Acral Mutilation Syndrome
HSAN is a rare condition affecting the dog's ability to feel pain.
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Signs and symptoms
Affected dogs display acral analgesia, a failure to feel pain in the toes, and self-mutilation behavior including intense licking, biting, and chewing of the feet.
Signs typically are first seen in puppies. -
Diagnosis
Genetic testing and clinical signs are used to diagnose this disease. Symptoms can appear similar to dogs with a food or environmental allergy.
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Treatment
There is no treatment for this disorder. Certain medications may be prescribed to control symptoms.
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What to do if your dog is at risk
Actions
- Follow your veterinarian's advice to attempt to minimize harmful behaviors.
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Genetic Information
HSAN has been diagnosed in French Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, English Pointers, and German Shorthaired Pointers.
This disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, meaning that affected dogs must have two copies of the mutation to show clinical signs.
Gene names:
GDNF-AS ‐ chr
Inheritance type:
recessive
Citations:
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Breeds affected
This health condition affects the following breeds
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