Abstract: Background: Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCEM) and acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE) are common causes of canine spinal cord injury with clinical similarities. Limited information is available regarding the prognosis of paraplegic dogs with FCEM and ANNPE.
Hypothesis/Objectives: To describe the clinical features and outcome of paraplegic deep pain positive (DPP) and deep pain negative (DPN) dogs with FCEM and ANNPE.
Animals: Thirty-one client-owned paraplegic dogs with thoracolumbar FCEM or ANNPE presenting to university hospitals between 2012-2022.
Methods: Multi-center retrospective study. Paraplegic dogs with a clinical and magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of FCEM or ANNPE were included. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate associations between diagnosis, clinical and imaging variables and outcome (recovery of independent ambulation or not).
Results: On initial presentation, 14 dogs were paraplegic DPP (8 FCEM, 6 ANNPE), 17 dogs were paraplegic DPN (11 FCEM, 6 ANNPE). Outcome was available for 26 dogs (14 DPP, 12 DPN) with a median follow-up time of 182 days (range, 0 – 2311). Excluding 2 DPN dogs euthanized at diagnosis, 1/10 DPN dogs (10%) regained independent ambulation, whereas 9/14 DPP dogs (64%) regained independent ambulation. DPN dogs had a significantly higher risk of not regaining independent ambulation compared to DPP dogs (OR: 29.3, CI: 2.1-419.2, p = 0.013). No other variables were associated with outcome (p > 0.05).
Conclusions and clinical importance: While the recovery of ambulation is possible, the absence of pain perception appears to be a useful negative prognostic indicator in dogs with severe thoracolumbar FCEM or ANNPE.
