Tonight’s episode deals with a very common disease area in dogs and cats: the spine and spinal cord.  Most pet owners would likely be astounded by the frequency with which I see injuries and disease of the spine, a frequency which approaches 3-5 newly diagnosed cases per week.  Whether we are dealing with simple muscle strains, intervertebral disc injuries, autoimmune disease, infection, vascular accidents, or degenerative spinal disease, the bottom line is this: disease of this region is common, and recognizing it as soon as possible to get treatment on board ASAP is the most effective way to deal with it. As always, listeners are invited to post comments and questions to be addressed by Dr. Roger on the air by e-mailing them to comments@web-dvm.net