The presence, morphology and clinical significance of vertebral body malformations in an Australian population of French Bulldogs and Pugs

Abstract

Objective To describe the incidence, morphology and clinical significance of congenital vertebral malformations (CVM) in two breeds of brachycephalic dogs presenting to a referral veterinary hospital.Design Prospective cohort study series.Materials and methods Forty-nine French Bulldogs and Pugs were prospectively evaluated and placed in one of two groups based on whether or not they presented for neurological signs referable to spinal cord disease. A computed tomography (CT) of their entire spine was obtained and the presence and classification of CVM along with the degree of spinal kyphosis recorded for all dogs. Statistical analysis was performed to identify clinical associations between these factors (P < 0.05).Results CVM were prevalent across both breeds with the French Bulldog having more malformations than the Pug (Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance, P < 0.0001). Breed associated vertebral malformation subtypes included butterfly subtype in French Bulldogs (Chi-square, P = 0.0002), and transitional subtype in Pugs (odds ratio, 22.7; P = 0.000). A new subtype, dorsal wedge, was observed in 12 cases. The presence, number and subtype of vertebral malformation were not reliable for predicting the development of neurological signs across both breeds (Chisquare, P > 0.05). However, spinal kyphosis >35 calculated via Cobb angle was associated with Pugs that had neurological deficits (Chi-square, P = 0.028).Conclusions Congenital vertebral malformations largely appear to be incidental findings in this population of French Bulldogs but are of more significance in the Pug breed when spinal kyphosis is >35 . French Bulldogs that have spinal cord disease and CVM are more likely to have pathology distant to CVM with intervertebral disc herniation most common.

Lumbosacral endplate contour defect is frequently observed concurrent with other lumbosacral abnormalities on spinal CT of French Bulldogs

“…In a previous study, the presence of lumbosacral malformation was not associated with neurological signs 13 . In two studies, vertebral malformations in FB are found in clinically unaffected dogs but their populations were younger 8,11 . Nevertheless, inherent to the retrospective aspect of our study, clinical signs related to their lumbosacral endplate contour defect finding could have remained unnoticed.…”

“…Vertebral abnormalities are frequently seen in spinal imaging studies of French Bulldogs (FB), mostly involving thoracic vertebrae 1–11 . Lumbosacral CT abnormalities were recently described in this breed (as well as in other brachycephalic breeds) mostly including congenital malformations such as hemivertebrae, block vertebrae, transitional vertebrae, and spina bifida with a high prevalence of 51% 12,13 .…”

Breed-Specific Skull Morphology Reveals Insights into Canine Optic Chiasm Positioning and Orbital Structure through 3D CT Scan Analysis

“…However, short-nosed breeds are predisposed to various health issues, including short-head obstructive airway syndrome, dental problems, skin conditions, spinal malformations, brain damage, and otitis media. Additionally, they are susceptible to eye diseases such as exposure keratitis, large eyelid fissures, and eyelid entropion [51][52][53][54][55][56][57].…”