Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Case Report:Meningoencephalomyelitis in a Dog.
- Journal:
- Frontiers in veterinary science
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Rylander, Helena et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Wisconsin-Madison · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 15-month-old male neutered Wirehaired Pointer mixed-breed dog was brought to the vet because he had a fever and was experiencing pain in his neck. Tests of his spinal fluid showed signs of inflammation and the presence of bacteria. Sadly, three days later, he lost the ability to walk. He was treated with a low dose of prednisone, a steroid, for about three and a half months, and doxycycline, an antibiotic, for a year. After some time, his condition improved, and he was able to walk with some weakness after five months and fully recovered his ability to walk seven months after starting treatment. Overall, the treatment was effective in helping him recover.
Abstract
A 15-month-old male neutered Wirehaired Pointer mixed-breed dog presented with fever and cervical pain. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed neutrophilic pleocytosis with intracellular bacteria, and culture of CSF grew. The patient became non-ambulatory 3 days after CSF collection. He was treated with low-dose prednisone for 3.5 months and doxycycline for 1 year. Recheck CSF analysis 1 month after diagnosis showed reduction of inflammation and 3 months after diagnosis revealed only increased protein. The patient improved neurologically over several months and was weakly ambulatory 5 months and fully ambulatory 7 months after diagnosis. Whole genome sequencing of the bacterial isolate and a live modified intranasal vaccine similar to the one the dog had been vaccinated with 7 weeks before diagnosis was similar but not an exact match. Bacterial meningitis should be considered, and culture of CSF is recommended, in cases of neutrophilic pleocytosis of CSF.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35450135/