Surgical removal of a microchip from a puppy's spinal canal

• Published in: Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 63 - 65
• Main Authors: Smith, T.J, Fitzpatrick, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 2009
• Subjects: animal identification; Animal Identification Systems - instrumentation; Animal Identification Systems - veterinary; Animals; case studies; cervical spine; complications; Diagnosis, Differential; disease course; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - etiology; Dog Diseases - surgery; Dogs; Electronics; foreign bodies; Foreign Bodies - complications; Foreign Bodies - veterinary; Foreign-Body Migration - surgery; Foreign-Body Migration - veterinary; injectable transponders; laminectomy; lesions (animal); Male; microchip; neuropathy; paralysis; postoperative complications; puppies; signs and symptoms (animals and humans); spinal cord; Spinal Cord Injuries - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Injuries - etiology; Spinal Cord Injuries - surgery; Spinal Cord Injuries - veterinary; surgery; torticollis; Treatment Outcome
• DOI: 10.3415/vcot-08-01-0002
• ISSN: 0932-0814

A 1.6 kg, six-week-old Tibetan Terrier was admitted with a 12-hours history of acute onset of progressive tetraparesis following insertion of a microchip to the dorsal cervical region. Neurological examination indicated a lesion to the Ce(1) to Ce(5) spinal cord segments. Radiographic examination confirmed the intra-spinal location of a microchip foreign body at the level of the second cervical vertebra. Microchip removal was achieved following dorsal hemi-laminectomy; significant intra-operative haemorrhage was encountered. The puppy was ambulatory at day seven. Follow-up telephone interview 18 months postoperatively confirmed that the patient had made a good recovery although it had a mild residual right- sided torticollis.