Dorsal laminar elevation as a treatment for cervical vertebral canal stenosis in the dog

A five-month-old Great Dane was presented with marked ataxia and paraparesis. Dynamic radiographic studies showed instability between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae and a myelogram revealed spinal cord compression at the sixth cervical vertebral foramen. Dorsal laminar elevation was used in conjunction with articular facet fusion to decompress the spinal cord and stabilise the affected vertebrae. There were no postoperative complications and the dog improved to normality before dying of an unrelated condition seven months after surgery.