What causes cerebellar ataxia?
Cerebellar ataxia is cause by problem in the part of the brain called the cerebellum. Any disease that damages the cerebellum can produce the signs of ataxia. The first step in helping any dog with ataxia is to perform diagnostic tests to rule out other causes of ataxia –> other causes besides hereditary disease, such as brain tumors, infections, or congenital malformations. This is a critical step since some of these other conditions may be readily treatable. An MRI scan of the brain can show the shrinkage of the cerebellum that occurs with hereditary ataxia.
