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  • Our Services
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Social Work
    • Surgery
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      • Senior Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
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Veterinary Electromyography (EMG) & Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV)

October 1, 2017

There are many reasons our pets can have weakness and difficulty walking, including diseases of the muscles and nerves. There should be no recordable electrical activity in animals that are asleep and not moving. However, in animals with peripheral nerve or muscle disease, EMG often shows abnormal spontaneous electrical activity.  EMG is used in combination with nerve conduction velocity testing and muscle/nerve biopsies to help diagnose neuromuscular disorders.

Electromyography (EMG) allows veterinary neurologists to evaluate the health of nerves and muscles in anesthetized patients. EMG utilizes small needles (<1 mm diameter) to record electrical activity within muscles. When an animal is anesthetized EMG should not identify any electrical activity within a normal muscle. EMG of animals with either muscle or nerve diseases often identifies spontaneous electrical activity, which is abnormal. This test is often followed by a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) to further isolate the abnormalities to either the muscle or of the nerve.

A muscle disease would have an abnormal EMG and a normal NCV. A nerve disease would have both an abnormal EMG and abnormal NCV.

Electromyography (EMG) is a recording of electrical activity within the muscles after placing a small needle electrode into the muscle.  In people, EMG is done fully awake.  Since we cannot explain to animals that they might be a little uncomfortable, this procedure is performed under general anesthesia.

 

 

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About the Author

  • John Gagnepain, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

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Bulger Veterinary Hospital
978-725-5544 | 141 Winthrop Ave. Lawrence, MA 01843
  • 24-HR ER: 978-725-5544
  • Our Services
    • Anesthesia & Pain Management
    • Cardiology
    • Dentistry
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency/Critical Care
    • Exotics
    • Internal Medicine
    • Ophthalmology
    • Social Work
    • Surgery
    • Primary Pet Care
      • Kitten Kit
      • Puppy Pack
      • Senior Pet Care
    • Theriogenology (Reproductive Health)
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Near Here
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Curbside Emergency Care
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • Client Portal
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • Online Store
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Submit Referrals
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Giving Back
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
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