Eosinophilic myositis-Information?

[drummelfresa]

Hi
I'm from Sweden and my dog got the diagnosis "Eosinophilic myositis": I have searched for information in swedish sites but there is minimal information. It's a pretty rare disease.
My qestion here is : Does someone have experiences of this disease? Please help me.....
/ Elenor & Axl

[Dax]

This sounds exactly (even cross referenced) to Muscular Myopathy which my German Shepherd Tpau had.

Characterized by a loss of muscle tissue at the top of head,
Pain when opening her mouth (she couldn’t do it fully on her own) – eyes tended to sink back into the skull
Only seems to affect the head & jaw.

She underwent high steroid treatments and the disease did go into remission. The first time for almost a full year. After the second course of treatment, we decided that was the last one. The treatment was very very hard on her. She aged dramatically. The affected muscles never fully recovered giving her head a “shrunken” look.

She ended up needing a doggie door during the treatment as she needed lots of fluid and had problems holding her urine.

We finally decided to put her down (6 months of remission from 2nd course of treatment) because we did not want her to suffer. She was only able to eat soft food and did a little dance to chew her food.

It is a horrible disease and treatment isn't easy on them. From speaking to my vet, it appears that remission is the best you can hope.

[IcyMist]

Am so sorry you and your dog are going through this awful sounding disease. Prayers sent for both of you.

[drummelfresa]

Yes that sounds exactly like it. My heart is aching when i read your words. He is on steroids now, 3 more months.... The vet i have been talking to told us that the positive thing was that he got treatment in an early stage. How did u discover it? Do you know someone else who had this disease?

[Dax]

If I remember the research I did and what I talked to my vet about, the age of the dog played a key factor. The younger the dog - the better chance of the muscles re-generating.

TPau was fully grown, even my Dax was all grown up. I should check my records and see how old she was when we first noticed it.

[sheplovr]

related term: eosinophilic myositis
What is masticatory muscle myositis?
This disease affects the masticatory muscles - the large muscles on the top and sides of the head which act to close the jaw. These muscles have a unique muscle protein composition. Masticatory muscle myositis is an immune-mediated disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the unique muscle protein found in the masticatory muscles. This causes the muscles to become painful and swollen initially, and the muscles will atrophy as the disease progresses. Opening the mouth is particularly painful.
How is masticatory muscle myositis inherited?
Unknown.
What breeds are affected by masticatory muscle myositis?
The German shepherd dog is most frequently affected, but this disease is also reported in other large breed dogs, including the English pointer and springer spaniel.
For many breeds and many disorders, the studies to determine the mode of inheritance or the frequency in the breed have not been carried out, or are inconclusive. We have listed breeds for which there is a consensus among those investigating in this field and among veterinary practitioners, that the condition is significant in this breed.
What does masticatory muscle myositis mean to your dog & you?
Many dogs affected with masticatory muscle myositis will improve with drug therapy.
How is masticatory muscle myositis diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will suspect this disease if your dog has painful, swollen masticatory muscles, with pain on opening the jaw. The diagnosis can be confirmed with a muscle biopsy to examine the cells with a microscope. Special techniques may be used to test for specific antibodies.
How is masticatory muscle myositis treated?
Affected dogs are usually treated medically, with glucocorticoids such as prednisone. Most dogs improve with drug therapy, although the treatment may be long-term.
Breeding advice
Affected animals should not be bred.
SO SORRY YOUR DOG GOT THIS DISEASE, TERRIBLE. TREATABLE HOWEVER, EXPENSIVE AND PAINFUL