Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Seizure-like episodes in 7-month-old dog linked to brain inflammation
By Amude, Alexandre M et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2006·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cerebrospinal fluid from a 7-month-old dog with seizure-like episodes.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old dog was brought to the vet after experiencing seizure-like episodes and compulsive walking for a week. The dog showed several neurological issues, including difficulty moving and abnormal eye movements. Tests revealed that the dog had a severe infection caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV), which was confirmed through a special test on the cerebrospinal fluid. Unfortunately, the dog did not survive, but the findings highlighted the importance of quick diagnosis using cerebrospinal fluid tests for CDV in dogs.
People also search for: dog seizure treatment · canine distemper virus symptoms · puppy neurological problems · dog compulsive walking causes
Abstract
A 7-month-old dog was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Paraná, Brazil with a 1-week history of seizure-like activity and compulsive walking. Neurological deficits included seizures, nystagmus, absence of a menace reaction, depressed postural reactions, spastic tetraparesis, opisthotonos, and spasticity of the thoracic limbs. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evaluation showed severe lymphocytic pleocytosis (554 cells/microL, with 70% lymphocytes) and a protein concentration of 17 mg/dL. The histopathologic findings in cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem obtained at necropsy were compatible with acute encephalomyelitis caused by canine distemper virus (CDV). Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), CDV RNA was detected in both CSF and fragments of fresh brain tissue. The results indicated that CDV was the agent responsible for the clinical and laboratory presentation. Severe pleocytosis with lymphocyte predominance is an unusual finding in canine distemper and must be differentiated from granulomatous meningoencephalitis. RT-PCR on CSF is a useful, fast, and specific method to diagnose CDV infection in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16511803/