• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Know signs, therapeutic options for canine Wobbler syndrome

March 1, 2003
Ronald Lyman, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM

Canine Wobbler syndrome is called by many other names depending on the training background of the clinician discussing the subject.

Canine Wobbler syndrome is called by many other names depending on the training background of the clinician discussing the subject.

Figure 1

These include caudal cervical vertebral instability and malformation, cervical spondylopathy, and spondylolisthesis, to name a few.

We recognize these dogs as primarily giant and large breeds with the usual history of progressive generalized ataxia and weakness. Occasionally we see an acute onset of signs, perhaps due to trauma or a fall. Close questioning of the client may elicit a history of what was previously interpreted to be simply a "clumsy" Great Dane, Mastiff, Doberman, or other large breed patient. Usually, Great Danes and Mastiffs show clinical signs as young animals, while Dobermans and most other large breeds present at middle age or as a geriatric patient.

Advertisement

Neurologic exam

The neurologic examination should reveal normal mentation and cranial nerves, with any degree of tetraparesis or ataxia. Conscious proprioception is usually abnormal in all four limbs. Lateralization of signs is possible. Spinal reflexes may be normal, exaggerated, or reduced in the forelimbs depending on the severity and location of the cervical lesion(s). Rear limb reflexes are also variable, and evidence for spinal pain on palpation is difficult to find in many of these stoic patients.

If left without definitive treatment most of these dogs will gradually or rapidly "go down."

Often the attending clinician may take some plain cervical spinal radiographs to rule out obvious neoplasia or discospondylitis, and discuss the options of anti-inflammatory medications or acupuncture therapy versus referral to a specialist. It is at this point important to note some recent publications on the subject of surgery for Wobblers.

Figure 2

Important findings

Late in 2002, the journal, "Veterinary Surgery," published an article by Dr. Luisa De Risio et al discussing post operative recovery and long term follow-up in 20 Wobbler dogs treated by dorsal laminectomy. The authors reported on cases treated with this surgical method at Colorado State University and North Carolina State University. This is one of the few papers discussing Wobblers which actually follows the neurological status of the patients long term.

In it they report a length of hospitalization of 8.3 (+/- 7) days, and neurological improvement in 19 of 20 patients postoperatively. These findings are in direct contradiction to the published and oft-repeated mantra of many authors (and others who perform small animal neurosurgery), which holds that prolonged post operative recovery inevitably follows a continous dorsal laminectomy (CDL), and that ventral distraction and fusion techniques are more effective procedures for treatment of Wobblers.

Actually, a strong proponent of the ventral distraction and fusion techniques (Dr. Howard Seim) has published and described the use of dorsal laminectomy techniques in Current Veterinary Therapy XXXIII. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the end appearance and decompressive effect of the CDL procedure.

Mythology debunked

These two important publications debunk some of the mythology surrounding the dorsal surgical techniques for the treatment of Wobblers. Perhaps now more owners can be offered another option with a reasonable chance of solving the problem. This is especially critical if diagnostics demonstrate "multiple site" Wobbler lesions, which are notoriously poorly responsive to the ventral distraction and fusion techniques.


Advertisement

Latest News

Morris Animal Foundation appoints new chief program officer

CDC issues warning over cat-transmitted sporotrichosis

An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing

3 categories of inappetence in dogs

View More Latest News
Advertisement