Surgical treatment and successful long‐term outcome in a dog with primary haematomyelia

Abstract A 1‐year and 8‐month‐old male, entire Dachshund dog presented with a 5‐day history of left thoracic limb lameness and neck pain, which progressed to nonambulatory tetraparesis, lateralised to the left side. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical vertebral column revealed a focal intramedullary lesion at the level of the C5–C6 vertebrae, with imaging characteristics consistent with haemorrhage. Further testing did not reveal an underlying cause for this haemorrhage, and a diagnosis of primary haematomyelia was made. A C5–C6 dorsal laminectomy with durotomy and myelotomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord. The material removed during the surgery was sent for histopathologic examination and was consistent with a haematoma. The dog acquired Horner syndrome in the right eye following surgery, but recovered ambulation over 3 weeks. Reassessment 14 months after surgery revealed mild residual left hemiparesis and persistent right Horner syndrome, with no signs of apparent discomfort.