Cerebellar hypoplasia in the White Swiss Shepherd is a genetic disease linked to an abnormality in the development of the cerebellum. Symptoms generally appear between 2 and 4 weeks of age and include progressive ataxia (loss of co-ordination of movement), difficulty standing upright, walking in a straight line and difficulty suckling. Affected puppies show a normal sucking reflex, but have difficulty attaching to the nipple. At necropsy, severe anatomical abnormalities are observed, including the absence of cerebellar folia, moderate internal hydrocephalus and alterations in the structure of the cerebellum, with disorganised cell layers. The disease generally leads to the euthanasia of puppies at around 4 weeks of age.
