Diskospondylitis in Dogs

Alireza A. Gorgi, DVM 
Dennis O’Brien, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology)
Compendium

June, 2007.

Diskospondylitis is an infection of the intervertebral disk and the end plates of the adjacent vertebrae. This disease is fairly common in dogs and has been seen with many different bacterial infections and some fungal infections. Staphylococcal infections are the most common cause of diskospondylitis in dogs. Other common causes include infections with Streptococcus spp, Escherichia coli, and Brucella canis. Some of the less common organisms isolated include Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Actinomyces, Pasteurella, Candida, and Mycobacterium spp. Fungal diseases such as infection with Aspergillus or Paecilomyces spp as well as unspecified fungal infections have also been reported as causes of diskospondylitis.

Clinical Case: Craniodorsal luxation of the left hip joint

What Is Your Diagnosis?

Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association

August 1, 2011

A 2-year-old castrated male Labrador Retriever was referred for evaluation of a left hind limb lameness of 3 weeks’ duration. The dog had been struck by a car 3 weeks earlier, and craniodorsal luxation of its left hip joint was diagnosed on the basis  of physical examination and radiographic findings (Figure 1). Luxation of the hip joint was treated by closed reduction and  placement of an Ehmer sling for 10 days. After sling removal, the dog had a non–weight-bearing lameness in the left hind lim

Selection against canine hip dysplasia: Success or failure?

Bethany Wilson, Frank W. Nicholas and Peter C. Thomson 

The Veterinary Journal Volume 189, Issue 2,
August 2011, Pages 160-168

There is significant room for improvement in the current schemes through the use of estimated breeding values (EBVs), which can combine a dog’s CHD phenotype with CHD phenotypes of relatives, other phenotypes as they are proven to be genetically correlated with CHD (especially elbow dysplasia phenotypes), and information from genetic tests for population-relevant DNA markers, as such tests become available. Additionally, breed clubs should be encouraged and assisted to formulate rational, evidenced-based breeding recommendations for CHD which suit their individual circumstances and dynamically to adjust the breeding recommendations based on continuous tracking of CHD genetic trends. These improvements can assist in safely and effectively reducing the impact of CHD on pedigree dog welfare. Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is a multifactorial skeletal disorder which is very common in pedigree dogs and represents a huge concern for canine welfare. Control schemes based on selective breeding have been in operation for decades. The aim of these schemes is to reduce the impact of CHD on canine welfare by selecting for reduced radiographic evidence of CHD pathology as assessed by a variety of phenotypes. There is less information regarding the genotypic correlation between these phenotypes and the impact of CHD on canine welfare. Although the phenotypes chosen as the basis for these control schemes have displayed heritable phenotypic variation in many studies, success in achieving improvement in the phenotypes has been mixed.

Orthopaedic examination of the dog - 1. Thoracic limb and 2. Pelvic Limb

Gareth Arthurs
In Practice 2011;33:126-133 doi:10.1136

The purpose of an orthopaedic examination is to evaluate a patient for the presence or absence of orthopaedic disease and to localise any abnormalities found. This examination is arguably the most critical part of an orthopaedic work-up as it is at this point that important decisions are made with regard to selecting further diagnostic tests and/or discussing treatment options and prognosis. This article, the first of two, considers the need for a systematic approach to the orthopaedic examination and discusses how this might be applied to the thoracic limb. Part 2, to be published in the April issue of In Practice, will discuss how to perform an orthopaedic examination on the pelvic limb. An article published in the January issue described the use of orthopaedic examination as part of an approach to forelimb lameness.

Orthopaedic examination of the dog - 1. Thoracic limb





Orthopaedic examination of the dog - 2. Pelvic limb