Spinal cord degeneration in hound ataxia

Abstract

An ataxia is described in seven Foxhounds, seven Harrier hounds and two Beagle hounds, aged from 2 to 7 years. Weakness and incoordination occurred in the hind‐legs; there was no loss of deep reflexes or of conscious pain sensation. The panniculus reflex was abnormal in 75 per cent of animals examined. Pathologically, Wallerian degeneration was present in the spinal cord, especially in the cervical and thoracic levels, but the dorsal and lateral columns were largely spared. Secondary degeneration occurred in ascending tracts in the brainstem. All the animals were kept under hunt conditions and were usually fed a diet of paunch and occasional knacker meat. The cause of the condition was not established but it may be related to nutritional deficiency or to neurotoxicity.

A Novel Leukoencephalomyelopathy of Leonberger Dogs

“…Preserved axons running through the destroyed white matter in Afghan Hound myelopathy indicate a primary myelin degeneration, whereas prominent Wallerian degeneration in the Kooiker dogs is more indicative of axonal disease. Hound ataxia, a progressive myelopathy described in Harrier Hounds, Beagle Hounds, and Foxhounds, and hereditary ataxia of Fox and Jack Russell Terriers all are characterized by primary axonal degeneration, which was not a feature in the Leonberger dogs described here 9,14,15 …”

“…Many different degenerative diseases of the canine central nervous system (CNS) have been described involving white matter in various breeds 1–3 . These include Afghan Hound myelopathy and a similar disease in Kooiker dogs, globoid cell leukodystrophy of various breeds, oligodendroglial dysplasia in Bullmastiffs, cavitating leukodystrophy of Dalmatians, hound ataxia, leukoencephalomyelopathy of Rottweiler dogs, and myelopathies in Jack Russell and Fox Terriers 4–15 . In the Leonberger dog, no degenerative diseases of the nervous system have been described apart from an inherited polyneuropathy 16 .…”

Progressive myelopathy and neuropathy in New Zealand Huntaway dogs

“…A nutritional cause is also possible, as there are similarities between these cases and a myelopathy in Fox and Harrier hounds in England that was associated with diets composed mainly of bovine rumen, which was likely associated with a methionine deficiency (Palmer et al, 1984;Sheahan et al,1991). With correction of diet, the disease disappeared from affected kennels.…”

Feline irradiated diet-induced demyelination; a model of the neuropathology of sub-acute combined degeneration?

“…While the fruit bat and especially Rhesus monkey models accurately mimic SCD, their future use as practical models of SCD would appear limited. In addition to these models of B12 deficiency, myelin vacuolation has been described in many domesticated and wild animal species, though most lacked evidence of B12 involvement [54][55][56][57]. In the best described of these, in silver foxes, remyelination was prominent [58,59].…”