Progressive Cerebellar Atrophy

Suseptible Breeds

• While this disorder can occur in most breeds, some are more susceptible than others. Breeds in which progressive cerebellar atrophy occur most often are Australian kelpie, border collie, Airedale terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, beagle, Bernese mountain dog, Brittany, bull terrier, bullmastiff, collie, Gordon setter, Kerry blue terrier, Labrador retriever, poodle, Samoyed, Scottish terrier and English sheepdog). CA is the most prevalent genetic disease in Australian kelpies.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of affected dogs typically start in the first few weeks, but some breeds show signs much later. For example, the English sheep dog may not exhibit signs of this disease until it is 40 months old. While symptoms can vary from dog to dog, typical signs of the disease are general clumsiness and lack of coordination. Because this is a degenerative disease, changes in coordination may take years to affect a dog's ability to walk or climb stairs.

Cause

• The disease is caused by a defective autosomal recessive gene. If both parents have this recessive gene, puppies will develop CA. Dogs that are known to carry this recessive gene should not be bred, but in some cases breeders will simply breed an affected female with another male, which perpetuates the gene.

Severity

• Dogs with this disease have varying levels of degeneration and their cerebellums can degenerate at different rates. For example, some initial signs of the disease are so mild that pet owners are unaware their dog has CA until more obvious symptoms appear. But in some cases, a dog's coordination and movement quickly deteriorates once the first symptoms appear.

Long-Term Prognosis

• Because there is no cure for this disease, long-term prognosis depends upon the severity of the symptoms. While many dogs live out a happy, healthy life, other dogs deteriorate quickly and to the point where euthanasia becomes the only option.