Wobbler disease

Wobbler disease is a catchall term referring to several possible malformations of the cervical vertebrae that cause an unsteady (wobbly) gait and weakness in dogs and horses.

A number of different conditions of the cervical (neck) spinal column cause similar clinical signs.

[citation needed] Wobbler disease is probably inherited in the Borzoi, Great Dane, Doberman, and Basset Hound.

In younger dogs such as Great Danes less than two years of age, wobbler disease is caused by stenosis (narrowing) of the vertebral canal[3] related to degeneration of the dorsal articular facets and subsequent thickening of the associated joint capsules and ligaments.

[6] X-rays may show misaligned vertebrae and narrow disk spaces, but it is not as effective as a myelogram, which reveals stenosis of the vertebral canal.

Magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to be more effective at showing the location, nature, and severity of spinal cord compression than a myelogram.

[7] Treatment is either medical to control the symptoms, usually with corticosteroids and cage rest, or surgical to correct the spinal cord compression.

Mounting evidence is growing that points to CVM and other cervical and vertebral disorders (like Kissing Spine) as hereditary and found in populations of specific families.

[12] Other forms, such as cervical arthritis and equine wobbles anemia, are concentrated in certain breeds and demonstrate possible hereditary factors.

Horses with wobbler disease often exhibit ataxia (implying dysfunction of parts of the nervous system), show weakness in the hindquarters, or may knuckle over in their fetlocks, particularly in the rear.

Horses with wobbler disease or cervical anomalies can demonstrate difficult to diagnose lamenesses that come and go, and often are not resolved by veterinary blocks to the limbs.