Electrophysiological evidence of peripheral nerve dysfunction in six dogs with botulism type C

Evaluation of repetitive nerve stimulation in young dogs

“…Diagnostic application of RNS in veterinary medicine has been performed in congenital and acquired myasthenia gravis (review : Sims 1990) and in botulism (Van Nes and Van Spijk 1986). Reference values of decremental patterns in adult dogs were established from interosseus muscles of anterior and posterior legs (Heckmann 1989, Malik andothers 1989, Sims andMcLean 1991, Waxenberger andothers 1992), masticatory muscles (Waxenberger and others 1992) and the cranial tibial muscle (Malik and others 1989).…”

Tetraparesis, Hemiparesis, and Ataxia

“…Botulism must be suspected in animals with acute progressive LMN disease. 1020 Identification of toxin in the food, carrion, serum, feces, or vomitus of an affected animal confirms the diagnosis. Given the clinical similarities to other acute LMN diseases such as tick paralysis and polyradiculoneuritis, a definitive diagnosis of botulism is difficult to make (see Table 7 -8).…”

“…Clinical signs of self-mutilation have been reported in the long-haired dachshund, 585 English and short-haired pointer in North America, 586 English springer spaniel in Australia, 587 French spaniel 588 and in the Jack Russell terrier. 598 Histologic changes in sensory neuronopathy with nociceptive loss include decrease neuronal cell bodies in the spinal ganglia and paucity of myelinated axons in dorsal roots and peripheral nerves. 189 Some acquired diseases also may show sensory disturbances in perception.…”

Botulism

“…A medida que la enfermedad va evolucionando se puede observar actividad insercional prolongada, potenciales de fibrilación, potenciales evocados de acción muscular de baja amplitud y disminución de la velocidad de conducción nerviosa motora y sensitiva de los nervios periféricos. La restauración de estos parámetros electrofisiológicos se correlaciona con la mejoría clínica 100 . La biopsia del nervio o del músculo se puede realizar para establecer el diagnóstico diferencial de trastornos no infecciosos 84 .…”