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Periódicos Brasileiros em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia

Hérnia de disco tipo III em um cão

Nerone, Matheus CézarDiamante, Gabriel Antonio Covino

Background: Acute and non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion, also called type III disc herniation, usually results from extreme exercises or traumatic episodes and is characterized by an acute extrusion without a compression of the spinal cord. Extrusion reaches the spinal cord at high speed, causing bruising in its parenchyma, and dissipates through the epidural space without causing compression. This report aims to describe the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of a canine patient possibly affected by acute non-compressive extrusion of the intervertebral disc, as well as the evolution of the case with the proposed therapy.Case: A 7-year-old male Dachshund, weighing 9.4 kg, was presented with an acute loss of hind limb locomotion. At the neurological examination, paraplegia of acute onset with absence of deep pain, increased muscle tone, and increased patellar and withdrawal reflexes in hind limbs was found, as well as pain on epaxial palpation of the thoracolumbar spine. The perineal reflex was preserved, and the cutaneous trunci reflex was absent until the level of the second lumbar vertebra (L2). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an uncompressed heterogeneous hyper intense area in the thoracolumbar spinal cord on the intervertebral disc (IVD) between T13-L1. Based on the imaging findings, a presumptive diagnosis of an acute non-compressive disc extrusion was assumed, thus discarding the need for surgical decompression. The patient was hospitalized, initially being treated with dexamethasone, tramadol and dipyrone. After 24 hours of hospitalization, the dog recovered deep pain in the pelvic limbs and control over urination. The dog was then discharged from hospital and was prescribed prednisolone and absolute rest. After 25 days of clinical onset, there was a significant improvement in the patient neurological status, presenting only an ataxia of the pelvic limbs.[...](AU)

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