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What is cerebellar abiotrophy?
The cerebellum is the part of the brain that regulates the monitoring and coordination of movement. The cells in the cerebellum that are normally mature before birth then deteriorate prematurely, causing clinical symptoms associated with poor coordination and lack of balance.
What does cerebellar abiotrophy mean for your dog & you?
Cerebellum is the part of the brain that regulates the monitoring and coordination of movement.
The clinical signs of cerebellar dysfunction in affected dogs may include
poor balance,
a broad-based posture (feet planted far apart),
stiff posture ,
apparent lack of awareness of where the feet are ,
and head or body tremors.
These symptoms worsen either rapidly or slowly. Affected dogs cannot climb stairs or stand without support. They do have normal mental alertness.
Clinical signs occur in varying degrees of severity, from mild tremors of the head to total loss of control.
Symptoms usually appear at 4 to 8 weeks if it is the early variant (Lingo 3). Some dogs can adapt to the dysfunction and show little disability. Where other regions of the brain are affected, you will see other consequences such as changing behaviour (aggression), confusion, blindness and epilepsy.
A marker test can be used to measure 2 variants these days. Lingo3 , the early variant of CA (expressing between 4 and 8 weeks).
And VMP1 where CA expresses itself between 3 and 8 months.
These tests were developed specifically for kelpies. There may be other variants and they are marker tests!
