A recap of how some common neurological diseases present in patients

While at the Fetch conference in Long Beach, California, Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), sat down with dvm360 in an interview and explained how spinal disease can be a bit different in French Bulldogs, specifically. He also discussed how some neuromuscular diseases can show similar clinical signs and what primary care veterinarians can do to manage these diseases.

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology): How is spinal disease different in Frenchies? Well Frenchies have literally changed the way we do things, not only because of the spinal diseases that they get, [but also] all the potential complications that are associated with anesthesia. But I think the thing that makes Frenchies most different is that even in the most normal of them, they have major congenital vertebral anomalies, spinal malformations, and that can lead to their outcomes being less good.

Lower motor neuron diseases often present as the "floppy" patient. These are conditions that affect the nerve, the neuromuscular junction, or the muscles themselves. And so anything that affects that is going to be similar.