Cervical Pain in Non-Chondrodystrophic Dogs: Associations with Clinical Onset, Neurological Group and Disease Category

The information available on cervical myelopathies (CMs) and cervical pain (CP) in non-chondrodystrophic breeds remains limited compared to chondrodystrophic breeds. The expression of CP in CMs may depend on lesion type, severity and onset of clinical signs. This retrospective single-centre study reviewed the medical records of 112 purebred non-chondrodystrophic dogs referred for neurological evaluation, in which C1-T2 lesions were subsequently confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Clinical onset was categorised as acute (≤7 days) or chronic (>7 days). Neurological grade was classified into four neurological groups (G1–G4). CP was graded using a study-specific, non-validated five-point ordinal clinical scale. Multifactorial analysis of variance (ANOVA), odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, and multivariable binomial logistic regression were performed. ANOVA showed significant effects of group (p < 0.0001), disease category (p < 0.05), and clinical onset (p < 0.02) on CP scores. Post-hoc comparison showed significantly lower CP scores in chronic onset than in acute onset (p < 0.0001). Acute onset was associated with CP in G2 (OR = 71.0; p < 0.0002) and remained associated with CP after adjustment for groups (adjusted OR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.28–15.28; p = 0.019). These findings suggest that clinical onset may contribute to CP expression in non-chondrodystrophic dogs with CMs. Acute onset, particularly in ambulatory myelopathic patients, appears more frequently associated with CP. However, due to the retrospective design, the heterogeneous diagnostic composition, and the study-specific nature of the CP score, these associations should be interpreted cautiously.