• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

The intervertebral disc is a crucial structure located between each vertebral body, except C1 and C2 and the fused sacral vertebrae, which provides cushioning and stability. However, sometimes these discs may bulge or extrude, causing painful conditions and various neurological problems such as ataxia, paresis, motor or sensorimotor paralysis. As a result, dogs affected by intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) can suffer a significant decrease in their quality of life. The main objective of this study was to provide comprehensive data on the body size of several IVDD-susceptible dog breeds commonly bred in South Korea, which could help develop supportive devices for IVDD patients. Using standardized measurements, the study aimed to design appropriate support tools, taking into account the mobility challenges faced by IVDD patients. The findings provide valuable data to improve the quality of life of patients with IVDD. In addition, it may lay the foundation for research to establish the correlation between body size and IVDD through future research.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.52.1-52.11
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• 2020

Background: Intradural-intramedullary intervertebral disc extrusion (IIVDE) is a rare condition of intervertebral disc disease. However, the diagnosis of IIVDE is challenging because the prognosis and imaging characteristics are poorly characterized. Objectives: We aimed to describe the clinical and imaging characteristics of tentatively diagnosed IIVDE in dogs to assess the prognostic utility of neurological grade and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Methods: Twenty dogs were included in this retrospective cohort study. Results: Nonchondrodystrophic breeds (n = 16) were more predisposed than chondrodystrophic breeds. Most dogs showed acute onset of clinical signs. Neurological examination at admission showed predominant non-ambulatory paraparesis (n = 9); paresis (n = 16) was confirmed more frequently than paralysis (n = 4). Follow-up neurological examination results were only available for 11 dogs, ten of whom showed neurological improvement and 8 showed successful outcomes at 1 month. The characteristic MRI findings include thoracic vertebra (T)2 hyperintense, T1 hypointense, intramedullary linear tracts with reduced disc volume, and cleft of the annulus fibrosus. None of the MRI measurements were significantly correlated with neurological grade at admission. Neurological grade did not differ according to the presence of parenchymal hemorrhage, parenchymal contrast enhancement, and meningeal contrast enhancement. Neurological grades at admission showed a statistical correlation with those observed at the 1-month follow-up (r = 0.814, p = 0.02). Conclusions: IIVDE is a rare form of disc extrusion commonly experienced after physical activity or trauma and most frequently affects the cranial-cervical and thoracolumbar regions of nonchondrodystrophic dog breeds. Neurological score at admission emerged as a more useful prognostic indicator than MRI findings in dogs with suspected IIVDE.