My little case study 🩵
Fitz has been diagnosed with polymicrogyria (PMG), a genetic brain disorder. It is a rare disorder in standard poodles that can cause blindness, ataxia, seizures, cognitive impairment, and behavioral change. Fitz is blind, even though his eyes work properly - his brain cannot interpret the information he sees. He has very poor coordination and balance, and will stumble or fall often. When he runs he tends to ‘bunny hop’ and his movements are very exaggerated.
While he has not been diagnosed with seizures, he has episodes where he will have seemingly involuntary movements and ‘zone out.’ He has just turned eight months old, however his mental state is closer to three months; he has not learned or matured much past what a three month old puppy can manage.
We have been working with the canine genetics labs at both the University of Missouri and the University of Pennsylvania - they are both performing research on this disorder and hope to be able to create a DNA test for PMG. Dogs who are carriers are still perfectly healthy and can produce healthy litters as long as they are not bred to another carrier; a DNA test will be able to identify carrier dogs and help promote safer breeding practices.
If you have a standard poodle, especially white poodles, who are blind or showing neurological symptoms that are not explained by another diagnosis, please reach out to one or both of these universities. They have been so helpful with our diagnosis process and the work they are doing is so important.