With the definition "muscle atrophy" we mean a weakening and a reduction of the muscle mass in the dog's body; It mostly manifests itself in the way you can actually imagine, as weight loss or weakness on the part of the animal. This disorder can indicate a wide variety of health problems and diseases; therefore, if you notice some loss of muscle mass in your faithful friend, you should go to your vet to analyze the situation.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Look for the Symptoms
Step 1. Pay attention to weakness
In people, muscle loss manifests itself as a lack of vigor; in dogs the symptoms are similar, so you must look for some abnormal weakening and greater than usual. You may find that the animal is less "toned".
Step 2. See if the muscles are thinner
When a dog loses muscle mass, you should see him lose weight. You may also notice that the musculature is different to the touch than usual; for example, you may suddenly be able to wrap your hand around one of its legs, which was not possible before. Sometimes, this type of muscle wasting affects only certain areas; for example, if your pet is suffering from arthritis or has an injury to the hind legs, you may notice that the legs become thinner, while the front legs become thicker as a compensatory mechanism.
Step 3. Pay attention to weight loss
Dogs that lose muscle mass also become leaner, although this is not a constant consequence for everyone; you can weigh your faithful friend to see if he has actually lost some pounds.
Step 4. Check if it is weak
If you have this condition, you are likely to be debilitated, especially if you have lost muscle in a specific area of your body. For example, if your hind legs have atrophied in particular, you may notice that they tend to use the front legs mostly.
Step 5. Make a note of whether he is lethargic
When suffering from atrophy, the dog does not want to move much; this is due to the fact that the lack of muscle makes movement more difficult, leading in turn to greater weakness. Therefore, if you see that the dog does not show any desire to move, it could be an indication of a loss of muscle fibers.
Compare one paw to the other. If you suspect your wagging friend is suffering from this one-legged disorder, you need to compare it to the contralateral one
Step 6. Pay attention to changes in posture
In people, the muscles stick to the bones, helping the body to stay erect; therefore, muscle loss often causes posture to change as well. The same thing can happen in dogs, including some lowering of the hindquarters, so you must carefully observe any changes of this kind.
Part 2 of 3: Knowing the Risk Factors
Step 1. Observe muscle loss as the dog ages
Not all senior dogs suffer from this disorder, but many do; just as it happens in people, these animals can also become less active over the years for various reasons, such as a decrease in energy or the presence of more general ailments and discomfort. Lack of activity can actually result in muscle atrophy.
To reduce this phenomenon as much as possible, you should encourage your faithful friend to be more dynamic
Step 2. Observe him carefully after trauma or other causes of lameness
If the animal has suffered an injury, such as a collision with a car, it may lose normal motility in a certain part of the body; as a result, since he is no longer as active as before or no longer uses a certain muscle, he can begin to lose muscle mass.
Dogs can also become lame from other ailments, such as infections, shoulder dislocations, or bone or muscle degeneration
Step 3. Pay attention if a large breed dog has arthritis
Large dogs, such as the German Shepherd Dog or the Labrador, tend to have more joint problems than smaller dogs and are therefore more likely to develop arthritis. This disease is responsible for some muscle atrophy, as the dog becomes reluctant to move.
Step 4. Take note of certain ailments that some breeds are particularly prone to
For example, the Labrador Retriever is prone to suffering from a deficiency of type 2 muscle fibers, which manifests itself before the animal turns one year through the loss of muscle mass. On the other hand, the German Shepherd Dog is more prone to suffer from fibrotic myopathy, which is mainly seen in the thigh muscles. Other dogs, such as the greyhound, can develop exertional myopathy if they are forced to use their muscles excessively.
Part 3 of 3: Talk to the Vet
Step 1. Take note of the symptoms
Before you go to the vet, you need to write down any abnormalities you see in your dog, no matter how marked it is. With this foresight, the doctor is able to formulate in a simpler way the diagnosis of the disorder that afflicts your faithful friend; So by noting any unusual signs as soon as you see them, it can be easier to remember when you go to your vet.
Step 2. Take your dog to the doctor
Muscle atrophy is often a symptom of some other underlying disorder, although it can sometimes simply indicate the animal's aging. Either way, if you notice any changes in his body and behavior, it's still important to get him checked out.
- The diseases that affect the muscles can be various, from fibrotic myopathy to exertional myopathy, up to some muscle trauma; underlying ones can be quite common, such as arthritis.
- You can tell the vet that you have noticed that the dog has recently become more reluctant to get up, that his posture has changed and that he is holding his hindquarters lower than usual, as well as that you have noticed that he has lost weight and that all these symptoms they started to worry you.
Step 3. Prepare to submit your pet for diagnostic tests
First, the vet will want to perform a physical check of the dog; if he deems them justified for the problem that afflicts the animal, he can also perform other more in-depth tests, such as a blood or urine sample, x-rays, an MRI and / or computed tomography, depending on the possible etiology.
