Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Muscle disease causing weakness in young male Brittany dogs
By Stevens, Rebecca et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2022·From Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dystrophin-Deficient Muscular Dystrophy in Two Male Juvenile Brittanys.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two young male Brittany dogs, aged 6 and 7 months, were brought to the vet because they were having trouble exercising, not growing properly, and struggling to swallow. Blood tests showed high levels of a muscle enzyme, and further tests indicated issues with their muscles and nerves. A biopsy confirmed they both had a genetic condition called dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy, which currently has no specific treatment. This case highlights a potential inherited muscle disease in Brittanys that pet owners should be aware of.
People also search for: Brittany dog exercise intolerance · dog swallowing problems · muscular dystrophy in dogs · Brittany breed health issues · dog muscle disease treatment
Abstract
A 6 mo old and a 7 mo old male intact Brittany were presented for progressive exercise intolerance, failure to grow, and dysphagia. Creatine kinase activity was markedly and persistently elevated in both dogs. Based on the neurological examination, clinical signs localized to the neuromuscular system. Electromyography revealed complex repetitive discharges in multiple muscle groups. Immunofluorescence of biopsies confirmed dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy. This is the first report describing dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy in the Brittany breed. Currently, no specific therapies are available for this form of myopathy. The presence of dystrophin deficiency in the two dogs suggests an inherited myopathy rather than a spontaneous mutation. The location of the dogs in the United States and Japan suggests a wide distribution of this dystrophy and should alert clinicians to the existence of this myopathy in the Brittany breed. A mutation in the DMD gene has not yet been identified.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36315862/