Atlantoaxial subluxation with absence of the dens in a rottweiler

Atlantoaxial subluxation was diagnosed in a five-month-old male rottweiler. Surgical treatment was performed by lag screw fixation via a ventral approach. Treatment resulted in complete resolution of the neurological signs.     

Pneumorrhachis in a rottweiler

An 8·5-year-old, female, neutered, Rottweiler was presented for investigation of progressive ataxia of one week duration. Proprioception was absent in the left pelvic limb and reduced on the right, thoracolumbar hyperalgesia was evident and pelvic limb segmental spinal reflexes were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a spherical region of signal void compressing the spinal cord between the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae and several non-compressive degenerate intervertebral discs. Computed tomography (CT) of the region confirmed the findings and identified the lesion as gas. A dorsolateral hemilaminectomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord and achieved complete resolution of the clinical signs on examination after 3 months. This is the first known reported case of spontaneous pneumorrhachis in a veterinary patient.     

Neuroaxonal dystrophy in a rottweiler pup

An 8-month-old Rottweiler pup was evaluated for neurologic disorder. Clinical signs included ataxia, hypermetria of all 4 limbs, intention tremors of the head, lack of a menace reflex bilaterally, and mild proprioceptive deficits. The pup was euthanatized because of the progressive nature of the disease. Histopathologic findings consisted of decreased numbers of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and moderate numbers of axonal spheroids in the nucleus cuneatus. This latter finding confirmed the diagnosis of neuroaxonal dystrophy.     

Acute granulocytic ehrlichiosis in a rottweiler

Acute granulocytic ehrlichiosis was identified in a 6-year-old rottweiler that was presented for possible pancreatitis. Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were identified within neutrophils on a peripheral blood smear. Serology was ineffective in identifying the disease in the acute state. The diagnosis and identification of the organism were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing. Based on elevations in amylase and lipase and the presence of right cranial-quadrant abdominal pain, concurrent pancreatitis was diagnosed. It is unknown if there was any association between the acute granulocytic ehrlichiosis and the pancreatitis. The dog recovered well following doxycycline therapy.     

Multiple digital tumours in a rottweiler

An eight-and-a-half-year-old rottweiler bitch was examined on four separate occasions over a period of 32 months for lameness caused by a mass on a digit. On each occasion the mass and affected digit were amputated. Three different neoplasms were diagnosed: two squamous cell carcinomas, a melanocytoma and an intracutaneous cornifying epithelioma. There was no recurrence following surgical excision.     

Suspected hypothyroid-associated neuropathy in a female rottweiler dog

A 7-year-old, 46-kg spayed female rottweiler dog was presented with sudden onset of disorientation, bilateral convergent strabismus, and enophthalmos. Diagnostic workup revealed hypothyroid-associated cranial neuropathy. Symptoms abated considerably upon treatment with levothyroxine-sodium (T4) at an initial dose of 800 μg/kg body weight (BW), PO, q12h, which was reduced 3 days later to 600 μg/kg BW, q12h due to severe agitation and panting. Two weeks later the dosage of the levothyroxine-sodium (T4) was reduced to 400 μg/kg BW in the morning and 600 μg/kg BW in the evening. Eight weeks after the initial presentation, the dog had recovered with only mild convergent strabismus in the right eye. This is the first case report of suspected hypothyroid-associated neuropathy resulting in these symptoms.     

Spinal meningeal sarcoma in a rottweiler puppy

An 11-week-old rottweiler puppy was presented for evaluation of progressive paraparesis, urinary and faecal incontinence. Radiography and myelography revealed widening of the vertebral canal and remodelling of several lumbar vertebrae associated with an intramedullary spinal mass. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive, heterogeneous mass involving the lumbosacral spinal cord. Histopathological examination indicated a meningeal sarcoma with very varied cytological architecture.     

Acute idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome in a rottweiler

The idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a part of the yet rather unknown diseases and the aetiology remains at the least hypothetical. This syndrome is characterized by a variable hypereosinophilemia as well as a massive infiltration of several organs by mature eosinophils, causing an important tissue damage leading to organ dysfunctions and resulting in the patient death. In this reported case, the acute idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome was diagnosed in a 4-year rottweiler female dog based on an increased eosinophilemia and the infiltration of stomach, small intestine, colon, pancreas, spleen, ganglions, skin, lungs and bone marrow by mature eosinophiles. The acute development of the disease precluded any therapeutical hope success.     

Equine herpesvirus-1, non-neurogenic pathotype, in a 9-year-old American Saddlebred with neurological signs

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes rhinopneumonitis, abortion, and rarely, myeloencephalopathy. The neurovirulence of this virus is due to a point mutation in the DNA polymerase gene. Diagnosis by virus isolation has been replaced by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays that can detect strains, viral loads, and states; this may aid in control and management of the disease.     

Recurrence of gastric dilatation-volvulus after incisional gastropexy in a rottweiler

An adult, castrated male rottweiler with a history of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), which was treated 4 months previously by surgical gastric resection and incisional gastropexy, had a recurrence of clinical signs. Abdominal exploratory surgery revealed a 180 degrees -clockwise GDV, with a stretched adhesion at the original gastropexy site. The stomach was repositioned, and additional gastropexies were performed adjacent to the original gastropexy site and at the gastric fundus. The recurrence of GDV in this dog with an intact gastropexy suggested that a risk for volvulus remains after therapeutic incisional gastropexy.     

Progesterone secreting adrenal mass in a cat with clinical signs of hyperadrenocorticism

A 7-year-old 7-kg (16-lb) neutered male Himalayan cat had nonpruritic progressive alopecia of 9 months' duration. The cat had hyperglycemia and glucosuria. Physical examination revealed complete alopecia along the abdomen, inguinal area, medial and caudal areas of the thighs, ventral area of the thorax, and axilla. Clinical signs were consistent with endocrine-induced alopecia and hyperadrenocorticism, however, results of diagnostic tests (ACTH stimulation and low-dose dexamethasone suppression) were not supportive of hyperadrenocorticism. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a mass cranial to the left kidney. Blood samples were obtained before and after ACTH stimulation to measure sex hormone concentrations. Analysis revealed markedly high blood progesterone concentrations before and after ACTH stimulation. An adrenalectomy was performed and histologic examination of the mass revealed a well-differentiated adrenocortical carcinoma. The right adrenal gland could not be viewed during surgery and was assumed to be atrophic. Following surgery, the hyperglycemia and glucosuria resolved. Within 4 months of surgery, the hyperprogesteronemia had resolved, and at 12 months the cat's coat quality appeared normal. Findings suggest that cats with signs of hyperadrenocorticism should be evaluated not only for abnormal cortisol concentrations, but also for sex hormone abnormalities.