Alaskan Malamute Polyneuropathy, AMPN

Dogs with polyneuropathy are typically first noticed with weakness and muscle wasting in the hind legs, leading to abnormal gait and hunched stance. Many owners also notice loud sounds when the dog breathes, or a change in the dog’s bark due to weakness of the muscles that control the voice box. Over time, the weakness and loss of feeling spreads to the front legs; in severe cases, dogs may have difficulty breathing as these muscles become affected.

Affected Malamutes usually begin to show signs when they are between seven and eighteen months of age, though some begin to show signs as early as three months old.

Combined with a thorough physical and neurologic exam, your veterinarian can definitively diagnose polyneuropathy with electromyography (EMG) and/or nerve biopsies. However, keep in mind that polyneuropathy can be caused by a variety of things including nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune disease, and infectious agents. Without suspicion that your dog’s polyneuropathy is genetic based on age of onset, breed predisposition, or family history, these will also need to be explored as underlying disease processes.

Currently, there is no treatment for genetic polyneuropathy.

Talk to your vet about your dog’s AMPN result so you can plan ongoing care and monitoring.

Watch for early signs such as weakness in the hind legs, changes in gait, or difficulty rising, and contact your vet if you notice these.

Keep your dog’s environment calm and consistent. Use rugs or mats to prevent slipping and help them move safely around the home.

As this condition can progress over time, supportive care and a safe, predictable environment can help keep your dog comfortable and engaged with their family.

In the Alaskan Malamute, a mutation in the NDRG has been linked to an inherited, early-onset polyneuropathy.

Penetrance: 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

NDRG1

Inheritance type

recessive

Clinical category

Neurologic

Citations

1. Bruun et al 2013

• Alaskan Malamute