Paroxysmal Dyskinesia in Border Terriers: Clinical, Epidemiological, and Genetic Investigations

Background: Chronic diarrhea (CD) is common in dogs, and information on frequency and distribution of primary and secondary causes is lacking. Objectives: To evaluate underlying causes and predictors of outcome in dogs with CD. Animals: One hundred and thirty-six client-owned dogs with CD (≥3 weeks duration). Methods: Retrospective review of medical records (Small Animal Clinic, Freie Universit€ at Berlin, Germany, 09/2009-07/ 2011). Quantification of final diagnoses and comparison of clinical aspects including disease severity and clinicopathological abnormalities among dogs with clinical remission (either complete [gastrointestinal signs absent] or partial [clinical improve- ment of gastrointestinal signs and reduced episodes with shortened duration]), and those without recovery. Results: Ninety percent of dogs were diagnosed with a primary enteropathy: inflammatory (71%; of those 66% dietary responsive, 23% idiopathic, 11% antibiotic responsive), infectious (13%), neoplastic (4%), and in one dog each mechanical disease or systemic vasculitis. Secondary causes were diagnosed in 10% of dogs: exocrine pancreatic (6%), endocrine (2%), and in one dog each hepatic, renal, and cardiac disease. In total, 87% of dogs had clinical remission, whereas 13% died or did not respond to treatment: Lack of recovery was frequently recorded for dogs with primary inflammatory (idiopathic) or neoplastic disease and was significantly associated with increased disease severity scores (P = .005), anemia (hemat- ocrit <40%, P <.001), severe hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin