Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Narcolepsy in dogs causes sudden muscle weakness and sleepiness
By Tonokura, M et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2007·Fujita Animal Hospital, Japan·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Review of pathophysiology and clinical management of narcolepsy in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A Labrador retriever with narcolepsy was found to have sudden muscle weakness and excessive daytime sleepiness. This condition is caused by a deficiency in a specific neurotransmitter, which affects the dog's ability to stay awake and alert. While narcolepsy is not life-threatening, it does require ongoing management and care throughout the dog's life. Treatment options are available to help manage the symptoms, allowing affected dogs to live comfortably despite their condition.
People also search for: dog narcolepsy symptoms · Labrador retriever sleep disorder · treatment for narcolepsy in dogs
Abstract
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that affects human beings and animals. Up to 17 breeds of dogs are affected sporadically, and familial forms occur in dobermanns, labrador retrievers and dachshunds. These dogs display characteristics strikingly similar to those of human narcolepsy, including cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone in response to emotional stimulation) and a shorter sleep latency. It has recently been shown that the aetiology of both the familial form (receptor null mutation) and the sporadic form (loss of ligand production) of canine narcolepsy is associated with a deficit in hypocretin/orexin neurotransmission. Hypocretin deficiency can be detected by the measurement of hypocretin-1 in cerebrospinal fluid, and this could be used to diagnose hypocretin ligand deficient cases in clinical practice. Narcolepsy is neither progressive nor life-threatening, but the clinical signs persist throughout life, and lifelong treatment and care are required. This article reviews the recent progress in narcolepsy research in dogs, and describes the diagnosis and treatment of the 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/17873267/