Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis in Dogs

Category: Nervous System & Behavioral
Inheritance: Autosomal recessive
Breeds documented: 1
Published sources: 4

Overview

In neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, often shortened to NCL, abnormal storage material builds up inside nerve cells. This inherited group of diseases gradually damages the brain and can affect vision, movement, and behavior. Dogs may lose learned skills or develop seizures as signs worsen. Different forms have different genetic causes, so the age at first signs and the speed of progression vary.

Signs to watch for

Worsening vision, sometimes leading to blindness
New anxiety, unusual behavior, or changes in personality
Loss of response to previously learned commands
Poor balance and increasingly clumsy movement
Trembling or seizures

Signs may start in puppyhood or adulthood, depending on the form.

When to get help Book a veterinary visit soon for new problems with balance, vision, or learned behavior.

Diagnosis and tests

A vet reviews the pattern of worsening signs and may recommend neurological and eye examinations. DNA testing can confirm a known genetic form, but a negative result does not exclude every type of NCL. Brain scans and microscopic tissue examination may provide further evidence of nerve-cell damage and abnormal storage material.

Breeds with documented risk

1 breed

By breed size

1 Medium

Border CollieMedium · Herding Group

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive
A dog is affected only if it inherits two copies of the gene variant, one from each parent. A dog with one copy is a carrier: usually healthy, but able to pass the variant on. When two carriers are bred, on average one puppy in four is affected. A DNA test can tell clear, carrier and at-risk dogs apart.
As stated by OMIA

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.