title: Spongy degeneration with cerebellar ataxia in Malinois puppies: a hereditary autosomal recessive disorder?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a high incidence of hereditary degenerative diseases of the central nervous system in purebred dogs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Cerebellar ataxia in Malinois puppies, caused by degenerative changes that predominate in cerebellar nuclei and the granular cell layer, is a hereditary disorder that is distinct from cerebellar cortical abiotrophies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen Malinois puppies with cerebellar ataxia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study. Records of Malinois puppies with spongy degeneration of the cerebellar nuclei were analyzed including clinical signs, histopathological changes, and pedigree data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Signs of cerebellar dysfunction were observed in puppies of both sexes from 5 different litters (1995-2009) of phenotypically normal parents. Clinical signs started before the age of 2 months and resulted in euthanasia of all puppies by the age of 13 weeks. Histopathology disclosed marked bilateral spongy degeneration of the cerebellar nuclei and vacuoles in the granular cell layer and foliate white matter of the cerebellum. In some puppies, discrete vacuoles in gray and white matter were present in other parts of the brain. Furthermore, spheroids and dilated myelin sheaths were observed. Pedigree data and segregation frequency support an autosomal recessive hereditary disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malinois suffer from a hereditary spongiform degeneration that predominates in the cerebellum and causes an early onset of clinical signs with unfavorable prognosis. Future efforts should increase awareness among veterinarians and breeders and aim to identify underlying metabolic mechanisms and the affected genes.
authors.affiliation: Department for Companion Animals and Horses, Division of Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria. miriam.kleiter@vetmeduni.ac.at
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleiter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Högler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kneissl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Url
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leschnik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*