Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Progressive cerebellar ataxia and brain shrinkage in dogs
By Garosi, L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Davies Veterinary Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Necrotizing cerebellitis and cerebellar atrophy caused by Neospora caninum infection: magnetic resonance imaging and clinicopathologic findings in seven dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of seven dogs, aged between 1.5 and nearly 10 years, showed signs of progressive loss of coordination and balance due to an infection called Neospora caninum. Symptoms included difficulty walking and other neurological issues, which were confirmed through tests that showed changes in their brain structure and high levels of specific antibodies. The dogs were treated with a combination of medications, including clindamycin and trimethoprim, leading to improvement in three dogs and complete resolution in one. Unfortunately, two dogs had to be euthanized due to worsening symptoms.
People also search for: dog balance problems · Neospora caninum treatment · dog cerebellar atrophy symptoms · clindamycin for dogs · dog neurological issues
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adult dogs with neosporosis can develop a variety of neurologic signs. No area of predilection within the nervous system so far has been identified in adult dogs. OBJECTIVES: To document neosporosis as a cause of progressive cerebellar ataxia and cerebellar atrophy in dogs. ANIMALS: Seven client-owned dogs. METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive study. RESULTS: Age at diagnosis ranged from 1 year 6 months to 9 years 11 months. Neuroanatomic localization indicated cerebellar and brainstem disease in 6 dogs and a central vestibular lesion in 1 dog. In all 7 dogs, there was moderate to marked bilaterally symmetrical cerebellar atrophy, with the atrophied cerebellum being surrounded by a region of T2-weighted hyperintense and T1-weighted hypointense signal. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis in all but 1 dog showed mononuclear pleocytosis and high protein concentration. Polymerase chain reaction testing for Neospora caninum performed on the CSF was positive in 4/5 dogs tested and there was a high titer of serum antibodies to N. caninum (> or = 1 : 800) in all 6 dogs tested. Postmortem examination in 1 dog confirmed cerebellar atrophy and multifocal nonsuppurative encephalitis with areas of malacia and leptomeningitis. All of the remaining 6 dogs were treated with some combination of clindamycin, trimethoprim, sulfadiazine, and pyrimethamine. Two dogs were euthanized because of deterioration or relapse of neurologic signs, but treatment of the remaining 4 dogs resulted in improvement (3 dogs) or resolution (1 dog) of neurologic signs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Neosporosis is an important cause of progressive cerebellar ataxia and cerebellar atrophy in adult dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20337912/