Veterinary neurologists often evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients that are referred to us for back pain and/or weakness. Polyarthritis is often considered the Great Imitator as patients suffering from this problem can appear very similar to patients with intervertebral disc disease, myopathies, meningitis, and even myasthenia gravis. The most critical step required to diagnose polyarthritis i…Read More
By Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) When older pets (age 10 year or older) have a seizure, the owner's first thought typically is, "This has to be a tumor or something else bad. This must be a death knell for my pet." I'd like to assure you: This isn't necessarily true. Every week in my practice I see geriatric pets that have had seizures. When we do a work-up with MRI and spi…Read More
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a poorly understood, progressive neurodegenerative disease seen in many dog breeds. Onset of the disease is typically is seen in dogs age 8 to 14. Degenerative myelopathy begins with the spinal cord in the chest. The degeneration is two-fold: demyelination, i.e. the stripping away of the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibers in the spinal…Read More
A much anticipated study describing the distribution of Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) across a huge spectrum of canine DNA covering 222 breeds has been released. The genetic marker SOD1 alleles has previously been associated with the progressive neurological disease of Canine Degenerative Myelopathy. DNA samples from over 35,000 individual dogs representing 222 breeds and and cross-bred dogs…Read More
By Laura Landstra and Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) 1. What are idiopathic head tremors? Idiopathic head tremors are a series of repetitive, horizontally (“no” gesture) or vertically-directed (“yes”), involuntary muscle contractions involving the head and neck. A typical episode lasts about three minutes (yet may seem to last much longer as you are watching it!). Dogs…Read More
By Megan Davis, DVM The Article: Clinical signs and outcome of dogs treated medically for degenerative lumbosacral stenosis: 98 cases (2004-2012) Steven de Decker, DVM, PhD; Lauren A. Wawrzenski, BVetMed; Holger A. Volk, DVM, PhD JAVMA, Vol 245, No4, August 15, 2014 Degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS) is a disorder that creates narrowing of the lumbosacral region and compression of the caud…Read More
By Megan C. Davis, DVM The Article: Magnetic resonance imaging features of Great Danes with and without clinical signs of cervical spondylomyelopathy Paula Martin-Vaquero, DMV, PhD, and Ronaldo C. da Costa, DMV, PhDJAVMA, Vol 245, No 4, August 15, 2014 Given the highly sensitive nature of MRI in evaluating the spinal cord and vertebral canal stenosis, potential for over-interpretation of the st…Read More
By Drs. Randy Cross, DVM and Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) Spinal cord diseases in cats can be incredibly frustrating. The adventure starts with the uncooperative patient, winds its way through the dreaded neurologic examination interpretation, and ends in the sea of diseases that could be causing the clinical signs. It’s not easier for a board certified neurologist, but …Read More
DEMENTIA IN DOGS: WHEN AN OLD DOG CAN’T REMEMBER OLD TRICKS By Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) Dementia—a clinical state in which cognitive function declines—is well-known as a disease that afflicts aging humans. There’s less awareness that dementia is a disease seen in companion animals, especially dogs. In fact, dementia, also known as senility or cognitive dysfunctio…Read More
By Jay McDonnell, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) Epilepsy, convulsions, fits, and seizures are alarming and disturbing events to both dogs and their owners. A seizure can have several manifestations, from a far-away look or twitching in one part of the face to a dog falling on its side barking, clenching and unclenching its teeth, urinating, defecating and paddling all four limbs. Seizures c…Read More
