Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxia

Signs of cerebellar disease include dogs having an uncoordinated gait (ataxia) with stilted "toy soldier" leg movements. They can display "intention tremors," where a stretched-out limb or head shakes more and more violently as it approaches its target. At rest, dogs sometimes display a "truncal sway;" their spinal muscles have lost their fine-tuning, pulling the spine (and everything attached to it) back and forth in a struggle to maintain balance. Affected puppies may also show elevated muscle tone and a reduced swallowing reflex.

Signs can first be seen at only a few weeks of age.

Unless a genetic basis is suspected due to the age, breed, or history of the dog, diagnostics must be performed to rule out infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic causes. Additionally, affected dogs have a low selenium level.

There is no treatment for this disorder. Quality of life should be considered as the affected puppies in the literature were euthanized at an early age. However, one dog was found with this condition and was ten years old at the time of publication.

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

Watch for signs such as unsteady movement, tremors, or changes in balance and coordination, and contact your vet if you notice any of 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 predictable routine can help keep your dog comfortable and engaged with their family.

This variant was first described in the Belgian Shepherd.

Penetrance: This variant is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, meaning a dog requires two copies of the variant to show signs of Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxia.

Gene

SELENOP

Inheritance type

recessive

Clinical category

Neurologic

Citations

1. Christen et al 2021

• Belgian Malinois
• Belgian Malinois - Working Line
• Belgian Laekenois
• Belgian Sheepdog
• Belgian Sheepdog - Working Line
• Belgian Shepherd
• Belgian Tervuren
• Belgian Tervuren - Working Line
• Dutch Shepherd