Prevalence, clinical presentation, and etiology of myelopathies in 224 juvenile dogs

Pilkington, EJ ORCID: 0000-0002-6296-0256, De Decker, S ORCID: 0000-0002-2505-2152, Skovola, E, Cloquell Miro, A, Gutierrez Quintana, R ORCID: 0000-0002-3570-2542, Faller, KME ORCID: 0000-0002-4525-7059, Aguilera Padros, A and Goncalves, R ORCID: 0000-0001-5420-9801 (2024) Prevalence, clinical presentation, and etiology of myelopathies in 224 juvenile dogs Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 38 (3). pp. 1598-1607. ISSN 0891-6640, 1939-1676

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Abstract

Background: Intervertebral disc herniation is widely recognized as the most common cause of myelopathy in dogs older than 2 years; however, the prevalence of various causes of myelopathy in younger dogs has not been reported. Hypothesis/Objectives: To describe the prevalence, clinical presentation, and etiology of myelopathy in dogs aged 18 months or less. Secondarily, to investigate which clinical features were associated with each of the most common etiologies. Animals: Two hundred twenty-four dogs aged 18 months or less with myelopathy were included in the study. Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records from 4 referral institutions. Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed which clinical features were associated with each diagnosis. Results: French bulldogs (n = 51, 22.8%), pugs (n = 18, 8.0%), crossbreeds (n = 12, 5.4%), and English bulldogs (n = 11, 4.9%) were the most frequently affected breeds. Overall, 31 diagnoses were reached. The 5 most frequent diagnoses were vertebral malformation (VM; n = 42, 18.8%), spinal arachnoid diverticulum (SAD; n = 28, 12.5%), traumatic fracture of the vertebral column (n = 22, 9.8%), atlantoaxial instability (n = 18, 8.0%), and osseous-associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (n = 17, 7.6%). Intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE) accounted for 4.5% of cases (n = 10). A final diagnosis of VM was associated with younger, screw-tailed, and pug breeds with chronic signs of T3-L3 myelopathy. SAD was associated with screw-tailed and pug breeds with nonpainful clinical signs. Intervertebral disc extrusion was associated with older, screw-tailed, and pug breeds with shorter duration of clinical signs. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Prioritization of differential diagnoses for dogs presenting with signs of myelopathy when aged 18 months or less should differ to those for older dogs, with IVDE not the most common cause in the former.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Dogs, Spinal Cord Diseases, Dog Diseases, Prevalence, Retrospective Studies, Female, Male, Intervertebral Disc Displacement
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2024 14:21
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2026 04:50
DOI:	10.1111/jvim.17045
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17045
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3179575
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