Surgical treatment of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis in dogs.

Abstract

To study the epidemiology, clinical findings, and long-term outcome of surgical treatment of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS) in dogs. Retrospective study. 131 client-owned dogs with DLSS. The medical records of dogs with DLSS treated by dorsal laminectomy and dorsal fenestration were reviewed. The clinical diagnosis had been verified by diskography, epidurography or myelography, or a combination thereof. The German shepherd breed was over-represented (56.5%), and males were more often affected than females (2:1). Historically, reluctance or pain when jumping, rising from a prone position, or climbing stairs (92.4%) and signs of pain or stiffness during extensive physical activity (85.5%) were the most frequent concerns. The most common physical and neurologic examination findings were pain in the lumbosacral area during hyperextension (97.7%) and on direct digital palpation (84.7%). A total of 93.2% of the dogs were improved clinically within the follow-up period (mean 26 +/- 17 months). Recurrence of clinical signs resembling DLSS was reported by the owner or diagnosed by clinical examination in 17.6% of the dogs with a mean onset of signs at 18 +/- 13 months postoperatively. Surgical treatment of DLSS with dorsal laminectomy and fenestration generally resulted in good to excellent clinical outcome.