Dysmetria (an undershoot or overshoot of the intended position, resulting in a goose-stepping movement) and hypermetria (cerebellar dysfunction where the movement of the legs go beyond the intended goal) are types of ataxia (loss of control of bodily movements) dealing specifically with the legs. Dysmetria is more about the dog’s inability to judge it’s movements while hypermetria is overreaching of the intended location. While this can affect a variety of breeds, Kerry Blue Terriers, Chinese Crested dogs, and Coton du Tulear dogs have the capacity for dysmetria/hypermetria to develop into more severe motor problems.

Ataxia refers to the loss of control of bodily movements. Types of ataxia include dysmetria, in which the dog cannot accurately gauge distance or fully understand the force of their movements, hypermetria, in which the dog overreaches their intended location, and hypometria, in which the dog falls short of their intended location.

Ataxia refers to a loss of bodily control. There are a few types of ataxia, including hypermetria and dysmetria.

Ataxia is typically caused by neurological diseases. Some of the neurological diseases associated with the cerebellum that cause dysmetria and hypermetria include:

Your veterinarian will want to know your dog’s health history and will have you describe the symptoms and their progression. Once this has been established, your veterinarian may complete a variety of tests, including:

Your veterinarian will be looking for abnormal gait. This can occur as short steps, improper load distribution (typically more weight is carried on the forelimbs, though in some cases the dog will carry load on its back limbs), and weakened gait.

In addition to these tests, other tests will be used depending on accompanying symptoms that are indicative of the underlying cause of the ataxia.

Depending on underlying causes, your dog may need to be hospitalized so that possible treatment options can be completed. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and can vary from treatments for carcinomas to rare neurologic disorders. In some small dog breeds it’s possible that the abnormal gait is just a characteristic of their genetic makeup. Because many cases of ataxia result from cerebellar problems, there may be no treatments available for the underlying cause of the condition.

Much like treatment, recovery and management depend largely on the underlying cause of the disease. There are a number of possible causes for ataxia, many of which deal with the cerebellum. Treatment and prognosis depend largely on the underlying cause of the ataxia, though some cerebellar causes are untreatable and have a grim prognosis. In most cases, continual follow-up appointments for neurological exams will be required. In some cases, the prognosis may be grim.