Living With MG Disease In Dogs Effective Management And Treatment Options 2024
The symptoms of mg disease in dogs
The mg disease in dogs is known as myasthenia gravis which is an autoimmune disease that causes interruption in the communication between nerves and muscles.
MG disease in dogs is a neuromuscular disease that leads to muscle weakness and some dogs are born with disease as a hereditary condition.
The symptoms are variable and differ from one dog to another. You may show problems in swallowing and may extend to losing the dog full of the movement after exercise.
There is no complete recovery of the disease, but the treatment leads to improved symptoms so that the dog can complete his life normally.
In this article, we will look at mg disease in dogs and know more about its types, symptoms, and the proper treatment.
What is mg disease in dogs and what are the types of it?
Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease that affects muscles ability to handle the signals coming from the nervous system and reduces it as these signals in normal tell the muscles how to move.
These signals released from nerves are transmitted by a chemical transmitter called acetylcholine(ACh) across the neuromuscular junction.
This chemical transmitter in nerve endings binds to receptors on the muscle cells, releases the signal, and tells the muscle how to contract or move.
After releasing the signal and the occurrence of muscle movement, the body will release acetylcholinesterase which is an enzyme released to stop the signal from continuous muscle stimulation.
In mg disease in dogs, there is a lack of acetylcholine receptors so when acetylcholine is released, the muscle cells can’t detect the signal and that will cause the muscles not to contract normally and lead to muscle weakness and fatigue.
The main two categories of mg disease in dogs are:
1-Congenital MG
It is an inherited condition that the affected dog has already a low number of acetylcholine receptors.
It can be diagnosed at 6-8 weeks of age.
Congenital myasthenia gravis can be seen in:
- Jack Ruussell terriers
- Springer Spaniels
- Smooth Fox
- Miniature dachshund
2-Acquired MG
It is the more common category that develops in adulthood.
In this case, the dog is born with a normal number of acetylcholine receptors, but over time, this number begins to decrease.
Acquired myasthenia gravis occurs when the immune system recognizes acetylcholine(ACh) receptors as foreign, so that will lead to releasing of antibodies that destroy acetylcholine receptors.
Acquired MG may occur suddenly with no detectable underlying causes or may be caused by some medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or cancer.
It is seen in:
- German Shepherds
- Golden retrievers
- Labrador Retrievers
- Akitas
- Newfoundlands
The symptoms of mg disease in dogs
The symptoms of mg disease in dogs may differ from one dog to another according to the severity of the disease or whether the disease is focal or generalized.
1-Difficulty walking
The first main symptom of mg disease in dogs is difficulty walking as the skeletal muscles are the basic ones affected by myasthenia gravis.
The diseased dogs will show these symptoms:
- Collapse of back legs of the dog
- Hunched posture
- The dog will be unable to get up or move easily
2-Regurgitation of food
Dogs with myasthenia gravis may have poor esophageal function. This is the case because the esophagus is composed largely of skeletal muscle, which is the main type of muscle affected in myasthenia gravis.
The signals don’t reach the esophagus, it may become dilated and flaccid.
The term for the enlarged esophagus is megaesophagus in dogs.
With this poor function of the esophagus, the food won’t move down to the stomach and will remain in the esophagus and that will make the dog regurgitate the food.
3-Breathing problems
Due to regurgitation of food, the dog may accidentally inhale some water or food so that will cause aspiration pneumonia which leads to:
- Coughing
- Difficult breathing
- Fever
4-Weight loss
Due to the esophageal problem, the dog can’t get enough food so he will suffer from weight loss.
5-Face and neck problems
- Weakness of eyelids may lead to inability to close eyes
- Drooling
- Dysphagia
- Voice change
The diagnosis of mg disease in dogs and its ways
The first step of diagnosis of mg disease in dogs is physical examination.
Once the vet suspects that the dog has myasthenia gravis and according to the clinical signs, he will recommend these following tests to confirm the disease.
1-Blood and urine tests
These tests are done to discover the cause of muscle weakness such as:
- Low blood sugar
- Hypothyroidism
- Electrolyte abnormalities
2-Ultrasound or chest x-ray
The vet wants a chest x-ray to examine esophageal enlargement that causes aspiration pneumonia.
3-Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody test
AChR test is the “gold standard” test as this one looks for antibodies that are released due to myasthenia gravis.
It is a highly specific and sensitive test.
4-Edrophonium chloride(Tensilon) test
This test is done through IV injection of the drug through the dog’s vein.
This drug blocks acetylcholinesterase and that will temporarily increase acetylcholine in the neuromuscular junction so that the muscles can receive the signals from the nerves.
This test is no longer used due to the production stop of the drug.
Treatment of myasthenia gravis in dogs
There is no cure for mg disease in dogs but we can manage the symptoms.
1-Pyridostigmine bromide
This medication can increase the amount of acetylcholine in the receptors so that it improves muscle function and supports movement.
2-Steroid medications such as prednisolone
These medications can suppress the immune system and decrease the release of antibodies that cause myasthenia gravis.
3-Bailey chair
It is a chair used to keep the dog upright while he is eating so that will help in avoiding inhalation of the food.
4-Levothyroxine sodium
This drug is used to manage the condition if the dog is diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and associated with hypothyroidism.
Summary
A dog afflicted with this disease will have a major problem with movement because it greatly affects the dog’s movement because it affects the muscles responsible for movement.
As we mentioned, this disease may be hereditary or it may have been contracted as a result of infection with another disease.
Although mg disease in dogs has no specific treatment, fortunately the symptoms are under control, this may allow the affected dog’s condition to improve.
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