Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
German shepherd dog with multiple myeloma and nerve damage
By Villiers, E & Dobson, J·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1998·Chesterford Cytology Service·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Multiple myeloma with associated polyneuropathy in a German shepherd dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old female German shepherd developed weakness in her back legs that progressed to her front legs, eventually leading to her being unable to move at all. A vet found signs of nerve damage and discovered she had multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting her blood cells. She was treated with chemotherapy and steroids, which successfully resolved her symptoms and restored her ability to walk normally within four weeks. This case shows that nerve issues can sometimes occur alongside certain cancers, but treating the cancer can help reverse those problems.
People also search for: German shepherd ataxia · dog multiple myeloma treatment · dog unable to walk cancer
Abstract
A 12-year-old female, neutered German shepherd dog developed progressive hindlimb followed by forelimb ataxia leading to tetraplegia. Neurological examination suggested lower motor dysfunction. Biochemical evaluation revealed a monoclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and hypercalcaemia. Multiple lytic lesions were identified radiographically in numerous bones. A bone marrow aspirate confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, with large numbers of plasma cells seen in clusters. An electromyogram revealed positive sharp waves and fibrillation potentials in the skeletal muscles of the limbs, suggesting a polyneuropathy. The dog was treated with chemotherapy using melphalan and prednisolone. Both the hypergammaglobulinaemia and the polyneuropathy resolved and the dog had normal motor function four weeks after commencing treatment. Polyneuropathy may occur as a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to myeloma, and in this case was reversible following treatment of the underlying disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9631362/