Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Compression Due to Vertebral Process Degenerative Joint Disease in a Family of Shiloh Shepherd Dogs

• Published in: Journal of veterinary internal medicine 2003-07, Vol.17 (4), p.530-537
• Main Authors: McDonnell, John J, Knowles, Kim E, Lahunta, Alexander de, Bell, Jerold S, Lowrie, Charles T, Todhunter, Rory J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: abnormal development; Animals; ataxia (disorder); Congenital; Diagnosis, Differential; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Dog Diseases - genetics; Dog Diseases - pathology; Dogs; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetics; image analysis; Joint Diseases - complications; Joint Diseases - genetics; Joint Diseases - veterinary; Lameness, Animal - etiology; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; males; Malformation; medicine; Myelography - veterinary; Myelopathy; necropsy; neurons; Pedigree; radiography; sires; spinal cord; Spinal Cord Compression - complications; Spinal Cord Compression - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Compression - veterinary; Spinal cord injury; Thoracic Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Thoracic Vertebrae - pathology; vertebrae
• ISSN: 0891-6640; 1939-1676
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2003.tb02474.x

Five young Shiloh Shepherd Dogs (4 males and 1 female) related by a common sire were studied because of progressive pelvic limb weakness and incoordination. All dogs had a spastic paraparesis and pelvic limb ataxia consistent with an upper motor neuron and general proprioceptive lesion between spinal cord segments T3 and L3. Proliferative lesions involving one or more of the articular processes from the 11th thoracic vertebrae to the 2nd lumbar vertebra were observed on radiographs of the thoracolumbar vertebrae. Dorsal compression of the spinal cord was identified during imaging studies at these sites. Abnormalities of the synovial joints and bony proliferation of the involved articular processes were identified at postmortem examination in 2 dogs. The articular processes and associated vertebral arches protruded into the vertebral canal, indenting the dorsal surface of the spinal cord. Degenerative joint disease (DJD) was identified histologically. A compressive myelopathy was diagnosed in the spinal cord. These dogs were affected by a compressive myelopathy as a consequence of vertebral process DJD that likely has a genetic component. The DJD could have been caused by a primary vertebral malformation or an injury to the processes at a young age causing malarticulation.