A leukoencephalomyelopathy of rottweiler dogs

Two adult rottweiler dogs were evaluated for slowly progressive ataxia and paresis of all four limbs of over seven months duration. On neurologic examination, signs referable to a lesion in the cervical spinal cord affecting motor and sensory white matter tracts were found. Both dogs were necropsied and were found to have demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord, brain stem, and deep cerebellar white matter. Primary morphologic alterations were intact naked axons and thinly myelinated axons accompanied by reactive astrogliosis. The spinal cord lesions tended to have bilateral symmetry and were found in the lateral funiculi and occasionally in the dorsal funiculi. The cause and pathogenesis of the lesion were not determined.     

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.     

Possible thiamine deficiency in dogs

Abstract

Extract

Sir,—Recently Mayhew and Stewart (1969 Mayhew, I. G. and Stewart, J. M. 1969. Nervous syndrome in dogs possibly associated with a thiamine deficiency. N.Z. vet. J., 17: 91–92. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) described a nervous syndrome in dogs which they postulated could have been associated with a deficiency of thiamine.     

Possible pseudogout in two dogs

Pseudogout, the acute form of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, is a common condition in elderly human beings and is characterised by the sudden onset of intense joint pain and synovitis. It is rarely identified in animals but was diagnosed in two dogs that presented with acute lameness and pyrexia. Cytology of the synovial fluid showed a mildly elevated cell count with both non-degenerate neutrophils and mononuclear cells present. Many of the mononuclear cells and occasional neutrophils contained square or rhomboid-shaped crystals that were variable in shape and size and weakly birefringent on examination under polarised light. Clinical signs resolved following treatment with prednisolone.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Myotonia in related Chow Chow dogs

A myopathy associated with myotonia was observed in three related Chow Chow dogs. The clinical signs were first noticed at 2 to 3 months of age. They included muscle spasm and stiffness of gait which decreased in severity with exercise. Electromyographic findings and the demonstration of a muscle percussion dimple confirmed the presence of myotonia. Dystrophic changes were observed in muscle biopsies but histochemical techniques did not demonstrate fibre type changes. An inherited aetiology was suspected but not confirmed.     

Autoimmune orchitis in two related dogs

The testes of three dogs which suffered spermatogenic arrest were examined by indirect immunofluorescence tests. Two of these dogs (a father and son) had previously been shown to have focal inflammatory lesions in the testes. Autoantibodies directed against sperm tails were present in the sera of these dogs, but not in the third dog which had a non-inflammatory testicular degeneration. The findings are compared with those in other animals and man.     

我挑选罗威纳幼犬的方法

当你决定拥有一头罗威纳幼犬时就意味着你的新生活开始了。你第一件要做的事情是你得决定未来要得到什么样的罗威纳犬?家庭犬、工作犬、展示犬还是展示 繁殖犬等等。你必须做出选择,工作类型还是展示类型?其实一头优秀的工作类型犬也能够拥有美丽的外表,那种所有外表丑的犬只都