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Animals
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Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs and Cats
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Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs and Cats

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 682

Editor

Prof. Dr. Luciano Espino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hospital Veterinario Universitario Rof Codina, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Interests: neurology; intervertebral disc disease; brain neoplasia; epilepsy; vertebral infections

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed spinal disorders in small animal neurology, particularly in chondrodystrophic dog breeds and, less commonly, aging cats. This condition involves degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, which can lead to disc herniation, spinal cord compression, and significant neurological deficits. Although diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have advanced considerably, many questions remain regarding the pathogenesis, progression, optimal treatment strategies, and long-term outcomes of IVDD.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together high-quality research and clinical studies that deepen the current understanding of IVDD in dogs and cats. In line with the mission of Animals to promote impactful, peer-reviewed veterinary research, this Issue welcomes submissions that explore the pathophysiology of disc degeneration, diagnostic approaches including advanced imaging techniques, outcomes of surgical and conservative treatments, biomarker development, pain management strategies, and post-treatment rehabilitation. We encourage the submission of original research articles, systematic reviews, case series, and retrospective or prospective clinical studies.

We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Luciano Espino
Guest Editor

Ivan Gómez Álvarez
Guest Editor Assistant
AniCura ImaVet Referencia Veterinaria, 15707 A Coruña, Spain
Email: ivan.gomez.alvarez@rai.usc.es

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • intervertebral disc disease
  • spinal cord injury
  • disc degeneration
  • diagnostic imaging
  • neurosurgery
  • neurorehabilitation
  • conservative therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 244 KB  
Article
Propofol Requirements for Induction of Anaesthesia in Dogs with Cervical or Thoracolumbar Myelopathy Due to Intervertebral Disc Disease
by Eirini Sarpekidou, Maria Koura, Kiriaki Pavlidou, Vasileios Zapridis, Ioannis Savvas, Zoe Polizopoulou and George Kazakos
Animals 2026, 16(13), 1992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16131992 (registering DOI) - 28 Jun 2026
Abstract
Background: The aim of the present retrospective observational study is to compare the required doses of propofol (PPF) for anaesthesia induction in dogs presented with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)-related thoracolumbar or cervical myelopathy. Methods: The anaesthetic records of dogs with either cervical- or [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of the present retrospective observational study is to compare the required doses of propofol (PPF) for anaesthesia induction in dogs presented with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)-related thoracolumbar or cervical myelopathy. Methods: The anaesthetic records of dogs with either cervical- or thoracolumbar-related myelopathy anaesthetised for diagnostic or surgical procedures from September 2021 to July 2023 were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were premedication with the same dose of dexmedetomidine (DEX) (180 μg m−2), and induction with PPF. The sedation score (SS), Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale-Short Form (GCMPS-SF) results and the total PPF dose required for intubation were collected. Data were analysed with the Shapiro–Wilk test, independent samples t-test and Spearman’s rho test. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fifty-five records were included in the study, 27 dogs with cervical and 28 with thoracolumbar myelopathy due to IVDD. Statistically significant higher doses of PPF were required in the dogs with cervical (mean 3.2 mg kg−1, ±SD 1.25 mg kg−1) than with thoracolumbar (mean 1.9 mg kg−1, ±SD 0.65 mg kg−1) myelopathy (t-test, p < 0.001). The SS in the dogs with cervical–cervicothoracic myelopathy (CCTM) (median 6, ±min 2 max 10) also differed from the SS of the dogs with thoracolumbar myelopathy (TLM) (median 7.5, min 2 max 12) (t-test, p = 0.02). Sedation score and the dose of PPF were significantly negatively correlated (Spearman’s rho −0.311, p = 0.021). Sedation score and GCMPS-SF were also significantly negatively correlated (Spearman’s rho −0.363, p = 0.007). However, no statistically significant negative correlation was found between PPF dose and GCMPS-SF score (Spearman’s rho = 0.248, p = 0.068). Conclusions: Our findings should be considered when planning anaesthetic protocols in patients suffering from IVVD-related myelopathy in order to optimize safety in these patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs and Cats)
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