Chronic Progressive Autonomic Dysfunction in a Dog

Abstract

A 3.5-year-old intact male American Pit Bull was presented because of urinary incontinence and dysuria. Constipation, followed by diarrhoea, ocular disturbances and finally regurgitation developed over the next 4 years. Autonomic dysfunction was evidenced by clinical presentation, as well as positive ophthalmic pilocarpine test and subnormal Schirmer tear test. Diagnosis, however, was established through histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Lesions attributable to inflammatory degenerative neuropathy of the autonomic ganglia, which represents one of the various types of human autonomic failure, were detected.

Five cases of canine dysautonomia in England (2004 to 2006)

“…It is interesting to note that two dogs (3 and 4) in the present report had pre‐existing gastrointestinal signs (constipation and diarrhoea), possibly suggesting a more protracted disease course similar to a previously described case in Greece (Adamama‐Moraitou and others 2006).…”

“…Canine dysautonomia was first described in England by Rochlitz and Bennett (1983). Although individual cases have been reported in Scotland (Pollin and Sullivan 1986, Jamieson and others 2002), Norway (Presthus and Bjerkas 1987), Belgium (Schrauwen and others 1991, 1993), Germany (Schulze and others 1997) and Greece (Adamama‐Moraitou and others 2006), canine dysautonomia is less commonly reported in Europe compared with the high numbers reported in the USA (Wise and Lappin 1991, Longshore and others 1996, Berghaus and others 2002, Harkin and others 2002). Within the UK, two cases have been reported from Scotland (Jamieson and others 2002), although the case described by Rochlitz and Bennett (1983) remains the only case from England.…”