Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment of meningoencephalitis of unknown cause in 10 dogs
By Zarfoss, M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2006·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Combined cytosine arabinoside and prednisone therapy for meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology in 10 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Ten dogs with progressive neurological symptoms, such as seizures or difficulty walking, were treated for meningoencephalitis of unknown cause. They received a combination of two medications: cytosine arabinoside and prednisone. All the dogs showed improvement, with some experiencing partial or complete recovery. On average, the dogs lived for about 531 days after treatment, and five were still alive at the time of the study. This treatment appears to be safe and effective for dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog neurological symptoms treatment · prednisone for dog meningoencephalitis · cytosine arabinoside for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The differential diagnosis for young to middle-aged dogs with progressive neurological signs, focal or multifocal computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging lesions, mononuclear cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and negative infectious titres includes granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, breed-specific meningoencephalitis, infectious meningoencephalitis of unknown origin and central nervous system neoplasia. The terminology meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology may be preferable for cases that lack histopathological diagnoses. The safety and efficacy of a combination of cytosine arabinoside and prednisone protocol is evaluated, in this study, for the treatment of meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology in 10 dogs. METHODS: Cases were selected based on neuroanatomical localisation, negative regional infectious disease titres, cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and brain imaging. Clinical response was gauged through follow-up examinations, owner and referring veterinarian surveys and review of medical records. RESULTS: Partial or complete remission was achieved in all dogs; the median survival time for the 10 dogs was 531 days (range 46 to 1025 days), with five of the 10 dogs alive at the time of writing. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Prednisone/cytosine arabinoside is a safe empirical therapy for dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology; this drug combination may prolong survival time.
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/17004951/