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A case of discospondylitis in a dog secondary to Bordetellaspecies, diagnosed early with the assistance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is reported. The history and clinical signs were suggestive of possible discospondylitis. MRI identified changes and allowed a presumptive diagnosis of discospondylitis, which was subsequently confirmed by bacterial culture of biopsy material. Discospondylitis associated with Bordetellaspecies infection has not, to the authors' knowledge, been previously reported in the dog.

Three cases of discospondylitis in the dog, caused respectively by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalisand Staphylococcus epidermidis,are reported. These bacteria have not previously been documented as being the cause of the condition in this species. The neurological involvement was severe in all three cases. Two dogs were paraplegic and one was tetraplegia and one of the paraplegic dogs had no deep pain on the extremities of both pelvic limbs. All dogs were treated surgically with a satisfactory neurological recovery.