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characteristic of polymyositis, especially when CK levels are elevated; whereas, dogs affected with
myasthenia gravis rarely develop neurogenic muscle atrophy.
Ischemic neuromyopathy in dogs, most commonly caused by aortic thromboembolism (ATE),
can have subacute or chronic onset with milder neurologic deficits that can be intermittent, in
contrast to cats. Clinical signs usually involve the pelvic limbs and generally present as lameness,
knuckling, paresis, or paralysis. Pelvic limb reflexes may be abnormal, and the extremities can be
cool and/or painful. Serum CK levels are markedly elevated. Underlying conditions associated
with ATE include cardiac disease, neoplasia, renal disease, immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia,
sepsis, and endocrine disorders (e.g. hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism).
While not a neurologic condition, fibrotic myopathies such as quadriceps, gracilis, and/or sem-
itendinosus contracture may be confused with a neurologic condition. They cause classic gait defi-
cits without neurologic deficits (Chapter 20).

21.3.4 Other Neurologic and Spinal Diseases Affecting the Pelvic Limb
Rarely, other inflammatory diseases such as myelitis or meningomyelitis and protozoal neuritis
cause acute progressive monoparesis; more typically these are generalized conditions. Some dogs
with immune‐mediated polyarthritis (IMPA) first present with shifting leg lameness and spinal
hyperesthesia (Chapter 16).
Spondylosis deformans, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), multiple cartilaginous
exostosis (MCE), and spinal dural ossification may all affect the pelvic limb. These conditions have
been described in Chapter 16.

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