ABSTRACT:
Thoracolumbar vertebral fractures and luxations (VFL) are one of the most common neurological disorders in veterinary neurology and one of the most serious and challenging disorders due to the high risk of permanent paralysis, leading many dogs to be euthanized without treatment due to the reports of unfavorable prognosis about ambulation in animals that lost nociception. This study aimed to describe the neurophysiologic bases responsible for the development of the spinal walking and examine in 37 dogs affected with thoracolumbar VFL, data relating to the recovery rate of animals with and without nociceptionIn those without nociception was analyzed the frequency of the spinal walking animals that developed for its appearance, and the average period was established. Regarding the degree of injury to recovery rates, 14/37 dogs (37.8%) had nociception, in which the rate of recovery of voluntary ambulation was 100%. While 23/37 dogs (62.1%) lost the nociception, where no voluntary ambulation was regained ambulation, occurred death from various causes in seven of these. From 16 dogs without nociception and survivors who underwent conservative or surgical treatment, five (31.25%) regained the ability to walk without regaining nociception; this was attributed to spinal walking, where the average time for their development was 115 days. According to the results of this study, the single parameter of loss of the nociception should not discourage the therapy, as paraplegic dogs with thoracolumbar VFL can develop involuntary ambulation.
INDEX TERMS:
Nervous system; spinal fractures spinal luxations; nociception; spinal walking; dogs