[Results of surgical treatment in disorders of the thoracolumbar disks in dogs].

The clinical records of 90 dogs with thoracolumbar disc disease treated by fenestration or decompressive surgery on Surgical Department of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno between September 1992 and March 1994 were reviewed. The breed, age and sex predisposition, rate of disc protrusion or extrusion and number of multiple disc extrusions were recorded. The frequency of disc protrusion/extrusion at each intervertebral space in thoracolumbar region of spine was also observed. Dogs were grouped by clinical signs of disease in four groups. Recovery rates depending on the pre-operative neurological grade of spinal injury and duration of clinical signs were compared. Patients were observed at least 6 months after surgery and the results of therapy were classified as good (complete recovery of motor and urinary function), fair (some remaining dysfunction, either motor or urinary, but animal retained independent function and usefulness) and poor (not enough improvement to be returned to the owner as an independent animal). Eight breeds and mixed-breed dogs were represented in the 90 cases of thoracolumbar disc disease. Shorthaired Dachshunds predominated (58.9%). The age range of dogs was 3-12 years; 52% were males and 48% females. Incidence of disc protrusion was 13.3% and disc extrusion 86.6% of the cases, with the frequency 3.3% of multiple disc extrusions. The most common site of lesion was the T12-T13 interspace. Twelve dogs in group II were treated by fenestration with good results of therapy in all cases. There was no recurrence of clinical signs during period of observation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)