This is the sad story of my Vilma-lagotto… Punatassun Nebulosa AC, or Vilma as we used to call her, was born 7/12/2002 and passed away 7/4/2003 suffering from Cerebella Abiotrophy. They treated Vilma at The Helsinki University department of veterinary medicine. Here she also was euthanized and they did do a histopathological examination, as well.
This is Vilma's story:
“Hi to all Lagottos and Lagotto people. I´m a chick called Vilma, and I´m 4 months old. I live with my Mum, Dad and two human-sisters. They have made the backyard all for me and my needs. Mum doesn´t even get mad if I´m playing the gardener with her, what they used to call, flowers. But the best of all is our summer cottage. There I´m free to explore the mystery of the earth. The summer has just begun, so I have a lot to explore. It was at the summer cottage mum noticed that there was something really wrong with me. Dad was up North in Lapland snowmobiling. Mum and I had helped out granny carrying out wood from the forest and mum thought at first that I was too tired, my blacklegs did slip and shake. But the condition got worse on Sunday when we got home, I started to fall over. At first they blamed I got so much worms in my belly, but mum had already given me medication for that. So mum took me to the veterinarian, as worried as she was. The veterinarian examined me properly, and as I was her first Lagotto-patient she didn´t argue with the information of the worms by the breeder and put Stronghold-medicine in my neck to prevent worms. She did, though, talk about something like a need to see a neurologist if I didn´t get any better in a couple of days. I didn´t worry a thing, the vet was a really nice person, she told me I was a very brave and nice little doggie, and I just LOVE people. Dad got home and I was thrilled. He always takes me with him to the sauna and I love it. But now I couldn´t manage to get all the way up to the seats, but dad helped me as nice as he is, and we had a great time in the hot sauna. I had already learned what the refrigerator-door sounded like. So nobody could open it without me nearby. I was that guard, you know. Mum and Dad got sometimes a little nervous with me hanging around the fridge all the time. I can already do "my things" outside. You should know how proud they are! So I don´t have to read the old newspapers by the door anymore. The problem with me, you see, is that I don´t have the balance like you other Lagottos. I try to play and run but always fall to the ground. Mum is afraid I might break a leg someday. My whole body is shaking and it´s a big job to try to stand up without falling all the time. Mum took me back to that nice veterinarian, because I got worse. I was just so happy seeing her again. But she was very sad and the next day we went to The Helsinki Univesity pet-hospital to see a neurologist. So off we went the very next day by car. The neurologist was a really nice guy, even though they spoke English, and I just understand Finnish, you see. The neurologist examined me by different methods, walking, running and the best was that I saw a BIG horse, too. Dad was also with us. The neurologist told mum and dad that I had some problems with my cerebellum. They came to the conclusion that I had to spend the night at the hospital and they´ll run some tests and take an MRI-scan out of my brain. The very next day the bomb exploded! I had Cerebellar Abiotrophy, and there´s no cure for this, and nobody knows how it proceeds. So I can never ever be a normal Lagotto... My family was devastated, even though I was thrilled to be going home sweet home. My tail almost broke as much I had to move it in the happiness I felt. This disease hasn´t changed my mood at all. I can do a lot of tricks. I´m still a Lagotto, you know... I just can not do everything. Now we are waiting and observing my condition. The last couple of days have been horrible. I can´t even do my pee without some help from mum or dad. Thank goodness they help me out, otherwise ... Eating has become difficult as well as I´m falling into the food cup. Nothing matters as long as my family loves me! They are going through a very hard time as well, and I do try to cheer them up. They have to laugh at me, as silly as I can be. But the atmosphere at home is sad. They are crying a lot. Today we went back to the neurologist and they made some more examinations. They calmed me down with drugs...mummy kissed me goodbye and held me for the last time... Now I´m playing up here in Dogs Heaven. I am no long a sick Lagotto!!! I just feel so bad for my family...they DO miss me. I send Lagotto-greetings to you all, Vilma”
...here is the final report on Vilma...
History: abnormal gait since about 3 weeks. General clinical and orthopedically examination: normal. Neurological examination: generalised ataxia, hypermetria in the front, deficits in the postrual reactions, normal reflexes, decreased menance reaction on both sides. Blood examination: normal. Magnetic reconance imaging: the cerebellum seems to be somewhat smaller as expected; hypointense areas in T2 in the white matter of the cerebellum and mesecephalon; these changes seems to be symmetrical and do not enchance after the gadolinium aplication. These lesions are isointense or even mildly hypointense in T1. Cerebrospinal fluid examination: normal. Necropsy: the cerebellum weighed about 7% of the total brain (normal 10-12%). No lesions were found in any of the brain or spinal cord parts except the cerebellum. Here there is a profound loss of the granular layer. This lesion is through all of the folia of the vermis and paravermis and the medial part of the lateral aspect of the hemisphere but the most lateral folia of the hemisphere are spared bilaterally. Histopathological diagnosis: cerebellar abiotrophy Conclusion: described degenerative cerebellar disorders in Vilma most likely have an inherited pathogenesis as it is described in other dog breeds.
“Hi to all Lagottos and Lagotto people. I´m a chick called Vilma, and I´m 4 months old. I live with my Mum, Dad and two human-sisters. They have made the backyard all for me and my needs. Mum doesn´t even get mad if I´m playing the gardener with her, what they used to call, flowers. But the best of all is our summer cottage. There I´m free to explore the mystery of the earth. The summer has just begun, so I have a lot to explore. It was at the summer cottage mum noticed that there was something really wrong with me. Dad was up North in Lapland snowmobiling. Mum and I had helped out granny carrying out wood from the forest and mum thought at first that I was too tired, my blacklegs did slip and shake. But the condition got worse on Sunday when we got home, I started to fall over. At first they blamed I got so much worms in my belly, but mum had already given me medication for that. So mum took me to the veterinarian, as worried as she was. The veterinarian examined me properly, and as I was her first Lagotto-patient she didn´t argue with the information of the worms by the breeder and put Stronghold-medicine in my neck to prevent worms. She did, though, talk about something like a need to see a neurologist if I didn´t get any better in a couple of days. I didn´t worry a thing, the vet was a really nice person, she told me I was a very brave and nice little doggie, and I just LOVE people. Dad got home and I was thrilled. He always takes me with him to the sauna and I love it. But now I couldn´t manage to get all the way up to the seats, but dad helped me as nice as he is, and we had a great time in the hot sauna. I had already learned what the refrigerator-door sounded like. So nobody could open it without me nearby. I was that guard, you know. Mum and Dad got sometimes a little nervous with me hanging around the fridge all the time. I can already do "my things" outside. You should know how proud they are! So I don´t have to read the old newspapers by the door anymore. The problem with me, you see, is that I don´t have the balance like you other Lagottos. I try to play and run but always fall to the ground. Mum is afraid I might break a leg someday. My whole body is shaking and it´s a big job to try to stand up without falling all the time. Mum took me back to that nice veterinarian, because I got worse. I was just so happy seeing her again. But she was very sad and the next day we went to The Helsinki Univesity pet-hospital to see a neurologist. So off we went the very next day by car. The neurologist was a really nice guy, even though they spoke English, and I just understand Finnish, you see. The neurologist examined me by different methods, walking, running and the best was that I saw a BIG horse, too. Dad was also with us. The neurologist told mum and dad that I had some problems with my cerebellum. They came to the conclusion that I had to spend the night at the hospital and they´ll run some tests and take an MRI-scan out of my brain. The very next day the bomb exploded! I had Cerebellar Abiotrophy, and there´s no cure for this, and nobody knows how it proceeds. So I can never ever be a normal Lagotto... My family was devastated, even though I was thrilled to be going home sweet home. My tail almost broke as much I had to move it in the happiness I felt. This disease hasn´t changed my mood at all. I can do a lot of tricks. I´m still a Lagotto, you know... I just can not do everything. Now we are waiting and observing my condition. The last couple of days have been horrible. I can´t even do my pee without some help from mum or dad. Thank goodness they help me out, otherwise ... Eating has become difficult as well as I´m falling into the food cup. Nothing matters as long as my family loves me! They are going through a very hard time as well, and I do try to cheer them up. They have to laugh at me, as silly as I can be. But the atmosphere at home is sad. They are crying a lot. Today we went back to the neurologist and they made some more examinations. They calmed me down with drugs...mummy kissed me goodbye and held me for the last time... Now I´m playing up here in Dogs Heaven. I am no long a sick Lagotto!!! I just feel so bad for my family...they DO miss me. I send Lagotto-greetings to you all, Vilma”
...here is the final report on Vilma...
History: abnormal gait since about 3 weeks. General clinical and orthopedically examination: normal. Neurological examination: generalised ataxia, hypermetria in the front, deficits in the postrual reactions, normal reflexes, decreased menance reaction on both sides. Blood examination: normal. Magnetic reconance imaging: the cerebellum seems to be somewhat smaller as expected; hypointense areas in T2 in the white matter of the cerebellum and mesecephalon; these changes seems to be symmetrical and do not enchance after the gadolinium aplication. These lesions are isointense or even mildly hypointense in T1. Cerebrospinal fluid examination: normal. Necropsy: the cerebellum weighed about 7% of the total brain (normal 10-12%). No lesions were found in any of the brain or spinal cord parts except the cerebellum. Here there is a profound loss of the granular layer. This lesion is through all of the folia of the vermis and paravermis and the medial part of the lateral aspect of the hemisphere but the most lateral folia of the hemisphere are spared bilaterally. Histopathological diagnosis: cerebellar abiotrophy Conclusion: described degenerative cerebellar disorders in Vilma most likely have an inherited pathogenesis as it is described in other dog breeds.