Muscular Dystrophy (Landseer type) affects dogs and is an inherited disease. Dogs affected with this disease are unable to produce adequate amounts of a protein important for muscle contraction and relaxation. By 10 weeks of age, the affected puppies are noticeably smaller than their littermates shortly after birth due to the decreased growth associated with the inability to nurse. Affected dogs are often needed to be hand or bottle fed to prevent starvation. At around 6 weeks of age, dogs will begin to develop a progressively abnormal gait, excessive drooling, muscle weakness, muscle Atrophy of the head and trunk, abnormal extension or flexion of joints and a 'roach backed' appearance in the lumbar spine that will eventually progresses to a concave flexion. The affected dogs could also suffer from aspiration pneumonia and cardiac disease. The prognosis is related to the disease severity, with some dogs dying soon after birth due to disease complications and others surviving for years with only mild symptoms.