necropsy_reka

Checklist of common diseases:

Other
* Mild cardiac valvular endocardiosis

REKA

Interpretation of necropsy results:

The most noteworthy findings on this examination are changes that are commonly seen with aging.  These include mild lumbar spondylosis  (arthritis bridging the bones of the spine) and degenerative joint disease (arthritis) in the right hip and the left knee.  There is no evidence of hip dysplasia, as the left hip is not affected.  Microscopically there was degeneration of the myelin sheath that covers the spinal cord in the lumbar area.  This was not German Shepherd Dog Degenerative Myelopathy, but rather was consistent with the type of myelopathy seen in aged animals.  This is more likely the cause of Reka’s inability to use her rear limbs than was the arthritis in her spine. 

Other changes that were not manifesting in disease included splenic capsular fibrosis and chronic, focal, mild hemosiderosis.  It is not uncommon to see some fibrosis, or deposition of less flexible/scar tissue, in the organs as pets age.  The hemosiderosis is deposits of pigment within the spleen, which are not clinically or functionally significant. Pulmonary multifocal interstitial ossification is some calcium/bony deposits within the lungs, which are also likely secondary to inhaled irritants or infections during Reka’s life.  This did not likely cause any compromise to her lung function.  Mild cardiac valvular endocardiosis is small bacterial deposits on the valves of the heart.  Often this can be related to a chronic source of bacterial infection such as dental disease and can lead to significant problems; however, in this case it did not seem to be causing any compromise to cardiac function.

There is no evidence of primary disease in digestive system, endocrine system, skin, liver/pancreas, or eyes.