Brooke (4y F Doberman Pinscher) came in to see Dr. Jull due to a recent onset of progressively worsening tetra-paresis. Due to their slim and elongated necks, it is not uncommon for a doberman pinscher to develop neck problems at some point in their life. Dr. Jull decided that the best course of action was to perform an MRI of Brooke's neck as soon as possible to determine the cause of her paralysis. The imaging study revealed exactly what we expected. A large disc herniation causing significant compression of the spinal cord at the level of C6-7 on the left side (highlighted by red arrows in the images below).
The degree of herniation combined with how affected Brooke was meant only one thing. Brooke needed to have surgery. Dr. Jull performed what is called a ventral slot surgery in which he approaches through the front of the neck, removes a small portion of the vertebrae, and carefully pulls out the disc material compressing her spinal cord.
Now after her recheck appointment it is great to see Brooke recovering well and showing her wonderful personality again. We even got a video from her mom showing us how excited she is to be feeling better!
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