A breed specific muscle disease known as VIZSLA INFLAMMATORY POLYMYOPATHY (VIP) has been recognised The principal clinical signs are
We need to hear from any vizsla owner, breeder or vet that has had experience of the disease.
VIDEOS
Please look at the video clips to see typical swallowing problems – these are usually at the level of the pharynx. The tongue muscles too are often involved. Picking up food can be difficult and normal lapping and licking can be compromised.
CLINICAL SIGNS OF VIP
Polymyositis in the young vizsla often presents with an acute episode of retching, gagging, choking, dysphagia and hypersalivation. Sometimes in the case of older individuals the onset is more insidious with only inefficient and messy eating and drinking being previously noted. Frequently a megaoesophagus is detected. Fatigue, significantly elevated CK levels, an absence of a gag reflex, voice change, aspiration pneumonia, lameness/stiffness/peculiarity of gait are other common findings. Muscle wasting in the temporal and masseter areas usually follows
VET INVESTIGATIONS
VIP is a very serious illness and needs prompt veterinary investigation – usually at Referral level. Diagnosis depends on the presenting clinical signs, the exclusion of similar illnesses and ideally some other testing that will only be available at Specialist level (blood tests, EMG, Fluoroscopy and biopsy) More detail is on the VET INFO page
TREATMENT
With prompt diagnosis and treatment VIP can usually be well controlled with combined immune suppressive protocols – typically Prednisone + Imuran (azathioprine) – these medications to be only very gradually tapered. Recently other adjunctive drugs have been used with even better success – particularly Ciclosporin, Leflunomide and Mycophenolate. Careful monitoring of the tapering regime is vital. There is a need to taking things slowly and to respond quickly to any resurgence of clinical signs. Once remission has been achieved many UK VIP vizslas have benefited from long term “maintenance” doses of steroids – at just anti-inflammatory levels. There are lots of happy success stories – and this website will be updated shortly to describe them.
GENETICS
Recent vizsla research undertaken by CIGMR identified an MHC Class ll haplotype associated with an increased risk of VIP. This confirmed that a predisposition to the disease has a genetic and inheritable component. Close family relationships between affected dogs are common. Please visit the pedigrees page to see an open registry of affected UK individuals
OVERSEAS
Vizsla Inflammatory Polymyopathyhas been especially noted in the UK but has also been reported in other parts of Europe and also US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Below are Hunter – from Canada – and Toby- from US. They are cases submitted to ACVIM. Two years after diagnosis and treatment both are doing very well.
