LUMBOSACRAL TRANSITIONAL VERTEBRAE AS A PREDISPOSING CAUSE OF CAUDA-EQUINA SYNDROME IN GERMAN-SHEPHERD DOGS - 161 CASES (1987-1990)

The records of 161 German Shepherd Dogs were divided into groups depen ding on whether there was a radiographic diagnosis of degenerative dis k disease (DDD) involving the lumbosacral disk and lumbosacral transit ional vertebral segments (TVS) and whether the dogs had cauda equina s yndrome (CES). Statistical analysis of the data suggested an associati on between TVS and CES and an association between DDD and CES. Establi shment Of confidence intervals revealed the group without either DDD o r TVS indicators differed markedly from the other 3 groups of CES rela tive to the presence Of DDD and TVS. There was some overlap in the con fidence intervals, but the proportions of CES were higher when DDD and TVS were both evident. This suggests that the important clinical synd rome of CES is at least partially dependent on TVS, which is probably an inherited condition. Because German Shepherd Dogs have a higher fre quency of TVS than dogs of other breeds, this partially explains the h igher frequency Of CES in this breed. Because TVS are probably familia l, we suggest the presence of this lesion should be considered in sele ction of breeding stock. Although it is believed that DDD is partially dependent on the existence of TVS, it is known that DDD can develop i n the absence of TVS.