C-reactive protein in dogs with suspected bacterial diskospondylitis: 16 cases (2010–2019)

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein used in the diagnosis of several canine inflammatory conditions which cause its increase.

Diskospondylitis is defined as an infection of the intervertebral disc and the adjacent endplates of the vertebral bodies. Most of the times, it has a bacterial etiology and can take a long time to be treated.

The main goal of this study was to access whether CRP is elevated in canine diskospondylitis, through the analysis of retrospective cases. Other aims were to compare the proportion of cases with elevated CRP with other clinical signs or pathological findings, assess if any of these were consistently present in all cases, and finally evaluate CRP levels after antibiotic treatment.

Sixteen dogs were included in the complete study, showing diagnostic imaging findings compatible with diskospondylitis on CT or MRI and CRP measurement at the time of diagnosis. All dogs had back pain, but other clinical signs clinical signs varied (pyrexia, lethargy, ambulatory paresis, lameness, weight loss, GI signs, dysuria and pollakiuria). Serum CRP was increased in 14 of 16 dogs (mean value 100.7mg/l; reference range 0-10mg/l). Other parameters were also analyzed in some of the dogs.

Elevated CRP seems to be a more consistent abnormality when compared to other clinical criteria. It may be present when the only clinical sign is back pain. Its serum levels are elevated in most cases of diskospondylitis, but a normal value cannot exclude the presence of the disease.

There was evidence that CRP was lower after improvement in clinical signs in dogs receiving antibiotics. This suggests a good option for monitoring treatment, which is already documented in human medicine. Further research on the diagnostic utility of CRP is recommended.

Ney G., Liebel F. and Harcourt-Brown T. (2020) C-reactive protein in dogs with suspected bacterial diskospondylitis: 16 cases (2010–2019). Veterinary Record Open, 7:e000386 https://doi.org/10.1136/vetreco-2019-000386