Sensory neuropathy in a Jack Russell terrier

A six-year-old male Jack Russell terrier was referred for investigation of an abnormal hindlimb stance and unresolving lesion on the dorsum of the right hindfoot. Clinical examination revealed cutaneous sensory and proprioceptive deficits affecting predominantly the hindlimbs. However, no motor deficits were evident. A sensory abnormality was confirmed by histological examination of a biopsy of a lateral branch of the superficial peroneal nerve, which contained only a single myelinated fibre. The condition was diagnosed as a sensory neuropathy, a disorder previously unrecognised in this breed.