Late onset ataxia (LOA) in the Parson Russell terrier (PRT) is a disease of incoordination of gait and lack of balance.
The onset age for the disease is usually between 6 months and 1 year of age, when owners may start to notice that their dog is showing changes in gait pattern (often weaving of the hind limbs) and some difficulty balancing. The disease is progressive and affected dogs become increasingly uncoordinated with difficulty balancing, which makes moving around and everyday tasks such as going up and down stairs difficult.
There is no treatment or cure for LOA and affected dogs are often euthanized, typically around two years after onset, on humane grounds as their quality of life diminishes.
Gene Tested : CAPN1