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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dog with muscle weakness and regurgitation improves

By Bartges, J W et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1990·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Clinical remission following plasmapheresis and corticosteroid treatment in a dog with acquired myasthenia gravis.

Species:
dog
Stomach & digestionDogs

Plain-English summary

A 7-year-old male Labrador Retriever was brought in for regurgitation and weakness due to acquired myasthenia gravis, a condition that affects muscle control. The dog underwent two plasmapheresis treatments, which help remove harmful antibodies from the blood, along with corticosteroid medication. Just a week after the second treatment, the dog's muscle strength returned to normal, and the level of harmful antibodies dropped significantly. While both treatments contributed to the improvement, it’s unclear how much each one helped.

People also search for: dog regurgitation weakness treatment · Labrador myasthenia gravis · plasmapheresis for dogs

Abstract

A 7-year-old sexually intact male Labrador Retriever with regurgitation and generalized muscular weakness resulting from acquired myasthenia gravis received 2 plasmapheresis treatments in combination with corticosteroid treatment. Plasmapheresis was performed in an attempt to rapidly lower serum acetylcholine receptor binding antibody (AChR Ab) concentration. Seven days after the second plasmapheresis treatment, the dog's muscular strength was normal, which coincided with a 70% decrease in serum AChR Ab concentration. Because the dog also received corticosteroids, it is impossible to determine how much of the clinical improvement resulted from plasmapheresis.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2332375/