Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hereditary nerve disease in Alaskan Malamute dogs
By Rentmeister, K et al.Ā·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/HeimtiereĀ·2012Ā·TieräĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Hereditary polyneuropathy in the Alaskan Malamute.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Alaskan Malamutes was found to have a hereditary condition called polyneuropathy, which affects their nerves and muscles. In a study of 131 dogs, 10 underwent tests that showed nerve damage and muscle issues. Some dogs displayed severe symptoms, while others appeared normal but had subtle changes in their muscle and nerve tissues. The research confirmed that this condition is genetic, meaning it can be passed down through generations. Owners of affected dogs should be aware of this hereditary issue for future breeding considerations.
People also search for: Alaskan Malamute polyneuropathy symptoms Ā· dog nerve problems Ā· hereditary conditions in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To prove the hypothesis that a polyneuropathy in Alaskan Malamutes has a genetic background. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pedigrees of 131 related Alaskan Malamutes were included in the current study. Neurological examination, electrodiagnosis as well as muscle and nerve biopsies could be performed in 10 dogs. Information about the disease status of the other 121 Alaskan Malamutes were supplied by referring veterinarians, breeders and owners. Segregation analysis using four different models (monogenic, polygenic, mixed monogenic-polygenic and the phenotypic model) was performed on 71 dogs to test the different mechanisms of genetic transmission. RESULTS: In seven clinically affected dogs abnormal electromyographic findings and reduced nerve conduction velocity were detected. Suspected diagnosis of polyneuropathy was confirmed by nerve biopsy results, characterized by axonal degeneration and hypomyelination. Muscle specimens revealed signs of neurogenic myopathy. Three related clinically normal Alaskan Malamutes also displayed moderate neuromuscular changes in histopathology. In the segregation analysis the polygenic model proved as best suitable to explain the observed segregation pattern among all other models tested. CONCLUSION: The current study could demonstrate that polyneuropathy in Alaskan Malamutes is a hereditary disease with variable phenotypic expression ranging from severely affected to subclinical forms, which has to be considered in future gene analysis studies.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22331326/