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Cerebellar Hypoplasia
The cerebellum is the portion of the brain responsible for the
control of motion. When a puppy or kitten is born with an
underdeveloped cerebellum, the condition is known as congenital
cerebellar hypoplasia.
There are infectious causes of this condition in both cats
(panleukopenia infection prior to birth) and dogs (herpes virus
infection prior to birth). Improper development of the cerebellum
may occur due to injury, poisoning or just from an accident in
development in the uterus. It is generally possible to see signs of
this condition almost as soon as the puppy or kitten is born.
Affected animals have tremors and unusual jerky movements or may
fall down when they try to move. The symptoms do not get worse as
they age. As the kitten or puppy grows it will learn to compensate
for its condition but there are usually lifelong signs of a
decreased ability to coordinate movement. Almost all dogs and cats
with congenital cerebellar hypoplasia can live happily as pets with
a little special care to compensate for their disabilities. This
condition can be confused with cerebellar abiotrophy, a different
disorder in dogs in which the puppy has a normal cerebellum at birth
but it gradually dies. Signs of disease identical to cerebellar
hypoplasia occur but the timing is different. Puppies with this
condition seem normal at birth but usually start to show signs of
problems after they are 2 months or more of age.
