Suspected Menigitis in dogs
- Thread starter stone
- Start date
I want to know everything from symptoms to treatment
I don't want to write books but which symptoms relate to which type and appropriate treatment
Why a local vet can't treat but needs to refer but is able to diagnose or suspected diagnose which has led to referral
At the moment still trying to get my head around it
As it seams this is pretty serious
I don't want to write books but which symptoms relate to which type and appropriate treatment
Why a local vet can't treat but needs to refer but is able to diagnose or suspected diagnose which has led to referral
At the moment still trying to get my head around it
As it seams this is pretty serious
Stone - I wasn't trying to be awkward, it's just a bit like someone coming on here and saying 'tell me about deer stalking'!
The things that make your vet suspect meningitis would include head pressing, stiff neck, high fever, depression, head tilt etc. There are wide ranging possible clinical signs.
A quick google throws this site up that looks decent
Meningitis | Meningitis in Dogs | Information on Dog Meningitis
Basically it can be caused by lots of different things, that includes bacteria, fungi, viral, parasitic, auto-immune and unknown causes. The hard part is characterising the initiating cause, this is where it gets tricky (and potentially expensive). Samples of cerebro-spinal fluid will need to be taken and some specialised imaging may be needed (MRI or CT scans). Blood will be taken to see if there has been exposure to certain parasites.
Depending on the cause depends on how it is treated. The treatment for one condition could make others much worse. You cannot feasibly treat for everything.
If there is no money for referral then I have treated speculatively with high doses of steroids and antibiotics but it's a poor man's option. If my own dog had meningitis symptoms it would be off to a specialist.
Maybe if you give us more detail we can give a more accurate picture. Is this your dog? What are the symptoms? What tests or treatment has been carried out?
This is a huge area.
The things that make your vet suspect meningitis would include head pressing, stiff neck, high fever, depression, head tilt etc. There are wide ranging possible clinical signs.
A quick google throws this site up that looks decent
Meningitis | Meningitis in Dogs | Information on Dog Meningitis
Basically it can be caused by lots of different things, that includes bacteria, fungi, viral, parasitic, auto-immune and unknown causes. The hard part is characterising the initiating cause, this is where it gets tricky (and potentially expensive). Samples of cerebro-spinal fluid will need to be taken and some specialised imaging may be needed (MRI or CT scans). Blood will be taken to see if there has been exposure to certain parasites.
Depending on the cause depends on how it is treated. The treatment for one condition could make others much worse. You cannot feasibly treat for everything.
If there is no money for referral then I have treated speculatively with high doses of steroids and antibiotics but it's a poor man's option. If my own dog had meningitis symptoms it would be off to a specialist.
Maybe if you give us more detail we can give a more accurate picture. Is this your dog? What are the symptoms? What tests or treatment has been carried out?
This is a huge area.
VERY GENERAL COMMENTS:::::
Main symptoms are of neck/spinal pain, often depression with or without other neurological deficits. These symptoms can be many and varied from weakness/incoordination affecting one or multiple limbs, crainal nerve deficits (may show as altered vision, tongue movement, swallowing, facial shape or vocal ability). I will see dogs with meningitis every month or two and the fever is not always present.
Diagnosis is typically by ruling out other causes of brain/spinal disease by MRI (ideally) and most importantly by cytology (looking at the cells )of cerebrospinal fluid
The difficulty is that without performing these tests it is not possible to be certain whether a dog may have meningitis or not. With brain/spinal problems the symptoms that are seen depend largely on the location of the lesion rather than what is causing it. Therefore a slipped disc in the neck can present similarly to a dog with an inflammatory condition in the neck or indeed with a tumour affecting the same region. As Apache rightly says there are many causes of meningitis. More information is really needed to give any more specific advice.
Where are you located? I would advise you see somone who deals with spinal cases regularly
S
Main symptoms are of neck/spinal pain, often depression with or without other neurological deficits. These symptoms can be many and varied from weakness/incoordination affecting one or multiple limbs, crainal nerve deficits (may show as altered vision, tongue movement, swallowing, facial shape or vocal ability). I will see dogs with meningitis every month or two and the fever is not always present.
Diagnosis is typically by ruling out other causes of brain/spinal disease by MRI (ideally) and most importantly by cytology (looking at the cells )of cerebrospinal fluid
The difficulty is that without performing these tests it is not possible to be certain whether a dog may have meningitis or not. With brain/spinal problems the symptoms that are seen depend largely on the location of the lesion rather than what is causing it. Therefore a slipped disc in the neck can present similarly to a dog with an inflammatory condition in the neck or indeed with a tumour affecting the same region. As Apache rightly says there are many causes of meningitis. More information is really needed to give any more specific advice.
Where are you located? I would advise you see somone who deals with spinal cases regularly
S
Thank you for both replies
This a very good friends dog and it was displaying some of the symptoms mentioned
An appointment at a specialist vet centre has been made for tomorrow
Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service - Specialist Veterinary Surgeons based in Solihull
So will let you know the outcome
Sorry if I came across so abrupt Apache, it was not my Intention
This a very good friends dog and it was displaying some of the symptoms mentioned
An appointment at a specialist vet centre has been made for tomorrow
Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service - Specialist Veterinary Surgeons based in Solihull
So will let you know the outcome
Sorry if I came across so abrupt Apache, it was not my Intention
That would be the old practice or the new state of the art??
Dog was diagnosed with ( steroid response menigitis ) I think that is what my friends father told me
As my friend is picking her dog up as we speak
So will get the full low down either later tonite or tomorrow
And yes I agree , very safe hands
Yes I worked in the old building before setting up my own practice. We didnt have the on site MRI and CT at that time and there were only two disciplines (orthopaedic/spinal and opthalmology).
Steroid responsive meningitis is generally the best of a bad bunch to have, certainly appears to respond more readily and a better chance of acheiving remission
Fingers crossed
Steroid responsive meningitis is generally the best of a bad bunch to have, certainly appears to respond more readily and a better chance of acheiving remission
Fingers crossed
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