Un caso di sublussazione vertebrale in una capra: considerazioni cliniche e terapeutiche

Spinal surgery is a common procedure in companion animals where dislocations, subluxations or vertebral fractures account for the most frequent spinal cord injuries related to car accident. The decision for surgery and the surgical approach will depend upon the disease process and location, and the stability of the spine. Small ruminants are a valid animal model for biomechanical and neurophysiological studies in human medicine, but, to our knowledge, a spinal surgical repair is a rare approach in livestock animals when affected by acquired vertebral injuries. The case reported here describes clinical and therapeutic considerations in a goat referred for thoraco-lumbar vertebral subluxation. After surgical stabilization neurologic improvement was fast and the complete recovery occurred in 3 weeks. The major problems where a metabolic derangement, probably related to the opioids used for the post-operative analgesia, and a sort of abdominal hernia that was asymptomatic and limited to an area of the right flank