“Quasi is able to walk and run, just like other dogs, he just does it in his own way,” a recent post on his Facebook page said. Though it renders Quasimodo unable to move his neck and gives him a distinctive gait, it doesn’t cause any pain. The condition can’t be fixed with surgery. His back slopes down and his tail is a stump. Quasimodo is one of only 14 dogs in the world diagnosed with short spine syndrome, a condition in which the spine is compressed and shortened, according to a Facebook post. The dog’s caretakers established a Facebook page - Quasi the Great - that attracted nearly 70,000 likes in its first week, and he’s been featured by major media outlets such as CNN and Esquire. Since his arrival at Secondhand Hounds in Eden Prairie last month, 4-year-old Quasi is becoming a Facebook favorite and a media darling. The purebred German shepherd has an extraordinarily rare deformity that leaves him with undersized hindquarters, accentuating his burly neck and shoulders and giving the impression of a hunched back. For young puppies and kittens, trimethoprim sulfa (15–30 mg/kg, PO, twice daily) may be effective, or for older animals a combination of enrofloxacin (in dogs only: 5 mg/kg, PO, twice daily) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (11–13.75 mg/kg, PO, twice daily).Quasimodo has a short spine, but a growing following. Any empiric antibiotic chosen should penetrate the blood-brain barrier, with a preference for bacteriocidal drugs. The type of antibiotic should be based on culture and sensitivity when possible, although CSF cultures often fail to yield positive cultures even in the presence of bacteria. Treatment consists of surgical excision of the sinus to the level of the dura, and in dogs with bacterial meningitis, longterm antibiotics (minimum 3-month duration) as well.
SHORT SPINE SYNDROME DOG SKIN
The sinus is lined by skin and may communicate with the subarachnoid space, causing possible meningitis or myelitis. Pilonidal sinus (dermoid sinus, dermoid cyst) is another consequence of faulty neural tubulation that appears to be inherited (autosomal recessive) in Rhodesian Ridgebacks but also may occur in other breeds. Similar malformations have been seen in other breeds of dogs and in calves, foals, and lambs. There is no treatment, but neurologic deficits usually do not progress. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs and imaging techniques such as myelography or MRI. There may be scoliosis or abnormal hair streams on the dorsal aspect of the neck. There is a bilateral flexor reflex pinching one paw elicits flexion of both pelvic limbs. Neurologic deficits are evident by 4–6 weeks of age and include paraparesis and a symmetric “bunny-hopping” gait in the pelvic limbs. Spinal dysraphism is inherited in Weimaraners. A mutation in the FVT1 gene is suspected. Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of Brown Swiss calves. Where vertebral malformations occur, the condition is generally referred to as spina bifida Small Animals Also see Diseases of the Spinal Column and Cord. Generally, this term is used for neural tissues rather than the vertebrae. Spinal dysraphism or myelodysplasia includes anomalies of the skin, vertebrae, and spinal cord that are secondary to faulty closure of the neural tube. Loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord is the most striking feature on necropsy. The severe, generalized LMN disease in spinal muscular atrophy closely resembles the signs of a peripheral neuropathy. Paraparesis or tetraparesis with neurogenic muscle atrophy are the main clinical features. LMN disease also is seen in puppies of other breeds, including Doberman Pinschers and Briquet Griffon Vendéens a focal form involving the thoracic limb(s) is seen in German Shepherds. Swedish Lapland puppies are affected at 5–7 weeks of age, Stockard paralysis (seen in Great Danes crossed with Bloodhounds or Saint Bernards) has an onset at 11–14 weeks, and English Pointers are affected when ~5 months old.
Rottweilers can also develop an early form of spinal muscular atrophy that is referred to as a motor neuron disease. Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited lower motor neuron (LMN) disorder in Brittany Spaniels that can have an early (by 1 month), intermediate (by 4–6 months), or delayed (>1 year old) onset.
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