Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Wire-haired dachshund with progressive nerve problems
By Jolly, R D et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2001·Institute of Veterinary·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Histological diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA in a wire-haired dachshund.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old wire-haired dachshund showed signs of worsening coordination, tremors, and difficulty urinating. After two years of these symptoms, tests revealed that the dog's brain and spinal cord had abnormal accumulations of lipopigment in the neurons, leading to a diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA, a genetic disorder. The dog also had kidney stones and other tissue damage related to the disease. Unfortunately, this condition is progressive and currently has no cure, so supportive care is typically recommended for affected pets.
People also search for: dog ataxia treatment · dachshund neurological signs · mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA in dogs
Abstract
A four-year-old wire-haired dachshund developed progressive neurological signs of ataxia, intention tremor and finally dysuria. Two years later, histopathology showed that neurons throughout the brain and spinal cord were distended with lipopigment which was also present in macrophages. Ultrastructurally, the pigment in the neurons occurred predominantly as electron-dense membranous whorls and stacks. There were a few vacuolated macrophages in the meninges. Hepatocytes were highly vacuolated and electron microscopy suggested that they were empty membrane-bound vesicles. The disease was diagnosed as mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA because of its similarity to other biochemically confirmed cases in the same breed and in a New Zealand huntaway dog. Additional lesions included calcium oxalate uroliths, severe secondary calcification of tissues including the brain and storage deposits in some neurons, and lesions which may have been associated with high levels of the substrate, heparan sulphate.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11370881/