Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid in dogs with traumatic posterior paralysis

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected from the cisterna magna of 18 dogs with traumatic posterior paralysis, which were presented to the College Hospital. Colour, clarity, specific gravity, cell type, cell count and total protein were estimated. All dogs had spinal lesions in the caudal thoracic and lumbar regions. Colour and clarity was normal for all the samples collected and the cell type found was mostly mononuclear. The mean specific gravity was 1.004±0.001, the mean cell count was 2.83±0.29 and the total protein content was 17.91±0.41. All these values fell within the normal range. The findings of the study indicate that cerebrospinal fluid collected from the cisterna may not have any characteristic change when the site of spinal injury is in the thoracolumbar region.