herniations will frequently demand a ventral approach with partial corpectomy.

Shunt tube placement for amelioration of cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction caused by spinal cord subarachnoid fibrosis in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique for ameliorating cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction secondary to pia-arachnoid fibrosis in dogs and report outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive report and retrospective case series. ANIMALS: Dogs with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow obstruction (n = 7). METHODS: Medical records were searched for dogs that had a subarachnoid-subarachnoid shunt placed for treatment of CSF flow obstruction. Data collected included age, sex, breed, clinical signs and duration of signs prior to examination, neurologic status and localization prior to surgery, pre-surgical diagnostics, surgical technique, histopathology, postoperative neurologic examination, time to discharge from hospital, and outcome. RESULTS: All dogs were diagnosed at surgery with a fibrotic adhesion between the arachnoid and pia mater. A subarachnoid shunting tube was implanted to allow CSF flow across the lesion site. Five dogs showed improvement of clinical signs, 3 of which showed complete recovery and 2 of which showed improvement without resolution of all clinical signs. Two dogs showed no change at 7 and 24 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Bridging a region of pia-arachnoid fibrosis with a tube placed in the subarachnoid space can ameliorate or prevent progression of associated clinical signs.

The Association of Specific Constituents of the Fecal Microbiota with Immune-Mediated Brain Disease in Dogs.

Meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin (MUO) is a common, naturally-occurring, clinical disease of pet dogs. It is an immune-mediated condition that has many similarities with experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) in rodents and so investigation of its pathogenesis may aid in understanding factors that contribute to development of multiple sclerosis in people. Gut microbiota are known to modulate immune responses that influence susceptibility to immune-mediated brain disease. In this study we aimed to compare abundance of specific constituents of the fecal microbiota, namely Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Prevotellaceae, between dogs diagnosed with MUO and matched controls. Fecal samples were obtained from 20 dogs diagnosed with MUO and 20 control dogs matched for breed, age and gender. Bacterial abundance was measured using qPCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. We found that Prevotellaceae were significantly less abundant in cases compared with controls (p = 0.003) but there was no difference in abundance of F.prausnitzii. There was no evidence of other differences in gut microbiota between groups. These data, derived from this naturally-occurring canine clinical model, provide strong corroborative evidence that high abundance of Prevotellaceae in the gut is associated with reduced risk for developing immune-mediated brain disease.

Factors associated with recovery from paraplegia in dogs with loss of pain perception in the pelvic limbs following intervertebral disk herniation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between recovery of locomotion and putative prognostic factors in dogs with loss of deep pain perception in the pelvic limbs caused by intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. ANIMALS: 78 client-owned dogs evaluated for IVDH that underwent spinal decompression surgery. PROCEDURES: Dogs with complete loss of deep pain perception in the pelvic limbs and tail underwent routine examinations, advanced imaging, and spinal decompression surgery in accordance with standards of practice and owner consent. For each dog, information was prospectively collected on duration of clinical signs prior to onset of paraplegia; delay between onset of paraplegia and initial referral evaluation; date of recovery of locomotion, death, or euthanasia (3-month follow-up period); and whether dogs had received corticosteroid drugs before surgery. Severity of spinal cord compression at the lesion epicenter was measured via CT or MRI. RESULTS: 45 of 78 (58%) of dogs recovered the ability to ambulate independently within 3 months after spinal decompression surgery. No evidence of prognostic value was identified for any of the investigated factors; importantly, a greater delay between onset of paraplegia and referral evaluation was not associated with a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this group of dogs with IVDH, immediacy of surgical treatment had no apparent association with outcome. The prognosis for recovery may instead be strongly influenced by the precise nature of the initiating injury.

Tremorgenic mycotoxicosis in dogs.

Ingestion of tremorgenic mycotoxins formed in spoiled food can cause an acute tremor syndrome, the severity of which can range from mild to life-threatening. Swift recognition of the likely cause is required for accurate prognostication and rapid institution of appropriate therapy, which leads to complete resolution in most cases.