Page 1219 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition

Affected dogs show progressive ataxia affecting the hind limbs
VetBooks.ir until they can no longer walk. Forelimb problems eventually

develop, and dogs die 6 to 12 months after disease onset. On
necropsy, these dogs have a degenerative myelopathy with

widespread demyelination and loss of axons in the thoracolumbar
region. The cause of the disease is unknown, but some investigators
believe it to be immune mediated. Affected dogs have circulating
immune complexes, depressed lymphocyte mitotic responses, and

deposits of IgG and C3 in the lesions and nearby normal tissues.
Boxers and Newfoundland dogs affected with inflammatory
myopathies have circulating autoantibodies to sarcolemmal
autoantigens. It is not clear whether these autoantibodies are a

cause or effect of the myopathy. However, their detection may be a
useful diagnostic test.

Cerebellar Degeneration

Cerebellar degeneration has been observed in Coton de Tulear
puppies. It is associated with a depleted granular cell layer and
microglial cell activation caused by T cell destruction of granular
cells.

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