Are you concerned that your puppy is not walking normally? Have you read about Wobbler Syndrome online, and now you’re concerned that your puppy may be affected?

Remember, if you have any concerns at all about your puppy, then the best thing to do is bring them to your vet, who will likely want to watch them walking, examine their joints, perhaps take some x-rays or maybe even refer to a specialist. But in the meantime, here is some information to put your mind at rest, or ensure that you feel informed when you see your vet!

Table of contents

What is wobbler syndrome?

Wobbler syndrome is a casual name for a condition known as cervical spondylomyelopathy. Although since this condition was first described, in 1967, it has been known by 14 different names, as our understanding of it grows.

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that run from the brain all the way down to the tail. It controls the movement of the limbs, as well as lots of other different functions. The vertebrae of the spine, and the cartilage discs between the vertebrae form a safe “tunnel” for the spinal cord to run through, to protect it from damage, as it is a very delicate structure.

However, in an ironic twist, the spine can sometimes cause damage, rather than protecting the spinal cord. If the bones of the vertebrae in the neck (cervical vertebrae) develop in an abnormal shape, or with instability between the vertebrae, then this can put pressure on the spinal cord. This affects the messages travelling between the spinal cords and the limbs, causing an abnormal “wobbly” gait. 

Wich dogs get wobbler syndrome?

The first thing to be aware of, is that wobbler syndrome is uncommon. It is not a disease that we see every day in veterinary practice. It may be becoming less common all the time, as breeders make an effort to exclude affected animals from the gene pool.

The most commonly affected breeds are large and giant breed dogs, such as great danes, dobermans, Irish wolfhounds, basset hounds and rottweilers. If your dog is a small breed, then it is very unlikely that they have wobbler syndrome. Most affected dogs are young adults, although it is possible for dogs to also become affected in middle age. 

What causes wobbler syndrome?

The exact cause of wobbler syndrome is unknown. It is thought that both genetics and nutrition can play a part. The fact that the same breeds are affected again and again suggests that there is a genetic link.

It is also thought that a diet that is too high in protein, fed at the puppy stage when these large or giant breed dogs are growing rapidly, may play a part. If you own a large breed puppy, it is very important to ensure they are fed on a puppy food that specifically caters for large breeds. This minimises the chance of any imbalance causing issues with their joints or spine. 

What are the signs of wobbler syndrome?

The signs of wobbler syndrome start out as very subtle, and you may barely notice them, but they gradually get worse and become more noticeable with time. The first thing you might notice would usually be weakness or incoordination of the hind legs. Over time, the front legs may become affected also.

A dog with wobbler syndrome will (unsurprisingly!) wobble on the back legs. He may drag his feet rather than lifting them up nicely when walking; he may stumble or lose his balance frequently, or his legs may splay out behind him. There may be some neck pain (although not all dogs with wobbler syndrome experience pain), which most frequently manifests as a reluctance to bend the neck down or up. If your dog seems reluctant to eat food from ground level, but will eat happily when you hold his food bowl up at a higher level, then he may have neck pain.

Affected dogs have problems with their proprioception

Proprioception can be a difficult concept to get your head around. Essentially, it means the awareness of where your limbs are, when you can’t see them. Having normal proprioception means that if one of your limbs is in an unnatural position (eg. Knuckled over) you will automatically correct it, even though you can’t see the limb. 

A good way of testing your dog’s proprioception is to stand him with a sheet of paper under one of his hind feet. While he is standing still, slowly pull the sheet of paper backwards or out to the side. If he has normal proprioception, he will pick up his foot and place it back down in a normal position. But if his proprioception is abnormal then he will just allow his foot to slide out with the sheet of paper until he becomes unbalanced.

Another way to check your dog’s proprioception is to knuckle their hind foot over whilst supporting their weight with a hand under their abdomen. Again, a dog with normal proprioception will quickly correct their foot placement. But a dog with abnormal proprioception will leave their foot knuckled for quite a while. However, this second method is quite difficult in larger dogs. In order for it to be accurate, you have to support their weight with your hand – and in larger dogs this is often impossible. 

In the early stages, most dogs will only have signs in their back legs

However, as time goes on, the front legs can become affected too. This can result in a gait where the hind legs seem wobbly and off balance, and the front legs seem to be taking short, choppy strides. 

What will my vet do?

If you are concerned about your dog’s gait, have noticed some proprioception problems or have any concerns that you think might relate to wobbler syndrome, then you must bring your dog to see your vet as soon as possible. Your vet will likely perform what is known as a neurological examination, which aims to establish if there is a neurological problem present and if so, where the problem is likely to originate from.

This involves doing specific tests to check the function of various nerves, observing your dog’s gait, checking some reflexes and their proprioception. It may also involve asking your dog to complete a short, simple “obstacle course” such as walking up and down from a kerb, turning in tight circles and stepping over some objects on the ground. 

If this examination gives the vet reason to be concerned about wobbler syndrome, then they may want to take some x-rays of your dog’s spine – however, plain x-rays can have some limitations. X-rays are very good at showing us what bones look like, but not very good at showing us what soft tissues (such as the spinal cord) look like, and sometimes in wobbler syndrome the boney changes can be very subtle, so it can be a struggle to make a diagnosis on x-rays alone.

In most cases, if suspicious of a neurological problem, your vet may refer your dog to a specialist neurologist, who will most likely have the facilities to perform an MRI scan, which will give much more accurate information about your dog’s spinal cord. 

Treatment

There are several different options for the treatment of wobbler syndrome, both medical and surgical – but an in depth discussion about the different treatment options is outside the scope of this article. Your neurologist will be the best person to discuss this and make personalised recommendations for your dog. 

Prognosis

If it is caught early and treated promptly, then the prognosis for wobblers syndrome can be good. The best chance your dog has for returning to normal function, or being able to lead a normal life, is if you bring them to your vet as soon as you notice any abnormalities. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to good outcomes here. 

You may also be interested in;

References/further reading:

  1. R.C Da Costa, 2010 “Cervical spondylomyelopathy (wobblers syndrome) in dogs” Vet Clinics of North America Small Animal Practice 2010 Sep;40(5):881-913.
  2. Wobblers in Dogs Fact Sheet
  3. Cervical Spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler syndrome)