title: Muscular dystrophy due to a sarcoglycan deficiency in a female Dobermann dog.
abstract: A four-month-old female Dobermann presented with myalgia, dysphagia, progressive weakness and loss of body condition. Diagnostic evaluation at nine months of age revealed markedly elevated serum creatine kinase activity, electromyographic abnormalities and histological evidence of chronic-active muscle necrosis. Imaging confirmed dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. Muscular dystrophy was suspected and immunohistochemical staining of muscle cryosections demonstrated reduced sarcoglycans. Treatment consisted of gastrostomy, and over the next 5 months the dog gained weight, despite continued loss of muscle mass. The dog died at 14 months of age after developing clinical signs of aspiration pneumonia. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of muscular dystrophy in a Dobermann and only the second detailed report of a canine sarcoglycanopathy. Supportive care resulted in an acceptable quality of life for 10 months after clinical signs were first observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Munday
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.|Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.|Murray's Veterinary Clinic, Mosgiel, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willox
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.|Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Kingsbury
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins