Care of a miniature dachshund following hemilaminectomy surgery

DOI : 10.56496 / KFFY5458

Alexandra Howell , RVN , Grad DipVN , City & Guilds CertVNES

Royal Veterinary College

ENVELOPE alexhowell @ rvc . ac . uk

Alex works in the surgery ward department of the Royal Veterinary College , dealing with ophthalmology , orthopaedic soft tissue and neurological cases . As well as being an RVN , she has a certificate in nursing exotic species and has just sat her final exams for the graduate diploma in veterinary nursing .

ABSTRACT Patients recovering from spinal surgery can often require a lengthy nursing period , but the process can be extremely rewarding . Each spinal patient will present with different clinical signs , depending on the location of their spinal cord problem , and will therefore need a tailored nursing care plan . The recovery care of patients post hemilaminectomy surgery should include wound management , pain control and nutrition . Consideration should also be given to rehabilitation modalities , to ensure the patient can recover as close to normal function as possible . This patientcare review will evaluate the nursing of a 5-year-old miniature dachshund after hemilaminectomy surgery .

Keywords hemilaminectomy surgery , miniature dachshund , nursing care , intervertebral disc disease

Patient assessment

The patient ( Figure 1 ), a 5-year-old neutered male miniature dachshund weighing 7.2 kg , presented with an acute-onset paraparesis after playing in the garden . A neurological examination found paraparesis with delayed proprioception in the hindlimbs . The patient was deep pain ( DP ) positive and showed no other signs of pain during examination . The veterinary surgeon ( VS ) localised a T3 – L3 myelopathy as the most likely area of compression .

Figure 1 . The patient ( left ), a male miniature dachshund called Crumble , pictured with companion .

Veterinary investigations

The patient was admitted and an intravenous ( IV ) catheter placed in the cephalic vein of the right forelimb . Bloods were also obtained for a packed cell volume ( PCV ), total solids / protein ) ( TP ) and blood gas analysis . The blood results showed no abnormalities , so the patient was premedicated using acepromazine 0.02 mg / kg and methadone 0.2 mg / kg , and was induced using propofol 4 mg / kg IV . The patient had a computed tomography ( CT ) scan prior to surgery , which confirmed an intervertebral disc extrusion ( IVDE ) at

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