Types of Spinal Cord Injury in Dogs

According to the veterinary staff at Pet Place.com most spinal cord injuries are due to traumatic and, for the most part, sudden injury. Disease, falls and injuries sustained from being hit by cars or during daily activity can produce spinal cord injuries and abnormalities. Some breeds are predisposed to spinal cord abnormalities. German shepherds, dachshunds, corgis, doberman pinschers and some of the long-backed terrier breeds are among breeds affected by back problems.

  1. Laceration of the Spinal Cord

    • Laceration of the spinal cord is a devastating injury most often officially diagnosed with a veterinary myelogram, CT or MRI of the spine. Your veterinarian will evaluate the injury to determine if treatment or surgical options are available. Repair options depend on location and severity of the laceration.

    Ruptured or Herniated Disk

    • A ruptured disk is a disk that, due to age or injury, moves from its original location out of alignment in a way that it infringes on the space that contains the spinal cord. The pressure of the disk on the cord causes nerve damage with classic symptoms of weakness, limping, pain and, depending on the nerve affected, sudden onset of urinary or bowel incontinence. According to the veterinarians at Pet Education.com, the cause of a ruptured disk may not be able to be determined while a herniated disk is usually caused by trauma. Your veterinarian will take X-rays as a base line diagnostic to determine further care, which can include further testing as well as surgical and nonsurgical treatment options.

    Fracture

    • Dogs that suffer from spinal fracture can be affected by the injury in varying degrees. A complete fracture may cause immediate death whereas other fractures are treatable with a combination of surgery, postsurgical care and rehabilitation options. While dogs that are surgically repaired may not be able to return to normal activity, great strides are being made in research for spinal cord injuries in dogs. According to Canada's Cambridge Veterinary College, olfactory cell transplants are among spinal cord treatment options undergoing current clinical trials in Canada.

    Nerve Damage and Compression

    • Genetic conditions such as Wobbler's Disease or Degenerative Myelopathy are conditions of the spinal cord. Considered genetic, Wobbler's is caused by cervical vertebral instability, compression of the disks near the neck or a deformed spinal canal in breeds like the doberman pinscher. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is found in German shepherd dogs and Pembroke Welsh corgis, along with other breeds. It is a progressive disease of unknown origin that promotes gradual but extensive paralysis in dogs over the age of five. Dogs affected by DM have nerve damage and spinal cords that no longer send proper signals from the body to the brain. Diagnostic tests can identify Wobbler's; however, a clear diagnosis of DM is not possible until the spinal cord of a deceased dog has been examined during an autopsy.