Interesting case, about 7 yrs old lab/sharpei mix, FS. The owner rescued her about 5 years ago. she already had neurologic symptoms, she has not changed since then, there is no progression on the neurologic deficits.
She walks with a wide stance on the back legs, she is ataxic, with no coordination and hyper metric gait. She does loses balance when she is shaking her head almost to the point of falling. When you do a 3 leg standing with any of her legs, she falls and unable to hold herself up. When going upstairs or downstairs and stops at the step for a while like not knowing what to do and then she jumps down or does an exaggerated step.
She is bale to walk and move around pretty good by herself, but when you do the ttouch bandage, she lies down and is unable to walk.
There is a lot of atrophy on both right and left triceps muscles.
She had an examination with an ophthalmologist few years ago and he told the owner the eyes were all right, that he thought it was cerebellar hypoplasia.
Have anybody has done rehab o similar case? I am thinking on doing proprioception exercises, any suggestions?
Possible cerebellar ataxia
Re: Possible cerebellar ataxia
Hi Roxana,
So the good news is that the condition is not progressive.
With that, I think that anything that you could do to work on proprioception and strength could be very good. In the case of neurologic cases, repetition, repetition, repetition is the key. So practicing balancing, stepping over obstacles, backing up, etc are all good.
Since she 'freezes' with the tensor bandage wrap, you could either abandon that tactic all together or make it simpler (i.e. just wrap it around the torso and leave the limbs out of it). If she still freezes, just give up on that. (I had one post op cruciate dog 'freeze' when I put a bandage on her rear legs... never could get her to walk with it on.)
Perhaps play on the land treadmill (or UWT) and push her slowly from one side, and then the next. Resist one leg at a time. Have her walk while looking from side following a treat.
Check her eyes... does she get nystagmus after shaking? There could be a vestibular component (not the inner ear thing, but a vestibular processing disorder.)
I'd look at simple tasks, with lots of repetition, and keep it fun and functional.
I welcome other thoughts and suggestions as well!
Laurie
So the good news is that the condition is not progressive.
With that, I think that anything that you could do to work on proprioception and strength could be very good. In the case of neurologic cases, repetition, repetition, repetition is the key. So practicing balancing, stepping over obstacles, backing up, etc are all good.
Since she 'freezes' with the tensor bandage wrap, you could either abandon that tactic all together or make it simpler (i.e. just wrap it around the torso and leave the limbs out of it). If she still freezes, just give up on that. (I had one post op cruciate dog 'freeze' when I put a bandage on her rear legs... never could get her to walk with it on.)
Perhaps play on the land treadmill (or UWT) and push her slowly from one side, and then the next. Resist one leg at a time. Have her walk while looking from side following a treat.
Check her eyes... does she get nystagmus after shaking? There could be a vestibular component (not the inner ear thing, but a vestibular processing disorder.)
I'd look at simple tasks, with lots of repetition, and keep it fun and functional.
I welcome other thoughts and suggestions as well!
Laurie
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES