Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fibrotic muscle disease causing thigh tightness in German Shepherds
By Wilson, Sarah A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2023·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fibrotic myopathy and contracture of the caudal thigh musculature: a prospective study of 41 dogs (2019-2022).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 41 dogs, mostly German Shepherds, were studied for fibrotic myopathy, a condition that causes muscle stiffness and lameness in the back legs. The average age for diagnosis was about 6 years, and many dogs had been limping for several months before being seen by a vet. The study found that this condition appears to have a genetic link, especially in German Shepherds, indicating that some dogs may be more prone to developing it. Understanding this disease better can help vets diagnose and manage it more effectively in affected dogs.
People also search for: German Shepherd limping · fibrotic myopathy in dogs · dog muscle stiffness treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the presentation, diagnosis, progression, and family risk of fibrotic myopathy, a disease with marked breed predisposition in the German Shepherd Dog (GSD). ANIMALS: 41 dogs prospectively recruited to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Comparative Genetics and Orthopedic Laboratory between November 2019 to August 2022. METHODS: Medical records of dogs diagnosed with fibrotic myopathy were reviewed upon referral. The following data were recorded: sex, age, weight, regio interscapularis (withers) height, date of neutering, coat color and length, and age at fibrotic myopathy diagnosis. A pedigree was also obtained. RESULTS: In the study population, breeds included 37 GSDs, a Belgian Malinois, a Belgian Malinois cross, and 2 dogs with a GSD phenotype and no pedigree. Mean age at fibrotic myopathy diagnosis was 5.9 ± 2.0 years, and duration of lameness before diagnosis was 5.6 months and ranged from 0.75 to 18 months. Males were overrepresented at 61% of the study population. Inherited familial risk for fibrotic myopathy in the GSD was supported by pedigree analysis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This was the largest case series of fibrotic myopathy to date, providing a more comprehensive look at presentation and progression of the disease. The longer duration of lameness in bilaterally affected dogs likely represents disease progression rather than a more severe phenotype. Family history data support a genetic contribution to fibrotic myopathy, suggesting that further genetic investigation is warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37468124/