Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Norfolk terrier puppy with muscle wasting from muscular dystrophy
By Beltran, E et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2015·Centre for Small Animal Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy in a Norfolk terrier.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A six-month-old male Norfolk terrier was brought to the vet because he was not developing properly, was reluctant to exercise, and was losing muscle mass over three months. Blood tests showed very high levels of a muscle enzyme, and imaging tests revealed unusual changes in his muscles. A muscle biopsy confirmed he had a rare condition called dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy, which affects muscle strength. He was treated with coenzyme Q10 and l-carnitine, and while he remained stable for seven months, his condition worsened, and sadly, the owners chose to euthanize him.
People also search for: Norfolk terrier muscle disease · dog muscle atrophy symptoms · treatment for muscular dystrophy in dogs
Abstract
A six-month-old male entire Norfolk terrier was presented with a 3-month history of poor development, reluctance to exercise and progressive and diffuse muscle atrophy. Serum creatine kinase concentration was markedly elevated. Magnetic resonance imaging of the epaxial muscles revealed asymmetrical streaky signal changes aligned within the muscle fibres (hyperintense on T2-weighted images and short-tau inversion recovery with moderate contrast enhancement on T1-weighted images). Electromyography revealed pseudomyotonic discharges and fibrillation potentials localised at the level of the supraspinatus, epaxial muscles and tibial cranialis muscles. Muscle biopsy results were consistent with dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy. The dog remained stable 7 months after diagnosis with coenzyme Q10 and l-carnitine; however after that time, there was a marked deterioration and the owners elected euthanasia. This case report describes the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging, electrodiagnostic and histopathological findings with immunohistochemical analysis in a Norfolk terrier with confirmed dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy, which has not been previously described in this breed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25353637/