*Corresponding author:
Jennifer Langan, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois, 61802, USAReceived: September 22, 2017; Published: October 10, 2017
DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000425
To view the Full Article Peer-reviewed Article PDF
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.