A NEURONAL VACUOLAR DISORDER IN YOUNG ROTTWEILER DOGS

Four rottweiler pups from two litters developed severe progressive sig ns of spinal ataxia, cerebellar ataxia and tetraparesis/paralysis, The signs started with ataxia of the pelvic limbs at seven to eight weeks of age and progressed to tetraparesis and paralysis within three to f ive weeks. Postmortem, a vacuolar neuronal disorder was found in the c erebellum, brainstem and the spinal cord, associated with Wallerian ty pe degeneration in the brainstem, cerebellar peduncles and the medulla ry cord, Electron microscopy revealed empty membrane-bound vacuoles, I mmunohistochemistry for PrPSc was negative, The disorder differs clini cally and pathologically from other neurological disorders in the bree d and a new (familial) neurological disorder in the rottweiler is susp ected.