Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is a neurologic disorder characterized by the distinct movement that affected dogs make. Myoclonic jerks are uncontrolled muscle movements that can occur frequently. Dogs often appear startled with this disorder.
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Signs and symptoms
Seizures often involve the front half of the body, and seem to occur most commonly when the dog is relaxed or about to fall asleep. Affected dogs will appear normal between episodes.
Signs can develop at 6 weeks to 18 months of age.Uncover health risks with Embark
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Diagnosis
Epilepsy is a diagnosis of exclusion. Seizures can arise secondary to many different disease processes. Before diagnosing your dog with epilepsy, evaluation of any existing inflammation or infection of the brain, a brain tumor, other organ dysfunction, vascular abnormalities such as liver shunts or microvascular dysplasia, and lysosomal storage diseases must be performed
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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
- Talk to your vet about your dog’s JME result so you can plan ongoing care and monitoring.
- Watch for brief, sudden jerking movements or twitching (often after waking up) and contact your vet if you notice these.
- Some dogs may have seizures triggered by flashing lights or excitement. Try to identify and avoid triggers if a pattern becomes apparent.
- If your dog has a seizure, make sure they’re in a safe area away from objects they could hit, and avoid handling them until it passes. Keep a record of each episode, noting the date, time, and how long it lasts.
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Genetic Information
This mutation was first described in the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
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:
DIRAS1 ‐ chr
Inheritance type:
recessive
Citations:
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Breeds affected
This health condition affects the following breeds
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