Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Movement disorder episodes in small-breed dogs and gluten-free diet
By Kim, Minji et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2024·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected paroxysmal dyskinesia in four small-breed dogs: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prognosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four small-breed dogs, including a 7-year-old Pomeranian and a 9-year-old Poodle, were brought in for unusual movement problems. Their symptoms included episodes of abnormal movements, which were recorded on video to help with diagnosis. After ruling out other issues with MRI scans, the dogs were placed on a gluten-free diet, and two also received a medication called acetazolamide. This treatment successfully reduced the frequency of their movement episodes, suggesting that a combination of diet and medication can help manage paroxysmal dyskinesia in dogs.
People also search for: dog abnormal movements treatment · Pomeranian movement disorder · gluten-free diet for dogs · acetazolamide for dogs
Abstract
This case report details the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prognosis of paroxysmal dyskinesia (PD) in four small-breed dogs, each weighing under 6 kg: A 7-year-old spayed female Pomeranian, an 8-year-old female mixed breed, a 1-year-old female Pomeranian and a 9-year-old castrated male Poodle. These dogs were referred to our hospital due to movement disorders. Diagnosis was facilitated by video recordings of the episodes, assessing motor activity, consciousness, episode duration, any pre- or post-episodic behaviour as well as the presence of autonomic signs. Magnetic resonance imaging conducted on two of the dogs returned unremarkable results. Treatment trials included a gluten-free diet for all four dogs, with two also receiving acetazolamide. This intervention led to a decrease in the frequency of abnormal movement in all patients. Our findings suggest that PD in dogs can be effectively diagnosed through detailed symptom description using videos and questionnaires. Furthermore, once diagnosed, a combination of nutritional and medical management can be beneficial.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39254119/