Overview
Coonhound syndrome is also referred to as coonhound paralysis or acute polyradiculoneuritis. The exact cause of coonhound syndrome was once thought to be contact with raccoons which carried the disease, but many cases are unexplained. Whatever the cause, coonhound syndrome results in an immune attack on the nerves near the base of the spinal cord. The result of this attack is odd and frightening symptoms that sometimes baffle pet owners.
Symptoms of Coonhound Syndrome
Symptoms of coonhound syndrome develop rapidly between a period of one to seven days. One of the first symptoms of this syndrome that a pet owner may notice is that the dog’s bark seems off and sounds strange. Coonhound syndrome causes a spreading paralysis, and if the paralysis affects the vocal muscles the dog’s bark will begin to sound different. Other symptoms that appear and then rapidly begin to worsen include weakness in the rear legs which then spreads to the front legs, the dog’s walk can become stiff and stilted, the muscles begin to quickly waste away, and sometimes the dog becomes very sensitive to touch.
Owners that notice these beginning symptoms in their dog are often not overly concerned because most dogs with coonhound syndrome continue to eat well and are alert. However as the symptoms progress it is apparent that something is seriously wrong. There is no specific treatment for coonhound syndrome except supportive care; the sooner the care is started the better the prognosis.
Coonhound syndrome can either be mild or severe. Some dogs only develop mild symptoms and then recover on their own within a few weeks. Other dogs can develop a severe case of the syndrome and their respiratory muscles can become paralyzed; in these cases respiratory support can be given to the dog to allow the dog time to recover from the syndrome.