01/08/2025
⚕️NEUROSURGERY CASE HIGHLIGHT🩻
Suzy the mini-Dachshund was presented to our emergency department, after her recently diagnosed back pain suddenly worsened within hours. She was in pain and paralyzed on arrival, and was swiftly transferred to our neurology service, under the care of Dr. Natalie Villani, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology).
Her neurologic exam revealed a strong suspicion for an acute intervertebral disc herniation in her spine, likely due to underlying intervertebral disc disease- also known as IVDD. When an intervertebral disc herniates, the disc material can injure and compress the spinal cord, which can cause a variety of neurologic signs that range from mild to severe.
In Suzy’s case, an urgent spinal CT scan with contrast was performed immediately which gave our neurology team a confirmed diagnosis of an intervertebral disc herniation, at the disc space between her T13-L1 vertebrae. She was taken to surgery where emergency spinal decompression was successfully performed by Dr. Villani; she was then transferred overnight to our ICU for close monitoring by our talented ECC team and then discharged to her humans the following afternoon! She recently returned for her final post-operative recheck, and we are happy to report that Suzy is on the mend and walking more confidently every day.
For advanced neurologic imaging, every case is unique with different needs. Due to Suzy’s age, breed, presentation, and prior medical history, she was deemed an appropriate candidate for a pre-operative CT scan to determine the cause of her back pain and inability to walk. Not every pet meets this criteria, and many patients require an MRI scan for the highest quality imaging of the nervous system to diagnose their condition.
As we prepare for the upcoming arrival of Nova Scotia’s first veterinary MRI machine, make sure you’re following along on our social media for all the latest updates!
As for sweet Suzy, we are so proud of the dedicated care provided by her humans during her post-operative period. We will continue to cheer her, and her recovery on! 🩵🐾