Discospondylitis is a recognized spinal condition in dogs; however, the distribution of its infectious causes and the reliability of diagnostic tools are not yet clearly defined. Over a 5-year span, medical files revealed 117 canine cases diagnosed with discospondylitis at our institution. Among these, 32 were identified incidentally on imaging, and 24 of those also exhibited concurrent neoplastic disease. From the remaining 85 dogs in which blood and urine cultures, Brucella serology, and galactomannan antigen testing were advised, a causative pathogen was confirmed in 45 cases. Brucella canis was identified in 10 dogs, while another 10 showed probable fungal infections. Serologic screening for Brucella suis yielded negative results in all 35 animals tested. Positive blood cultures were obtained in 28 out of 71 dogs (39%), and urine cultures in 12 out of 79 (15%). Bacterial growth was found at the lesion site in 4 of 8 dogs undergoing surgery and in 1 of 5 dogs that had image-guided sampling. Vertebral subluxations caused by discospondylitis were stabilized surgically in four cases. Comparable proportions of favorable outcomes at final evaluation were recorded among dogs with fungal, bacterial, or Brucella-associated disease and those diagnosed solely by imaging, although a few continued antimicrobial therapy or displayed relapsing signs. These findings emphasize the diagnostic usefulness of blood culture and reveal a relatively notable occurrence of Brucella spp. and fungal infections in discospondylitis.
