Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs with sudden brain and spinal bleeding from Angiostrongylus
By Gredal, Hanne et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2011·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Acute neurological signs as the predominant clinical manifestation in four dogs with Angiostrongylus vasorum infections in Denmark.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four dogs in Denmark showed sudden neurological problems, including seizures and difficulty moving, due to an infection from a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum. One dog had brain lesions, another had spinal cord lesions, and two had issues in both areas. Despite medical treatment, one dog died and three others were euthanized because they did not get better. This situation highlights the need for veterinarians to consider this parasite when young dogs present with serious neurological symptoms.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · Angiostrongylus vasorum symptoms · neurological signs in dogs · dog respiratory distress · dog spinal cord lesions
Abstract
Four dogs with acute neurological signs caused by haemorrhages in the central nervous system were diagnosed with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection as the underlying aetiology. Two dogs presented with brain lesions, one dog with spinal cord lesions and one with lesions in both the brain and spinal cord. Only one dog presented with concurrent signs of classical pulmonary angiostrongylosis (respiratory distress, cough), and only two dogs displayed overt clinical signs of haemorrhages. Results of coagulation assays were inconsistent. Neurological signs reflected the site of pathology and included seizures, various cranial nerve deficits, vestibular signs, proprioceptive deficits, ataxia and paraplegia. One dog died and three were euthanised due to lack of improvement despite medical treatment. This emphasises canine angiostrongylosis as a potential cause of fatal lesions of the central nervous system and the importance of including A. vasorum as a differential diagnosis in young dogs with acute neurological signs in Denmark.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21711538/