What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pug Myelopathy?

One of the things which can be very distressing as an owner of a dog with pug myelopathy, is that your dog can seem otherwise completely normal and their usual happy and healthy self. Pug Myelopathy (unlike dog IVDD) is mostly characterised by being a pain-free condition, even on palpation of the affected area.

Pug Myelopathy typically presents with the following signs and symptoms:

• Ataxia; dogs may have difficulty coordinating their movements, leading to an unsteady gait, sometimes referred to as the ‘drunken sailor’ walk
• Dogs affected by Pug Myelopathy usually develop progressive hind limb weakness, which worsens over time. Initially you may only notice that your dog’s feet and/or toe nails are scuffed
• Dragging or ‘knuckling’ of hind legs. As the disease progresses, affected dogs may increasingly drag their hind limbs or knuckle over their paws. This eventually progressed to complete paralysis
• Reflexes in the hind limbs may become diminished or absent
• Generally, a symptom which develops later on is incontinence. As the condition advances, dogs may lose control over either or both their bladder and bowel functions