Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Involuntary muscle movements in a 5-year-old male bichon frise
By Penderis, J & Franklin, R J·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2001·Animal Health Trust·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dyskinesia in an adult bichon frise.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male bichon frise was brought in for unusual involuntary movements, which were not accompanied by loss of consciousness. The episodes involved various limbs moving uncontrollably, but the dog remained aware and did not show any signs of distress. After careful evaluation, the veterinarian determined that these movements were not seizures but a rare movement disorder. While there is no specific treatment mentioned, recognizing this condition can help pet owners understand their dog's symptoms better and seek appropriate care.
People also search for: bichon frise involuntary movements · dog movement disorder · why is my dog twitching · dog seizure symptoms · bichon frise health issues
Abstract
Dyskinesias are disorders of the central nervous system that result in involuntary movements in a fully conscious individual. This report describes a disorder in a five-year-old male neutered bichon frise characterised by episodic involuntary skeletal muscle activity with normal levels of consciousness that bears some similarity to the previously described movement disorder in boxer puppies and to the human condition descriptively referred to as paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis. The disorder was differentiated from partial motor seizure activity by the character of the episodes, absence of identifiable preceding aura, absence of autonomic signs and the fact that multiple limbs were affected in a varying pattern without generalisation and loss of consciousness. Movement disorders are a well documented group of disorders in human neurology, but only rarely described in the veterinary literature. The purpose of this report is to contribute to an increased awareness of movement disorders within veterinary practice.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11219819/