Swimmer syndrome in a Devon rex kitten and an English bulldog puppy

The most common congenital malformations in dogs: Literature review and practical guide

Congenital malformations can affect almost 7% of canine newborns. The increase of commercial dog breeding and inbreeding used to maintain the striking characteristics of each breed, the appearance of malformations has become increasingly common, especially in brachycephalic dogs. The causes are diverse, and include genetic, nutritional, iatrogenic, and infectious factors, often making it difficult to establish a cause-consequence relationship. The high mortality associated with malformations comes not only from the fact that some are incompatible with life, but also because even if many undergo surgical treatment or correction, they require specific management, monitoring, and clinical treatment for an indefinite period of time. The most common malformations such as cleft lip and palate, hydrocephalus and anasarca have been studied for a long time, and it is currently known that brachycephalic dogs have a greater predisposition, however, for other less common conditions as gastroschisis and hypospadias, there is only a few case reports. The appearance of congenital defects in a litter leads to financial losses for the breeder, emotional losses for the owner and the veterinarian and harms the well-being of that individual. For this reason, the aim of this review article is to gather relevant information on the characteristics, diagnosis, and management of the main malformations in puppies. It is essential that the veterinarian is prepared to diagnose and treat these conditions, reducing negative impacts on animals and owners.

A questionnaire-based investigation of the swimming puppy syndrome: 115 dogs

Swimming Puppy Syndrome (SPS) is a benign reversible condition of unknown etiology in multiple dog breeds. Affected dogs show laterally abducted limbs and are unable to stand and walk on their own. The current knowledge of this condition derives from few case reports or small case series. Therefore, the aim of this study was to collect data on the clinical course from a large cohort of dogs with SPS with an online questionnaire supported by video footage. Potential risk factors were compared between 110 litters with SPS and 103 unaffected litters. SPS was reported in 115 dogs from 48 different breeds comprising a wide range of small, middle, and large breeds. Litters with SPS were significantly smaller than unaffected litters. Cesarean sections were reported more frequently in affected litters, but the overall rate of reported birth complications did not differ significantly from unaffected litters. Most puppies were able to stand and walk at a median age of 4.5 weeks (up to 12 weeks) and clinical signs resolved at a median age of six weeks (up to 12 weeks). Puppies from large breeds showed faster recovery than puppies from medium and small breeds. Occasionally, residual deficits were reported and only three dogs failed to recover. A clustering of SPS occurred in closely related litters in four kennels of four different dog breeds (Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever, Miniature Bull Terrier, Norwich Terrier). The study shows the benign clinical course of SPS in a large cohort of puppies from multiple dog breeds. Potential risk factors including reports on birth complications, size and muscle mass compared to littermates and diet of the dam during pregnany were evaluated and no influence on the occurrence of SPS was identified.

Factors contributing to the swimmer puppy syndrome found in Labrador retrievers

Background

Swimmer puppy syndrome is a disease found in neonatal puppies mainly characterized by the inability to stand, but its direct cause is unknown. Since swimmer puppies were observed infrequently but continuously among the Labrador retriever colony at the Hokkaido Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in Japan, based on their birth record and pedigree, factors related to the onset of swimmer puppy syndrome in Labrador retrievers were examined.

Results

The total number of offspring over seven years was 436, of which 16 were swimmer puppies. Most of the affected puppies except one recovered steadily. As for the swimmer puppies, the litter size was significantly lower, and the body weights on the 10th and 28th day after delivery were significantly higher than the non-symptomatic puppies. These results suggested that the onset may be related to weight gain in the neonatal stages due to a small litter size. According to the genetic analysis, 26 ancestors common to the affected individuals were confirmed, but the causative individual could not be identified with the inbreeding coefficient. The heritability of the swimmer-puppy onset trait was 0.80, and the heritability for the the 10th-day body-weight trait was equally high at 0.78, both of which strongly suggest genetic involvement.

Conclusions

In this study, the onset of swimmer puppy syndrome in the Labrador retrievers was associated with litter size and early weight gain, and result of study suggests that genetic influence might be involved.

Swimmer syndrome in a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) cub

A 32-day-old, hand-reared, captive-born female clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) cub presented as being unable to stand, ambulate, or adduct both hind limbs. The cub exhibited hyperextension of both tarsal joints and a flattened thorax, which limited mobility to "swimmer-like" movements. Neither congenital defects nor neurologic deficits were observed during the medical examination. Radiographic examination showed the thorax was compressed dorsoventrally, but no other skeletal abnormalities were detected. Based on clinical signs, the condition was more consistent with swimmer syndrome, which has been described in young offspring of several domestic species. Over the course of 3 wk, affected limbs were treated by intensive physiotherapy, corrective bandages were applied, and thermotherapy was used to improve circulation, which resulted in a complete recovery and development of subsequent normal ambulation. It is concluded that early diagnosis and treatment of this condition led to the resolution of clinical signs, resulting in normal development of the clouded leopard cub reported here.

Prevalence of Swimming Puppy Syndrome in 2,443 Puppies during the Years 2006-2012 in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to report on the prevalence of swimming puppy syndrome (SPS) and investigate predisposing factors. Data were recorded from 2,443 puppies (1,183 males and 1,260 females) in Thailand, October 2006-September 2012, including breed, sex, number of puppies per litter, type of nest floor, number of affected limbs, and occurrence of pectus excavatum. Fifty-two puppies (2.13%) were diagnosed with SPS. The breed most frequently affected was English Bulldog (8.33%). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between presence and absence of disease based on sex, breed, and nest floor type. The number of puppies per litter was associated with SPS; puppies from smaller litters (1.92 ± 1.12) had a higher prevalence of the disease (P < 0.01) than puppies from larger litters (3.64 ± 2.24). Moreover, 15.38% of puppies with affected limbs showed signs of pectus excavatum (8/52); this clinical sign was more prevalent (P < 0.01) in puppies with all four limbs affected with SPS.

Swimmer syndrome affecting an entire litter of kittens

Swimmer syndrome is a developmental abnormality characterized by a delay in the ability to walk and move about and is manifested in newborns between 15 and 20 days of age. These animals exhibit constant coxofemoral articulation abduction, and their pelvic limbs move caudally and laterally. This case reports a litter of three crossbreeds kittens (26 days old) with swimmer syndrome. Each animal was treated with physical therapy and shackle bandages that kept their pelvic limbs bent and close to the body. After seven days, all of the animals exhibited normal ambulation, indicating that this treatment had a curative effect on the kittens.