Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebellar degeneration causing ataxia in young Cirneco dell'Etna dog
By Dini, Fabrizio et al.·Published in Veterinary Record Case Reports·2024·School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine University of Camerino Camerino Italy, Italy·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Cerebellar cortical degeneration in ‘Cirneco dell'Etna’ dog: First case report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old male Cirneco dell'Etna puppy was brought to the vet because he was having trouble walking, showing signs of unsteady movements and short steps. Despite various tests, including blood work and imaging, the vet couldn't find a cause for his symptoms. Unfortunately, the puppy's condition worsened, and he was euthanized when he could no longer walk. A detailed examination of his brain revealed significant damage to specific brain cells, which explained his severe symptoms. This case highlights a rare condition affecting this breed.
People also search for: puppy walking problems · Cirneco dell'Etna cerebellar ataxia · dog euthanasia due to brain disease
Abstract
Abstract A 4‐month‐old, intact male, Cirneco dell'Etna dog was presented with clinical signs of cerebellar ataxia, hindlimb hypometry and short steps with rapid progression. No findings were obtained from blood examinations, magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations and the dog was euthanased when it was not able to walk. Histological examination and immunohistochemical staining of the cerebellum showed multifocal depletion of Purkinje cells, marked increase in cellularity (astrogliosis) and a moderate reduction of the cells of the granule layer and thinning of the molecular layer. This case report describes the first case of cerebellar cortical degeneration in a purebreed Cirneco dell'Etna dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.1017