13 augusti 2009

Nu till lite allvarligare saker

Har någon hört talas om Idiopatisk Headbobbing Syndrome?
Fick höra om det först i dag på Malmö Djursjukhus och ville dela med mig av den informationen. 
Har hört olika teorier på varför hunden får skakningar på sitt huvud. En är att det skulle vara blodsockerfall. Det är helt FEL. Det är YTTERST ovanligt och inträffar det är det hos hårt arbetande hundar typ spannhundar som har fått gå på för dålig kost. Symtomen på blodsockerfall är att muskelaturen slutar att funger den ger inte skakningar på huvudet!!!
Här följer lite läsning om syndromet. Tyvärr fanns texten bara på engelska.

Doberman Headbobbing Syndrome

“It’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” (Sir Winston Churchill, 10-1-39). Churchill was speaking of Russia at the time, but the words apply equally well to the condition known as Doberman Head Bobbing Syndrome. The Doberman Pinscher Foundation of America and veterinary neurologists across the country are receiving more frequent reports of the condition indicating either heightened awareness or increasing incidence. While no epidemiological studies have been done, the “gut feeling” is that we may be witnessing an emerging disease. The syndrome is one of many classified under the general term of “tremors”. Tremors are defined as rhythmic, oscillatory, involuntary movement of all or part of the body. The nervous or musculoskeletal systems are affected. Many breeds are afflicted with generalized tremor syndrome. Dobermans, Labradors, and English Bulldogs are all overrepresented with head tremors. Tremors in general are often the result of abnormalities in the brain, particularly in the cerebellum. Identified causes can be degenerative, congenital, inflammatory, immune mediated, or toxic.

In Dobermans, clinical features consist of a sudden onset of the tremor restricted to the head. In most cases the movement is up and down, but there are reports of side to side as well. The dogs appear to be conscious, responsive, and otherwise normal during an episode. Tremors typically stop spontaneously after several minutes and in some cases can be stopped temporarily by distracting the dog (for example, with food).

Diagnostic evaluation is typically normal, including neurological examination, blood studies, cerebral spinal fluid analysis and rain CTs and MRIs. There is no known effective treatment. Anti-seizure drugs such as Phenobarbital and bromide do not appear to help. Affected dogs do not develop other neurological deficits and in most cases the syndrome does not severely compromise the dog’s quality of life. In some cases the episodes eventually resolve.

The true nature of Doberman Head Bobbing Syndrome is unknown. Although focal epilepsy is possible, the lack of response to anti-seizure drugs suggests some other cause. Some neurologists have even gone so far as to suggest stereotypy as a cause. Stereotypy is the abnormal repetition of an action or abnormal sustained maintenance of a position or posture as seen in some phases of schizophrenia. While this diagnosis seems unlikely it does illustrate the myriad of potential causes that have been considered. Most likely, based on what is known about tremors in general, some type of movement disorder associated with pathology located in the cerebellum is involved.

The apparent risk in certain breeds suggests that genetic factors are involved. One veterinary neurologist has seen several affected Dobermans with a family history further supporting this, but no one seems to be aware of any pedigree analysis.

At this present time, there appears to be no research being done on Doberman Head Bobbing Syndrome. There certainly is enough anecdotal evidence suggesting a genetic cause of an emerging disease. Exercising caution in breeding Dobermans with a family history, even if the precise genetic mechanism for transmission is unknown, would seem, at least to this writer, to be prudent.

Submitted by C. David McLaughlin, DVM

Dr. McLaughlin is the retired director of Dundee Animal Hospital, which has 19 veterinarians on staff, providing specialty services and in-house 24-hour emergency and critical care. He currently serves as President of the Doberman Pinscher Foundation of America.

Och här kommer lite mer läsning'

Anyone experiencing head tremors in Dobermanns and who have not been able to find out anything about it, please rest easy.
Unfortunatly this condition seems to be on the increase and breeders are less than forthcoming in making it know, apparently Bulldogs are prone to it.
Below is a copy of an email to from Dr WB Thomas to me permission to reproduce is granted, I hope this give some relief to those who have found themselves with a dog with this condition.
A syndrome called “idiopathic head tremor”, for lack
of a better name, has been recognized in dogs.
Dobermans are most commonly affected, with English
bulldogs being also common. Other breeds can also be
affected.
Signs consist of an intermittent tremor of the head. This
can be an up-and-down movement or a side-to-side
movement. The tremor starts and stops spontaneously.
The dogs are alert and responsive during the tremor
and are able to walk normally. In some cases,
distracting the dog, for example with food, can stop the
tremor.
Diagnostic testing, including CT/MRI, spinal fluid
analysis, and EEG are typically normal. Affected dogs
do not develop other neurologic signs. There is no
treatment but the episodes sometimes eventually stop.
This has been discussed among neurologists and
nobody really agrees on the nature of these episodes.
They may be focal seizures, but they rarely respond to
anti-seizure drugs. Another theory is that this is a
movement disorder. A behavior disorder, such as
stereotypy has also been postulated. I have seen
related Dobermans affected, suggesting there may be a
genetic component.
WB Thomas DVM,MS
Dipl.ACVIM(Neurology)
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

1 kommentar:

  1. provar skriva igen... i fm. hängde sig datorn hela tiden! Jag har faktiskt hört talas om detta med bulldoggar och "blodsockerfall" - det här kan man kanske få veta mer av via andra typ dobermannklubben eller så...

    i dag har jag hämtat mina nya linser - tycker att jag ser bättre med dessa...men behåller blindkäppen ett tag till - man vet ju aldrig!

    ta't lugnt nu i helgen - tänk på att du på riktigt är hand ikappad... och... simövningar när man är enarmad kanske inte är den bästa aktivitet man kan ägna sig åt... tänk på det du!

    I helgen kommer Herr Knodd kanske att få testa på det verkliga livet... rapport kommer!

    SvaraRadera