The objective of the study was to present surgical outcomes of cervical disk disease diagnosed by myelography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Fifteen dogs in different breed, age, and sex with cervicalgia, and/or ambulatory or nonambulatory tetraparesis-tetraplegia, were subjected. Diagnosis carried out with myelography or MRI. Poodle was the most common breed (n=5) following Pekingese (n=4), mix breed (n=3), Dalmatian (n=1), Basset hound (n=1), English Bulldog (n=1). Mean age at presentation was 8,6 years (range 5-13). Five dogs were nonambulatory and the rest was ambulatory. Cervical disk disease was diagnosed by MRI and myelography in 8 and 7 dogs respectively. Diskectomy (n=4), ventral slotting (n=10), hemilaminectomy (n=1) were performed according to the lesion. More commonly affected intervertebral disks were C_2-3 (n=6), C_6-7 (n=3), C_5-6 (n=2), and C_3-4 (n=2). All dogs were improved neurologically with satisfaction except one dog which was requested for euthanasia at the fourth week of postoperative period.

It was concluded that diskectomy and/or slotting can be performed without stabilization in caudal cervical disk disease of small breeds. Regardless of cost, MRI can be preferred for detecting soft tissue disorders of spine.