Atlantoaxial subluxation and scoliosis

[SampsonsMom]

Hello,
I am sorry if this has already been posted somewhere but I couldn't find anything referring to atlantoaxial subluxation. My two year old lab hound Sampson's mother was starved while he was in the womb. We adopted him when he was three months old and were told that he was just deformed but otherwise okay. He is now blind (but gets around amazingly, except when something is out of place), has atlantoaxial subluxation, scoliosis and lordosis. Sampson is the happiest most active dog I've ever met and he charges around like he doesn't have a care in the world. I love this so much about him, but the atlantoaxial subluxation can cause him to sever his spinal cord at his brain stem if he runs into something too hard. We have him in a neck brace now that he wears well, but he is scheduled for surgery to fuse and pin the vertebrae together next Wednesday May 22. I am really really nervous about this, he is my baby and I am just wondering if anyone else has had a dog go through this surgery or has had this condition? Any info would be greatly appreciated. The surgery is being done by a qualified neurologist out of town who did an MRI on him a few months ago, and my regular vet says this is Sampson's best bet at a normal lifespan. I just hope I am doing the right thing for him.

[CarolC]

I have only heard of this with small dogs. I don't blame you for being concerned. I imagine there is some chance that after the surgery your dog may need assistance for a while, such as help standing, and possibly even physical therapy, I think you should ask the vet about the likelihood of that. Physical therapy is wonderful, but it can run into money if the dog needs extensive or longterm rehab. If this is a fairly large dog, you would want to be prepared with a very good harness for assisting him, such as the Helpemup harness or the RuffWear Webmaster harness.

There is a doctor here who has invented a device for blind dogs so they don't run into things. It is experimental. It goes on the dog's head. I do not know if the weight of it would be a problem. You may be able to contact him through Youtube, or you can try contacting him here by sending a private message to his username drpedromancini.

http://www.youtube.com/user/blindpetassistance

The Littlest Angel Vest is another idea to help him not run into things.

http://angelvest.homestead.com/

I would suggest one more thing...? Sometimes when you see skeletal problems like that, there are also heart problems. I would recommend having his heart checked carefully before surgery.

[SampsonsMom]

Thank you for your reply
Sampson is a small lab/hound cross at 55lbs. One vet said he may have dwarfism when he was a puppy. That being said the neurologist did tell us that Sampson is much larger than the toy breeds he usually does this surgery on, but that it should be easier because of his size. Sampson's atlantoaxial subluxation (along with his other ailments) is congenital. We only discovered he had it last fall when he ran into a fence at a slow speed and could not walk for a few minutes after. Before he had his MRI done he was examined by a cardiologist and had a chest x-ray to make sure he was okay to go under anaesthetic. I will definitely ask about physio therapy, but would hope that when I specifically asked the neurologist what would be involved with Sampson's recovery that he would have mentioned this if it is a possibility. Thank you for the harness suggestions, we will be purchasing one of the Ruffwear Webmaster's for sure and could have used one a long time ago as Sampson needs help with stairs etc.

[Wubbysmom]

Hello ~

I came across this forum while searching this condition. My 13 year old Chihuahua was recently diagnosed. I’m just devastated. I’ve only had him for a little over 3 years and he has many physical challenges. Recently he was unable to use his front legs. I took him in to the Vet, they did an MRI and he was diagnosed with AA Subluxation. Due to his age his neurologist and physical therapist think medical management is the way to go. He is wearing a neck brace currently. We are meeting with a very experienced surgeon (who came highly recommended) tomorrow afternoon. I’m just curious how your dog did after the surgery. My little one is only 7.5 lbs. He had no incident where he fell or banged his head so I’m at a loss how this happened. I love him so much and thought I’d have him for a long time. Just feeling so devastated!

[critters]

Wubbysmom! I don't know whether the original poster is still around, but feel free to post to threads to try to find out!

[Wubbysmom]

Thank you so much. We are waiting to speak with surgeon now, so as soon as I find something out I’ll post. I’m so glad to find this group!!

[SampsonsMom]

Hi WubbysMom, just to be clear Sampson did not get this condition by running into anything, it is congenital. We were only made aware of it once that happened because he was paralyzed for a few minutes, so I rushed him to the emergency vet who then referred us to his neurologist.

Sampson did not end up getting his surgery. Long story short Sampson has a very good quality of life but is very rambunctious and the neurologist decided that he was not comfortable going ahead with the surgery, stating that the risk was too high due to other conditions he has such as slight hydrocephalus etc, and also because the likelihood of him smashing the pins out was also high. That was 5 years ago, Sampson is almost 8 years old now and doesn't wear his neck brace as often as he should, but he is a very happy and healthy dog. It really is truly amazing what these guys can overcome. He is also 100% blind and most people wouldn't even know when he is at home or at the beach or park where he knows his way around.

AA Subluxation is much more common in small dogs, and the surgery is an almost every day occurrence for the doctors who do it. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help with how things will go after surgery, but hopefully you will be able to find some more information on the internet or this forum. As long as you are seeing a great neurologist/surgeon and trust their abilities then everything should be fine. It is always good to research as much as you can about your pups condition beforehand. Wishing you lots of luck and a fast recovery for your pup!!

[Wubbysmom]

Hi SampsonsMom!

Your post is extremely helpful, so thank you!!

I had been telling the Vets for about a year now that something is wrong with his neck. Nobody really listened to me. Now here we are after him having this episode of not being able to use his front legs and FINALLY getting them to do an MRI and finding out exactly what he has.

I must admit your post just now gives me hope. We spoke with both his neurologist and a surgeon and both agree that medical management is a better way to go for my Robby. Robby is 13 years old and already handicapped (his knees are “backwards”). He’s never been overly active anyway, so wearing a neck brace isn’t too awful for him. I’m hopeful that if I can keep him from falling forward when he goes out to go potty that he will be okay for awhile. It’s just everything I’ve read about this is quite scary, so to hear that your Sampson has done well with medical management gives me hope.

The last couple days have been great. He’s beginning to walk again (slowly). I’m concerned it will affect his breathing. Do you notice anything with Sampson as far as breathing difficulties?

Thank you SO MUCH for replying to my post. I’m so thrilled to hear your Sampson is doing so well!!