Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neuroaxonal dystrophy causing limb ataxia in Papillon puppies
By Franklin, R J et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1995·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Neuroaxonal dystrophy in a litter of papillon pups.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A litter of five 14-week-old papillon puppies was brought to the vet because they were having trouble walking and showed signs of uncoordinated movements. The puppies displayed worsening symptoms over time, including difficulty with their limbs and poor reflexes. Unfortunately, by 19 weeks, four of the puppies had to be euthanized due to the severity of their condition, which was diagnosed as neuroaxonal dystrophy, a serious neurological disorder. Only the least affected male puppy remained, but the prognosis for the others was grim.
People also search for: papillon puppy ataxia · puppy neurological disorder · neuroaxonal dystrophy in dogs · signs of puppy coordination problems
Abstract
A litter of five 14-week-old papillon puppies was referred for investigation of pelvic limb ataxia. Clinical examination revealed signs of ataxia, hypermetria and depressed postural reflexes affecting all four limbs. The severity of these signs varied between members of the litter. The condition became progressively worse and by 19 weeks of age all but the least severely affected pup (the single male of the litter) had deteriorated to the point that euthanasia was indicated on humane grounds. Pathological examination revealed widespread changes in both white and grey matter of the neuraxis caudal to the forebrain, particularly involving the dorsolateral white matter of the spinal cord, which were characterised by axonal swellings typical of neuroaxonal dystrophy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8583759/