Phenotypic characterisation of canine epileptoid cramping syndrome in the Border terrier

Abstract

OBJECTIVESTo characterise the phenotype of Border terriers suspected to be affected by canine epileptoid cramping syndrome and to identify possible contributing factors.METHODSOwners of Border terriers with suspected canine epileptoid cramping syndrome were invited to complete an online questionnaire. The results of these responses were collated and analysed.RESULTSTwenty-nine Border terriers were included. Most affected dogs had their first episode before 3 years of age (range: 0·2 to 7·0 years). The majority of episodes lasted between 2 and 30 minutes (range: 0·5 to 150 minutes). The most frequent observations during the episodes were difficulty in walking (27 of 29), mild tremor (21 of 29) and dystonia (22 of 29). Episodes most frequently affected all four limbs (25 of 29) and the head and neck (21 of 29). Borborygmi were reported during episodes in 11 of 29 dogs. Episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea occurred in 14 of 29, with 50% of these being immediately before or after episodes of canine epileptoid cramping syndrome (7 of 14). Most owners (26 of 29) had changed their dog's diet, with approximately 50% (14 of 26) reporting a subsequent reduction in the frequency of episodes.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEThis study demonstrates similarities in the phenotype of canine epileptoid cramping syndrome to paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis, a paroxysmal dyskinesia reported in humans. This disorder appears to be associated with gastrointestinal signs in some dogs and appears at least partially responsive to dietary adjustments.

Canine Paroxysmal Movement Disorders

“…10 Similar to the condition in Chinooks, episodes do not seem to be triggered by sudden movements or exertion, although some owners report an association with stress or excitement and others report signs during waking from sleep. Age of onset varies widely ranging from 2.5 months to 7 years; typically, events happen in clusters, sometimes separated by months.…”

“…10 Episodic head tremors are recognized as hereditary or breed-associated disorders in the Doberman pinscher 11 and the English bulldog 12 and may represent a form of paroxysmal dyskinesia. Sporadic cases have been reported in a variety of breeds, the details of which are summarized in Table 2.…”

Acetazolamide-responsive paroxysmal dyskinesia in a 12-week-old female golden retriever dog

“…Hypertonicity syndrome was first observed in young Scottish terriers and known as Scottie cramp (SC) (Meyers et al 1970(Meyers et al , 1973Clemmons et al 1980). Similar clinical signs are seen in CKCS with episodic falling syndrome (EFS) (Herrtage & Palmer 1983) and border terriers with canine epileptoid cramping syndrome (CECS) (Black et al 2013). Case reports of dalmatians (Woods 1977), springer spaniels (Shelton 2004), wheaten terriers (Shelton 2004) and a Yorkshire terrier (Park et al 2014) with similar clinical signs have also been described.…”

“…Paroxysmal dyskinesias are a relatively rare but welldocumented group of movement disorders in human medicine and they are also increasingly recognized in veterinary medicine (Woods 1977;Herrtage & Palmer 1983;Blakely & Jankovic 2002;Shelton 2004;Black et al 2013;Urkasemsin & Olby 2014). This group of movement abnormalities is characterized by sudden occurrence of abnormal involuntary movement that recurs episodically and lasts only for a brief duration (Bhatia 2011).…”

“…The carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, acetazolamide, was also described as having therapeutic benefit in these dogs (Platt 2014). Almost 50% of border terrier dogs with CECS respond well to dietary adjustments with gluten free diet (Black et al 2013). Treatment of SC consists of daily oral dosing with acepromazine maleate or diazepam, also vitamin E and serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine may be useful in affected dogs (Clemmons et al 1980;Shelton 2004;Geiger & Klopp 2009;Platt 2014;Urkasemsin & Olby 2015).…”