Polyneuropathy in dogs and cats is a collection of peripheral nerve disorders that often are breed-related in these animals. Polyneuropathy indicates that multiple nerves are involved, unlike mononeuropathy. Polyneuropathy usually involves motor nerve dysfunction, also known as lower motor neuron disease. Symptoms include decreased or absent reflexes and muscle tone, weakness, or paralysis. It often occurs in the rear legs and is bilateral. Most are chronic problems with a slow onset of symptoms, but some occur suddenly. Most common types of polyneuropathy Birman cat distal polyneuropathy is an inherited disorder caused by decreased numbers of myelinated axons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Astrogliosis (an increase in the number of astrocytes) is also noted. The lesions are most commonly found in the lateral pyramidal tract of the lumbar spinal cord, the fasciculi gracili of the dorsal column of the cervical spinal cord, and the cerebellar vermian white matter. Symptoms start at the age of 8 to 10 weeks, and include frequent falling and walking on the hock. The prognosis is poor. The disease is suspected to have a recessive mode of inheritance. Botulism is very rare in dogs and usually follows feeding on carrion. Symptoms include weakness, difficulty eating, acute facial nerve paralysis, and megaesophagus. Compared to other species, dogs and cats are relatively resistant to botulism. Dancing Doberman disease primarily affects the gastrocnemius muscle in Dobermans. It usually starts between the ages of 6 and 7 months. One rear leg will flex while standing. Over the next few months, it will begin to affect the other rear leg. Eventually, the dog is alternatively flexing and extending each rear leg in a dancing motion. Dancing Doberman disease progresses over a few years to rear leg weakness and muscle atrophy. No treatment is known, but most dogs retain the ability to walk and it is painless. Diabetes neuropathy is more common in cats than dogs. It is caused in part by prolonged hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and results in dysfunction of one or both tibial nerves and a plantigrade stance (down on the hocks). It may resolve with treatment of the diabetes. The pathology of this condition in cats has been shown to be very similar to diabetic neuropathy in humans. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy symptoms include atrophy of the distal leg muscles and the muscles of the head, and rear limb weakness. No treatment is known and the prognosis is