Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with muscle weakness like Becker muscular dystrophy in humans
By Baroncelli, A B et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2014·Department of Animal Pathology, Italy·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Muscular dystrophy in a dog resembling human becker muscular dystrophy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old male Labrador retriever was brought to the vet because he was having trouble exercising and showed signs of stiffness in his front legs and a hunched back. Tests on his muscle tissue revealed significant damage and changes typical of muscular dystrophy, a condition that weakens muscles over time. Further testing showed that a key protein, dystrophin, was not functioning properly, leading to a diagnosis similar to Becker muscular dystrophy in humans. Unfortunately, this condition is progressive, and while there is no cure, supportive care can help manage symptoms.
People also search for: dog exercise intolerance · Labrador muscular dystrophy symptoms · treatment for dog muscle weakness
Abstract
A 3-year-old, male Labrador retriever dog was presented with clinical signs of progressive exercise intolerance, bilateral elbow extension, rigidity of the forelimbs, hindlimb flexion and kyphosis. Microscopical examination of muscle tissue showed marked variability in myofibre size, replacement of muscle with mature adipose tissue and degeneration/regeneration of muscle fibres, consistent with muscular dystrophy. Immunohistochemical examination for dystrophin showed markedly reduced labelling with monoclonal antibodies specific for the rod domain and the carboxy-terminal of dystrophin, while expression of β-sarcoglycan, γ-sarcoglycan and β-dystroglycan was normal. Immunoblotting revealed a truncated dystrophin protein of approximately 135 kDa. These findings supported a diagnosis of congenital canine muscular dystrophy resembling Becker muscular dystrophy in man.
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/24529507/