In cervical vertebral instability, there is compression of the spinal cord in the neck (cervical) region. There are seven vertebrae in the neck which surround and protect the spinal cord. Movement between these bones allows normal movement of the neck. With this condition, there are abnormalities in the structure of the vertebrae, of the ligaments that connect them, and/or of the disks between them. The reasons for these abnormalities are not clear; inheritance is a factor, and overfeeding in rapidly-growing large breed dogs is also thought to play a role.
|
|
The result is instability between adjacent vertebrae, narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal, and pressure on the spinal cord. The consequences of compression of the spinal cord in the neck region are weakness and incoordination in all 4 legs - hence the name "wobbler".
|
|
