VENTRAL SLOT DECOMPRESSION FOR CERVICAL INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DISEASE IN 112 DOGS

Medical records of 112 dogs that had undergone ventral slot decompress ion surgery for cervical degenerative intervertebral disc disease were reviewed. Data pertaining to signalment, pre-operative neurological s tatus, diagnostic testing, operative management, post-operative manage ment, and neurological status at discharge were collected. At the time of discharge, clinical resolution had occurred in 34/111 dogs (29.8%) and clinical improvement in a further 55/111 (49.5%) of dogs. However , 49.1% of dogs remained paretic or paralysed. Intensive care treatmen t longer than two days or hospitalisation of more than one week was re quired for 20% and 22.1% of dogs respectively. Pre-operative and post- operative neurologic status was poorer for the more caudal interverteb ral disc extrusions, Other factors appeared to have little direct infl uence on peri-operative outcome.