Neurology

Neurological emergencies are common in small animal practice.

Trauma is a common presenting complaint in the small animal veterinary emergency room and traumatic brain injury occurs in a high proportion of these patients.

Degenerative lumbosacral syndrome (DLSS) poses diagnostic and treatment dilemmas for the veterinary practitioner.

Hoerlein determined that intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) accounted for 2.02% of all diseases diagnosed in dogs.

Postoperative care of the neurosurgical patient is contingent upon a team approach that begins with patient evaluation, pain management, bladder assessment and supportive care.

Spinal trauma occurs from external or internal causes.

Canine degenerative myelopathy is a spontaneously occurring, adult-onset, progressive spinal cord disease.

Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis is a commonly diagnosed idiopathic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in dogs.

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of those structures (including cranial nerves and spinal nerves) containing motor, sensory and autonomic nerve fibers or axons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) with somatic and visceral end organs.

Neurology in a clinical setting is frustrating for many veterinarians.

The peripheral vestibular system connects directly with the central nervous system for control of posture and eye movements.

The neurological examination should be performed with great care and with age and use differences in mind.

When presented with a seizuring dog or cat, the steps to take are familiar to most veterinarians. However, with a non-traditional species, even knowing where and how to administer treatments presents a challenge, as well as what might be common etiologies.

Neurologic gait deficits should be evaluated with basic systems and physiology in mind.

Intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) is the most common neurologic disorder for which dog owners seek treatment.

Lakewood, Colo. - A study testing the effects or irradiated food led to the discovery that a cat's central nervous system can repair itself.

Seizures are the most common neurologic problem encountered in small-animal practice.

In addition to new drug options for refractory canine epilepsy, consider home treatment of cluster seizures to alleviate the need for repeated, costly emergency veterinary care.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in dogs is thought to be similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. And studies have revealed that people with Alzheimer's disease not only have cognitive deficits, but neurologic deficits as well, such as impaired gait, restlessness, slowness, and, rarely, tremors.

In last month's column we discussed the pathophysiology of intervertebral disk disease (IVDD). Once IVDD is diagnosed, the clinician must again use the history (onset and course of clinical signs) and the physical exam (neurological status) to formulate the therapeutic plan.

This study demonstrates that epileptic dogs treated with phenobarbital alone or in combination with potassium bromide are more likely to be hypertriglyceridemic.

The major goals of therapy for a brain tumor have been to control secondary effects, such as increased intracranial pressure or cerebral edema, and to eradicate the tumor or reduce its size.

Vestibular dysfunction causes varying degrees of loss of equilibrium causing imbalance and ataxia.

The trigeminal nerve is a large nerve that contains both motor and sensory components.

Inflammatory central nervous system diseases are a group of diseases that affect the brain, or brain and spinal cord, in the absence of an (apparent) infectious cause.