Canine Myositis
Myositis is not very common; however, it is something that your veterinarian and you should be aware of. Larger dogs are more prone to masticatory myositis, however any breed can develop a form of myositis, which simply refers to inflammation of a group of muscles.
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Myositis
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Myositis is the medical term meaning muscle inflammation. This inflammation can affect only one muscle, or it may affect groups of muscles. Groups of muscles that my be affected include eyeball muscles and chewing muscles.
Causes
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Myositis may be caused by cancer, as the inflammation may possibly evolve into cancer; a viral or parasitic infection can also cause myositis. An abnormal immune reaction that is directed at the muscle can also cause myositis, although, according to Vet Specialists, no one understands why the immune system suddenly attacks the muscles.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of myositis include weakness, the inability to exercise normally and pain in the muscles. If the dog is suffering from masticatory (chewing) myositis, it may have difficulty moving the jaw or picking up food, and eventually the dog will be unable to open its mouth at all. The dog may also have a swollen head that appears larger than normal. If the myositis is affecting the muscles around the eyes, the dog's eyes may appear to protrude, along with swelling around the eye area and vision impairment.
Certain breeds of dogs, such as Shetland sheep dogs and Australian cattle dogs, may also develop lesions of the skin along with muscle stiffness.
Masticatory Muscle Myositis
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Inflammation of the chewing muscles can occur in many breeds of large dogs; however, some breeds are more susceptible to developing this problem than others. Some of these include Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, all retriever breeds, Chinese sharpeis, and old English sheep dogs. This condition affects the main muscles that are used for chewing and grinding the food before swallowing, according to Curio Italian Greyhounds.
Treatment
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Treatment of myositis includes administering drugs to slow down or relax the immune system, including high doses of steroids such as prednisone. Other medicinal choices include cyclosporin, azathioprine or cytarbine, and these may be used along with steroids. Once the myositis is under control, the drugs should be slowly decreased, otherwise the inflammation may return. In cases where the dog is at high risk for a relapse, alternate days of medication may be needed for the remaining years of the dog's life. In a case where an infection is causing the inflammation, the infection will need to be treated first. Surgery may be needed to regain function of the jaw muscles.
Prognosis
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Improvement may not be seen in a dog for a few weeks; however, the outlook for myositis is considered to be fair, as stated by Vet Specialist. The drugs used in treating myositis may cause damage to the muscles; therefore, a veterinarian should monitor the dog closely to ensure that the dog is not suffering any long-term side effects from the corticosteroids.
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References
- Photo Credit Two Dogs image by ziggyhendry from Fotolia.com
