Background: Standard practice is to recommend a period of post-operative restricted activity and confinement following hemilaminectomy in dogs. Evidence supporting these recommendations is mixed. Hypothesis/
Objectives: Our aim was to correlate short-term continuously measured activity and neurologic outcome of non-ambulatory dogs following thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH). We hypothesized that neurologic recovery would be similar regardless of owner compliance regarding post-operative activity restrictions. Animals: Fifty client-owned dogs with modified Frankel scores (MFS) of 2 or 3 (non-ambulatory) at discharge following hemilaminectomy for treatment of thoracolumbar IVDH.
Methods: Informed consent was obtained for this prospective study. A WhistleTM activity monitor was affixed to each dog’s collar. Dogs were prescribed a standard 4 weeks of crate rest with 5-10 minutes of activity, 3-4 times per day for eliminations/physical therapy; otherwise, dogs were to be kept confined. Neurological recovery was evaluated after 4-6 weeks using MFS.
Results: Forty-one dogs (82%) were ambulatory (MFS 4) at final recheck (median 35.5 days, range 29-64). A median (range) of 0.73% (0.0-4.56%) minutes per dog were considered active or non-resting. Duration of activity was documented as < 5 minutes (52%), 5-10 minutes (40%), or >10 minutes (8%). The mean number of active intervals did not differ between dogs with post-operative MFS 2 versus 3 (P=0.258). Ambulatory dogs with mild deficits (MFS 4A) had more ≥5 minutes active sessions than MFS 4B (moderate deficits) dogs (P < 0.001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Owner compliance regarding activity restriction was excellent. Increased duration of activity was associated with improved MFS.
