Raquel Baumhardt

Neoplasmas envolvendo o sistema nervoso central de cães: 26 casos (2003-2011)

This retrospective study was aimed to identify dogs with neoplasms affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and compile information on the affected breeds, sex, age group, anatomical site of the tumor, type of clinical signs and clinical course, and laboratory results. The study included the cases submitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (HVU) of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Brazil, from January 2003 to June 2011. The 26 neoplasms affecting the CNS included in this study occurred mainly in Boxers (35%) and the predominantly affected age-group was 5-year-old or older (92.3%). The course of clinical signs in dogs with brain neoplasms was 7-115 days and that of spinal cord tumors was 7-420 days. The most frequently observed neurological signs in dogs with brain and spinal cord neoplasms were respectively changes in the conscience levels (58%), which were characterized by somnolence, and spinal hyperesthesia (57%). The cortico-thalamic region and the T3-L3 spinal cord segment were the most frequently anatomical sites involved (58% and 43%, respectively). Ten out 12 neoplasms affecting the brain were primary (83.3%) whereas only four of those 14 neoplasms affecting the spinal cord were primary (28.6%). Meningioma was the most frequent m primary neoplasms affecting the brain and spinal cord of dogs, consisting respectively of 40% e 75% of the cases.

Doenças neurológicas em cães atendidos no Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS: 1.184 casos (2006-2013)

A retrospective study including dogs with neurological disease was conducted at the Service of Neurology (SN) of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) from 2006 to 2013, with the objective to identify and characterize age, breed, sex and to neurological diseases, and classify them accordingly to the anatomical region and DINAMIT-V acronym. There were evaluated 1,277 neurological records of dogs and obtained the information for inclusion in the study in 1,184 of them being the diagnosis confirmed in 525 (44.4%) and presumptive in 659 dogs (55.6%). The most common breed was Dachshund (28.7%), followed by mixed breed. The most affected sites were the spinal cord between T3-L3 (40.9%) and thalamus-cortex (17.5%). Most dogs were diagnosed with degenerative disorders (49%), being intervertebral disk disease the most observed, followed by inflammatory/infectious diseases (16.6%). It can be concluded that the higher prevalence of neurological disorders in dogs involve the spinal cord and thalamus-cortex, with the most frequent being degenerative and the data obtained may assist future studies associated with frequency and distribution of the main neurological diseases in dogs.

Recuperação funcional em cães com doença do disco intervertebral toracolombar sem percepção à dor profunda: 37 casos (2002-2010)

The aim of this study was to evaluate functional recovery in 37 cases with diagnostic of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease in dogs without deep pain perception (more than 48 hours) and did not underwent surgical treatment from 2002 to 2010. The following data were obtained: Breed, age, sex, neuroanatomic localization, loss of deep pain perception, duration of clinical signs, functional recovery, deep pain recovery, recurrence and euthanasia or death. A satisfactory functional recovery was observed in 11 dogs (55%), mostly between 30-60 days after the beginning of the clinics signal (six dogs). Two of 11 dogs with satisfactory functional recovery did not recovered deep pain perception. The results showed that dogs with presumptive diagnoses of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease with more than 48 hours and that did not underwent surgical treatment are capable of a functional satisfactory recovery and should be waited 30 days after clinical signs begin to establish a prognosis on the recovery of voluntaries movements.

Doença do disco intervertebral cervical em cães: 28 casos (2003-2008)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical records of dogs with cervical intervertebral disk disease (IDD), submitted to surgical treatment at the Hospital Veterinario Universitario of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (HVU-UFSM), between January 2003 and October 2008. The animal data included breed, sex, age, neurological signs and their durations, response to surgical treatment, complications, time for functional recovery after surgery, and recurrence. All dogs showed cervical hyperaesthesia confirmed by the neck movement test. Regarding the degree of neurological dysfunction, the following were verified: degree I (eight dogs, 28.5%), degree II (three dogs, 10.7%), degree III (five dogs, 17.8%), and degree V (twelve dogs, 42.8%). In relation to the duration of neurological signs prior to surgery, seven dogs (25%) showed neurological deficits for up to 15 days, fourteen dogs (50%) for 15 to 30 days and the other seven dogs (25%) showed signs of neurological deficiencies for more than 30 days. All dogs (n=21) showed satisfactory recovery and no recurrence. It can be concluded that most affected dogs are middle aged, males and condrodystrophic and noncondrodystrophic breeds including large-breed dogs and the main neurological sign is cervical hyperaesthesia. The surgical treatment promotes satisfactory functional recovery and no recurrence, the main complications intraoperative are venous plexus hemorrhage, bradycardia and hypotension and the duration of clinical signs prior to surgery do not interfere with the recovery time of the dogs.

Immediate physical therapy in dogs with rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament submitted to extracapsular surgical stabilization

The study evaluated the influence of immediate physical therapy on the functional recovery of hind limbs of dogs with experimental cranial cruciate ligament rupture which underwent surgical extracapsular stabilization as well as to verify its interference in joint stability. Eight dogs were randomly divided into two groups: GI (control) (n=4) and GII (physical therapy) (n=4). The dogs in GII underwent the following therapeutic treatments in the postoperative period: cryotherapy, passive joint movement, massage, passive straightening, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy (bath and aquatic mat) and therapeutic exercises. We performed evaluations of the thigh circumference, goniometry, X-ray, and knee stability (drawer test). Results did not demonstrate a significant difference between the groups nor between different post-operative times. Regarding gait analysis, we found that the 4 dogs in GI remained in degree 3 of lameness 45 and 90 days postoperatively. However, in GII, one dog remained in degree 3 45 and 90 days after surgery; one dog changed from degree 3 to 4 90 days after surgery and the other 2 dogs changed from degree 3 to 5 90 days after surgery. It is possible to conclude that dogs with CCL rupture that undergo immediate physical therapy demonstrate better results in regards to functional gait recovery. The therapeutic modalities used in the immediate post-operative period did not cause instability of the operated knee. Further studies are needed with a larger number of dogs to indicate the immediate physical therapy in dogs with CCL ligament rupture which underwent extracapsular stabilization.

A musculatura epaxial e a fibrose epidural na compressão medular em cães submetidos à laminectomia dorsal modificada

The purpose of this study was to isolate the adjacent epaxial musculature from exposed spinal cord by modified dorsal laminectomy in dogs with aluminum implant and to verify whether the muscles contribute to form epidural fibrosis, spinal cord compression, and development of neurological signs. Ten dogs were submitted to modified dorsal laminectomy between T13 and L1 and then distributed along two groups. Dogs in the group 1 remained with the spinal cord exposed without the implant; dogs in the group 2 had an aluminum implant inserted between the epaxial muscles and the exposed spinal cord. Neurological examination was daily performed until 180 days post surgery. Additionally, myelography at 15, 30, and 60 days post surgery and macroscopic evaluation of the implant at six months post surgery were done. There was no difference between groups in the neurological examination. A statistical difference in the degree of spinal compression was observed at day 15 post surgery in the group 2. In this group, the epaxial musculature adjacent to the spinal cord was not in contact with the epidural fibrosis, differently to what was observed in the control group. The implant was removed easily with some degree of deformity. The results showed that the adjacent musculature of the spinal cord submitted to a modified dorsal laminectomy in dogs can be isolated by aluminum implant, without any contact with epidural fibrosis or influence in the development of neurological signs.

Subluxação atlantoaxial em 14 cães (2003-2008)

A retrospective study on atlantoaxial subluxation in dogs was done by reviewing the cases filed from 2003 to 2008 in the neurological records of the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The following data were identified: Breed, sex, age, etiology, clinical signs, duration of clinical course, assessment of the therapy employed and its efficacy, response to treatment and relapse. Fourteen dogs were diagnosed as affected by atlantoaxial subluxation and the condition was more frequent in dogs under twenty-four month old years and of toy breeds, such as Poodle (35.7%), Pinscher (21.4%) and Yorkshire terrier (21.4%). The main cause found for the instability was agenesis of the odontoid process. Clinical signs ranged from cranial cervical pain to non-ambulatory tetraparesis. The predominant treatment employed was surgical which demonstrated to be efficacious in 90% of the cases with minor risks of relapse when compared with clinical treatment. The predominant time of recovery was 30-60 days after surgery. No correlation was found between the duration of clinical signs before surgery and the time of recovery.