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Neurology

Panel: Diagnosis and Management of Canine Tethered Cord Syndrome

Saturday, June 21, 2025
9:10 AM – 11:20 AM ET
Pending CE: 2.0 Medical
Capturing for On Demand Livestream
Disclosure(s):
Elizabeth Parsley: No financial relationships to disclose
Abby McElroy, DVM, MS: No financial relationships to disclose
Rachel Lampe, BVetMed, MS, DACVIM: No financial relationships to disclose
Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is characterized by clinical signs caused by excessive tension on the spinal cord. This tension can result from a number of conditions including caudodorsal displacement of the filum terminale or an inelastic filum terminale. Common clinical signs include lower back pain, gait abnormalities primarily affecting the pelvic limbs, and urinary incontinence. TCS remains a diagnostic challenge in veterinary medicine and is likely under-recognized in our field. This presentation will review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of TCS, in both humans and veterinary species. Additionally, clinical cases will be presented to highlight the wide variety of clinical presentations, surgical findings, and long term outcome of these patients.

Learning Objectives:

  • 1. This lecture will provide the attendee a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of TCS and clinical signs seen in both veterinary species and humans.
  • 2. This lecture will provide the attendee the tools to recognize and diagnose tethered cord syndrome in dogs.
  • 3. This lecture will describe two surgical techniques deployed in veterinary and human medicine.