Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chihuahua with narcolepsy and low hypocretin improved by imipramine
By Tonokura, M et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2003·Fujita Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Narcolepsy in a hypocretin/orexin-deficient chihuahua.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male Chihuahua was brought in for sudden episodes of muscle weakness and immobility, especially when excited, like during feeding. After tests showed no other health issues, the vet suspected narcolepsy, a condition that affects sleep and muscle control. The dog was treated with imipramine, a medication that helped reduce the frequency of these attacks. Further testing revealed low levels of a brain chemical called hypocretin, confirming the diagnosis of hypocretin-deficient narcolepsy.
People also search for: Chihuahua narcolepsy treatment · dog muscle weakness after eating · imipramine for dogs
Abstract
A two-year-old male chihuahua suffered attacks of muscle weakness and immobility, although it had no family history of paroxysmal attacks. No neurological or blood biochemical abnormalities were recorded when it was first examined. The attacks were typically elicited by stimulation, such as feeding, and a case of sporadic narcolepsy-cataplexy was therefore suspected. Treatment orally three times a day with 1 mg/kg imipramine, was effective in reducing the attacks. The concentration of hypocretin-1/orexin A in the dog's cerebrospinal fluid was less than 80 pg/ml (22.5 pmol/litre), compared with normal canine levels of 250 to 350 pg/ml (70.0 to 98.3 pmol/litre), supporting a diagnosis of hypocretin-deficient narcolepsy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12846289/