Inappetent beagle screaming with neck pain… where do you start and what’s top of your differential list?

In this Free Veterinary CPD Podcast neurologist Dr Carrie Jurney talks through her approach to a case like this with Dr. Andy Roark(Cone of Shame Podcast).  Her top two differentials are slipped disc and Steroid Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis (SRMA). Fever or signs of polyarthritis move SRMA more likely. Is an MRI always essential in these cases?

What if owners cannot afford referral? How do cases of disc disease presenting as neck pain respond to conservative management? 

Without a convincing diagnosis of SRMA, using prednisolone at the first instance can make results of future spinal taps difficult to interpret. We hear what drug combinations Dr Carrie Jurney considers using at initial presentation and how these differ further down the diagnostic path. 

Finally Dr Jurney talks in detail about how she carries out a thorough examination of the neck including a handy tip on checking for brachial plexus related pain.

Related Podcasts:

• Chihuahua with Paraplegia (Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcasts)
• Seizures: Medication Breakthrough (Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcasts)
• Vestibular Disease (Clinician’s Brief)