Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Idiopathic generalised tremor syndrome causing shaking in dogs
By Phillipps, Stephanie et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2022·Institute of Infection, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Idiopathic generalised tremor syndrome in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 75 dogs, mostly crossbreeds and young, were diagnosed with idiopathic generalized tremor syndrome (IGTS), which caused them to shake uncontrollably and often showed other neurological signs. Many of these dogs also had gastrointestinal issues, and some were running a fever. Most dogs had normal brain scans, but they were treated with a steroid called prednisolone, and many also received diazepam to help with the tremors. The good news is that most dogs improved over time, although some did have relapses or continued to show mild symptoms.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic generalised tremor syndrome (IGTS) causes tremor and often vestibulocerebellar signs. Previous publications on IGTS in dogs are restricted to case reports or lack exclusion of structural causes. METHODS: Medical records of 75 dogs diagnosed with IGTS that had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: Crossbreeds were affected most commonly (41.3%), followed by West Highland white terriers (14.7%) and cocker spaniels (10.7%). A higher proportion of females were affected than males (68.0%). Median age of the affected dogs was 17 months (range 6-121 months), and median bodyweight was 9.15 kg (range 2.9-26 kg). All dogs presented with tremors and most experienced concomitant neurological signs (93.3%). Seventeen (22.7%) were hyperthermic and 31 (41.3%) had gastrointestinal signs. MRI of the brain was normal in most of the cases, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis frequently revealed mild pleocytosis. All animals were treated with prednisolone, and 39 (51.3%) also received diazepam. Median follow-up time was 13 months (range 0-134 months). The overall outcome was good, although 16 (21.3%) patients were reported to have relapsing clinical signs and 10 (13.2%) patients experienced persistent mild clinical signs. CONCLUSIONS: IGTS should be suspected in any dog with generalised tremor and vestibulocerebellar signs with younger and smaller dogs more commonly affected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35700269/