Diagnostics and Treatment

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diagnosing and treating neurological issue in dog

At Southeast Veterinary Neurology (SEVN), our veterinary neurologists use the most advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment to treat our patients' neurological conditions. First, we conduct an in-depth account of each pet’s problem and perform a full examination. This includes a neurological examination where we evaluate the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. While physical and neurological exams can answer some questions, a definitive diagnosis depends on what our diagnostic tools reveal.

Diagnostics

Most of the conditions we evaluate require advanced imaging to accurately diagnose our patients. Our state-of-the-art equipment includes the most powerful MRI machines for animals, a multi-slice CT scanner, an ultrasonic aspirator for brain tumor removal, and tools to evaluate hearing and check for muscle and nerve disease.

Some of our diagnostic services include:

  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
  • CT (computed tomography or CAT scan)
  • Spinal Radiography (X-rays)
  • CSF Analysis (cerebrospinal fluid analysis)
  • EMG (electromyography)
  • Nerve Conduction Studies
  • BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) Hearing Test
Gracie-mri
dog at physical therapy session

Treatment

Neurological conditions can look scary. But even symptoms that look dramatic can improve with proper treatment. Once a diagnosis is reached, we can recommend the most appropriate treatment approach for your pet’s condition.

Neurological treatment options include:

While some conditions and pets are best treated conservatively, other cases will need surgery. We use a Carl Zeiss neurosurgical operating microscope and/or surgical loupes for all neurosurgical procedures. This equipment provides better visualization and magnification compared to the naked eye. We have completed thousands of neurosurgical procedures with a success rate of over 95%.

Some of the neurosurgical procedures we perform include:

  • Spinal Surgery
    • Intervertebral Disc Surgery
    • Stabilizations (atlantoaxial, lumbosacral, fracture)
    • Cyst Resection
    • Tumor Removal
  • Brain Surgery
    • Tumor Removal and Biopsy
    • Foramen Magnum Decompression
    • VP Shunt Placement
  • Nerve and Muscle Biopsy
neurosurgical procedure