Syringomyelia in the Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord of an African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus) by Jessica M Weeks BS in BJSTR
Abstract
A captive born neonatal African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)
exhibited hind limb weakness and ataxia since the onset of ambulation.
Initial
examination at one month of age revealed postural reaction deficits in
both hind legs and moderate muscle atrophy. After sustaining a bite
wound to the head, the animal was reexamined at 87 days of age. A
cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed a mild mononuclear pleocytosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging indicated a large syrinx in the thoracolumbar
spinal cord. The animal was subsequently euthanized and necropsy
confirmed the presence of a 1.5 cm x 3 mm syrinx at the T13-L1 level of
the spinal cord. This is the first report of syringomyelia in any
nondomestic
canid. Limited genetic diversity in the captive African wild dog
population may contribute to increasing prevalence of rare congenital
and inherited diseases, which could support strict breeding management
in this species.
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