Spinal Disc L3-L4

In this case a seven-year-old Dachshund was brought to the vet as the owners were very concerned that their dog was unable to stand or walk.  Over the preceding days they had noticed that he had been a little weaker than normal especially on his back legs. The vet performed a clinical examination and found that an intervertebral disc extrusion was quite possibly the inciting cause but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was required to confirm this. Fitzpatrick Referrals was contacted and an emergency appointment was arranged. The image above is the MRI of the thoracolumbar spine of this dog where you can see extensive compression of the spinal cord. This is quite a common condition seen in dachshunds and usually surgical intervention is required to alleviate pain and to prevent progressive damage to the spinal cord. The surgeon performed a hemilaminectomy whereby a “window” was created in the spinal column in order to remove the disc material that was crushing the spinal cord.  This dog is now doing well and the owner is delighted that he has a normal quality of life again.

Fitzpatrick Referrals