title: Cervical intervertebral disk herniation in chondrodystrophoid and nonchondrodystrophoid small-breed dogs: 187 cases (1993-2013).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify characteristics of chondrodystrophoid and nonchondrodystrophoid small-breed dogs with cervical intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  187 small-breed (≤ 15 kg [33 lb]) dogs that underwent surgery because of cervical IVDH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records were reviewed for information on breed, sex, age, weight, location of affected intervertebral disks, duration and severity of neurologic signs, and recovery time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  55 of the 187 (29.4%) dogs were Beagles. The most frequently affected intervertebral disk was C2-3 (81/253 [32.0%]), and this was the more frequently affected intervertebral disk in dogs of several chondrodystrophoid breeds, including Beagles (29/66 [43.9%]), Dachshunds (13/37 [35.1%]), Shih Tzus (16/41 [39.0%]), and Pekingese (3/10 [30.0%]). However, caudal disks (C5-6 or C6-7) were more frequently affected in Yorkshire Terriers (13/24 [54.2%]) and Chihuahuas (9/13 [69%]). Shih Tzus and Yorkshire Terriers were significantly older at the time of surgery (mean ± SD age, 9.6 ± 2.3 years and 9.5 ± 2.5 years, respectively) than were Pomeranians (6.2 ± 2.3 years), and Yorkshire Terriers had a significantly higher number of affected disks (2.0 ± 0.9) than did Dachshunds (1.1 ± 0.3). Mean recovery time was significantly longer in Yorkshire Terriers (36.7 ± 13.0 days) than in Beagles (16.5 ± 17.1 days), Shih Tzus (17.8 ± 14.5 days), or Chihuahuas (12.2 ± 7. 2 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggested that there may be breed-specific differences in the characteristics of cervical IVDH in small-breed dogs.
authors.forename: Takaharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hakozaki
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yogo
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors