doctor| Studies | Randomisation of sequence generation | Allocation
concealment |
Blinding
participants and personnel |
Blinding of
outcome assessment |
Incomplete
outcome data |
Selective
reporting |
Other bias | Overall risk of bias |
| Adamo and Cherubini52 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, antibiotics prior diagnosis | 19—high risk of bias |
| Affenzeller et al.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character | 20—high risk of bias |
| Anderson and Binnigton48 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration of the study less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Auger et al.54 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3—no specific cause, retrospective character, antibiotics prior diagnosis | 19—high risk of bias |
| Berry and Leisewitz29 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—no homogeneity of the management of the cases, less than 6 months duration of the study, retrospective character | 20—high risk of bias |
| Bree et al.15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, infection cause not found | 20—high risk of bias |
| Brocal et al.42 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—duration of study less than 6 months, retrospective study | 20—high risk of bias |
| Canal et al.55 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Chen et al.47 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Cherubini et al.48 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 19—high risk of bias |
| Cook et al.18 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months, study does not focus on discospondylitis, treatment protocol changed due to financial reasons | 20—high risk of bias |
| Corrente et al.5S | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| De Freitas et al.27 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 16—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Denny et al.28 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Devecioglu et al.30 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Escauriaza et al.49 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Studies | Randomisation of sequence generation | Allocation
concealment |
Blinding
participants and personnel |
Blinding of
outcome assessment |
Incomplete
outcome data |
Selective
reporting |
Other bias | Overall risk of bias |
| Finnen et al.3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no homogeneity of the management of
the cases |
18—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Forbes et al.50 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 19—high risk of bias |
| Golini et al.44 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months, letter to the editor | 20—high risk of bias |
| Graham et al.41 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months, no homogeneity of the management of the cases | 20—high risk of bias |
| Hugnet et al.32 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| James et al.53 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, antibiotics prior diagnosis | 19—high risk of bias |
| Jeong et al.51 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Kawalilak et al.6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, conflict of interest, financial support | 20—high risk of bias |
| Kelly et al.5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months, financial support | 20—high risk of bias |
| Kerwin et al.36 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Kinzeletal.14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 18—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Kornegay and Barber19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Ku§gu et al.45 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—letter to the editor, duration of the study less than 6 months, retrospective character | 20—high risk of bias |
| Lobetti37 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 19—high risk of bias |
| MacFarlane and Iff3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months, letter to the editor | 20—high risk of bias |
| Studies | Randomisation of sequence generation | Allocation
concealment |
Blinding
participants and personnel |
Blinding of
outcome assessment |
Incomplete
outcome data |
Selective
reporting |
Other bias | Overall risk of bias |
| Manino et al.7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Manouetal.-1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 17—moderate/high risk of bias |
| McKee et al.15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Nye et al.35 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no homogeneity in the management of the cases | 20—high risk of bias |
| Pacurar et al.31 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |
| Pilkilngton et al.10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no homogeneity of the management of the cases | 20—high risk of bias |
| Polak et al.57 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Renwick et al.40 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 17—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Rizzo et al.18 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Royaux and Guilherme33 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 17—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Seo et al.43 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Shamir et al.34 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, included only dog with successful treatment | 17—moderate/high risk of bias |
| Siems et al.58 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no identification of agent | 20—high risk of bias |
| Trub et al.23 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no homogeneity of the management of the cases, financial support | 20—high risk of bias |
| Van Hoof et al.9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, no homogeneity of the management of the cases | 20—high risk of bias |
| Zanatta et al.39 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2—retrospective character | 19—high risk of bias |
| Zhang et al.33 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3—retrospective character, duration less than 6 months | 20—high risk of bias |