<h2>Acute Inter-Vertebral Disc (IVD) disease</h2> <h6>Why does IVD disease cause a problem?</h6> <p>The spinal cord is the main bundle of nerve tissue that joins the brain to other parts of the body. The spinal cord runs within the spinal canal - a cylindrical channel which is encased by the vertebral bones. Because the spinal canal is completely encased by bone, any tissue which spills over into this canal (such as an IVD extrusion) compresses the spinal cord, preventing it from functioning normally. This can be further exacerbated by any bleeding or inflammation caused by the injury.</p> <h6>What are the symptoms?</h6> <p>The symptoms vary widely depending on where in the spine they occur (they can occur anywhere from the head down to the base of the tail), how severely the spinal cord has been damaged, and the duration of spinal cord compression. Symptoms may vary from slight discomfort or in-coordination in mild cases, to complete paralysis, loss of urinary control or even death by paralysis of the muscles required for breathing in very severe cases.</p> <h6>How is IVD disease diagnosed?</h6> <p>Achieving an accurate diagnosis is essential. Various other diseases can cause similar symptoms, including fractures of the vertebral bones, tumours of the spinal cord, congenital abnormalities, clotting disorders, meningitis and even certain parasite infections so these problems must be ruled out before deciding on a treatment plan. <br /><br />The site of the problem must first be identified based on a detailed examination by an experienced neurologist or neurosurgeon. The diagnosis has been historically based on an x-ray dye study (myelogram), but this has been superseded in many cases at our practice by the less invasive and frequently diagnostically superior technique of MRI scan of the suspect area of the spinal cord. In some dogs, additional tests such as blood tests, spinal fluid taps or biopsy samples may be needed to confirm the diagnosis</p> 2009-08-27T14:48:21Z Thank you so much for all you have done for Buzz. It has been inspiring to meet people so passionate about and dedicated to their profession... Duncan, Melissa and Ruth 31 Total hip replacement for canine hip dysplasia, total knee replacement, TPLO, TTA, slipped disc and bone fracture management are a few of the operations we perform on a daily basis. surgery, rehabilitation, Fitzpatrick, referrals, small animal, orthopaedic, neurology, veterinary specialist, vets, nurse, health, care, dog boarding, pet, veterinary emergency, referral service, dog veterinary, animal hospital, veterinary hospital, mri, scan, xray, ultrasonic, hydrotherapy, canine Veterinary Surgery | Knee and Hip Pathology 25 2,25 1 acute_intervertebral_disease 2009-09-04T11:15:27Z