Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

366 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
activity and disappear with sleep. Severely affected puppies show uncoordinated
body movements and are unable to stand. There is no cure for the disease.
Tremors in Chow Chows and Weimaraners may improve gradually and
disappear by 1 year of age.
WHITE DOG SHAKER SYNDROME
This syndrome occurs primarily in adult dogs with white coats, although dogs
with other coat colors are occasionally affected. The disease occurs most often
in small breeds, including West Highland White Terriers, Maltese, Bichons
Frises, and Toy and Miniature Poodles.
It is characterized by the sudden appearance of tremors, sometimes accompanied
by wild and random movements of the eyes. The disease affects the
cerebellum, which coordinates muscle movement. Sudden trembling that
involves the entire body and head is the main sign. The dog does not shake
while sleeping, but the more she moves, the worse the tremor gets. These
tremors can be disabling.
The cause is unknown, but an autoimmune basis has been suggested.
Treatment: See your veterinarian if your small dog suddenly develops a
tremor that seems to get worse. Corticosteroids reverse the shaking within a
few days. Some dogs require extended treatment. About 25 percent of dogs
retain some degree of tremor for life. With refractory cases, diazepam
(Valium) may be added to control tremors.
CEREBELLAR DISEASES
Cerebellar degeneration is a slowly progressive disease in which the nerve
cells in the cerebellum die. The disease has been described in numerous
breeds, including the Kerry Blue Terrier, Gordon Setter, rough-coated Collie,
Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Airedale
Terrier, Samoyed, Cairn Terrier, and Bullmastiff.
Affected puppies appear normal for the first two months of life, but then
begin to show uncoordinated body movements such as jerking, stumbling,
falling, and overreaching with the paws. Although there is no cure, cerebellar
degeneration stabilizes in some puppies, allowing them to remain active.
Cerebellar hypoplasia is a condition in which the cerebellum is abnormally
small at birth. A hereditary form has been reported in Airedales,
Gordon Setters, and Chow Chows. A nonhereditary form has been described
in Bull Terriers, Weimaraners, Dachshunds, and Labrador Retrievers. Signs
are similar to those of cerebellar degeneration, but are observed shortly after
birth when puppies first begin to crawl. Some puppies compensate and make
good pets.