Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 10/22/2009

Question
Hi,I have a 2 1/2 yr old Golden Retriever.Who has stretchy skin and erratic movement.He's having a muscle biopsey next week (inner thigh)to test for Cutaneous Aesthenia.I've read a few reports on the internet,all mention that the skin tears easily.My dogs doesn't.Does that mean he hasn't got it? He also has an allergy to storage mites so is fed on a raw meat diet.

Answer
A skin biopsy will tell your vet if it is Cutaneous Asthenia or something else. The one dog and two cats I have seen with it have very stretchy skin and just the slightest pressure on the skin causes it to rip open.  As I understand it, this is an inherited disease and is very rare in Goldens.