Influence of duration of clinical signs on surgical treatment results of 16 dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of surgical treatment in 16 dogs, depending on the animal’s age, body weight, deep pain perception, and time from the onset of neurological symptoms to the consultation with a veterinary neurologist and successive surgery. Sixteen dogs diagnosed with cervical (n = 11) or thoracolumbar (n = 5) disc extrusions underwent spinal surgeries (eleven ventral slots and five hemilaminectomies). The success rate of surgical treatment was 64.3% in dogs with preserved nociception. No association between the animal’s age or body weight and the result of surgical treatment was found. A successful surgical outcome was more likely when the symptom-to-surgery time was shorter.