"Chinese Beagle Syndrome Revisited
"Chinese Beagle Syndrome, a debilitating condition was reported in
“The New Beagle” written by Judy Musladin and Ada Leuke, and again in the
Supporting Membership Newsletter, National Beagle Club, Summer, 1992, in an excerpt from
the book. That same research appears in part on the AKC and other
websites. It is the ONLY definitive written literature on this specific
subject that we have been able to find in an extensive search.
Without quoting too extensively from that article, it is notable that it was believed to
be a “particular manifestation of familial neuronal abiotrophy (inherited
malformation of nerve cells) has not been reported in the veterinary literature (personal
communication from H.W. Leipold, DVM, Professor of Pathology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS). Only cerebellar abiotrophy (an
inherited degenerative disease of the balance portion of the brain) has been
described.”
A CLINICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMPTOMS FROM THE ARTICLE:
“Typically these puppies are recognizable at birth by their
broad skulls and wide-set slanted eyes. As the puppy grows, short outer toes on all
four feet (at least in the nineteen documented cases) become obvious. With further
growth, stiffening of the legs develops, resulting in restriction of flexion and extension
at the joints. These little beagles stand on their center two toes and run with a
"bunny hop." When they sit, the hindquarters are flexed at the hips and
the legs are extended forward in contrast to the flexed stifle and hock joints in
the normal sit position. Tight skin with little flexibility has been reported by
some owners. These little beagles feel stiff all over.”
“X-rays of the legs of some show only the shortened outer toe with otherwise normal
bony and joint development, in contrast to the Xray findings in pups with
chondrodystrophy. Electromyography (testing of the electrical potential of muscles
mediated through the nerves which supply these muscles) on two showed a generalized
abnormality suggestive of spinal cord, spinal nerve root, and/or peripheral nerve
disorder.”
The article goes on to describe neuronal abiotrophies:
WHAT IS NEURONAL ABIOTROPHY?
Put simply, the term is a general one which means an alteration of the nervous tissue resulting in a gradual impairment of muscular function. The term "familial" is added when the degenerative process is inherited. Not all abiotrophies are of primary central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) degenerative disease. Some are the result of storage disease (failure of the body to supply essential enzymes critical to normal body function) which affects the nerve, cells. Some of the abiotrophies have specific names based on the unique feature of the cellular degeneration. Exposure to toxins can also lead to abiotrophy.
PROGNOSIS
The significant difference in the Chinese Beagle Syndrome from the abiotrophies in other breeds is that the disease appears to stabilize by about one year of age. Characteristically in other breeds the course is progressive, resulting in increasing debility and disability and death. Not so in our little affected beagles....”
It is significant, we believe, that now, in 2005, this is still the ONLY published article on this syndrome. A puppy born in 2004, which clearly suffers from Chinese Beagle Syndrome (CBS), has caused the breeder and owner and their friends and colleagues to search far and wide for more answers. This research has provided some new thought and insight, which is shared here for what it is worth. A Case Study