Leukoencephalomyelopathy is a disease of white matter of the brain and spinal cord; a syndrome of progressive ataxia and weakness with dysmetria, quadriparesis, and conscious proprioceptive deficits, seen in adult Rottweiler dogs.
In this condition, there is gradual or rapid loss of myelin in the white matter tracts in the nervous system (brain and/or spinal cord). Myelin, a fatty substance that coats nerve cells, serves as an electrical insulator and is crucial to the normal conduction of nerve impulses.
Rottweilers of both sexes are affected by this disorder and onset may start from 1 ½ and 3 years of age.
Symptoms of this disorder are subtle and generally seen without any history of illness or injury. Symptoms include
Unsteady walk
Weakness involving all four limbs
Exaggerated spinal reflexes
Unable to stand or walk (in advance cases)
