Gastrointestinal complications occur in dogs with intervertebral disk herniation undergoing ventral slot decompression but are mostly self-limiting.

GI complications after ventral slot decompression are common but self-limiting; monitor younger dogs and those receiving perioperative steroids.

This retrospective study examined gastrointestinal complications in 126 dogs undergoing ventral slot decompression for cervical intervertebral disk herniation between 2016-2022. Gastrointestinal signs occurred in 23% of dogs (29/126), with diarrhea and regurgitation being most common (48% each), followed by hematochezia (17%), melena (14%), and vomiting (10%). Notably, 85% of affected dogs experienced resolution within 1-2 days, demonstrating self-limiting nature of complications. Logistic regression analysis identified younger age as a significant predictor of any GI signs, regurgitation, and diarrhea, with younger dogs showing increased odds. Perioperative corticosteroid administration was significantly associated with regurgitation (OR 6.18). No other variables examined were statistically significant predictors. Importantly, hospitalization duration was not significantly different between dogs with and without GI complications. These findings suggest that while GI complications are relatively common post-operatively, they rarely require extended hospitalization and typically resolve without intervention. Understanding risk factors, particularly age and steroid use, may facilitate better perioperative management and client counseling regarding expected postoperative recovery in this patient population.

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