Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with Sarcocystis neurona brain infection causing paralysis
By Cooley, A J et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2007·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sarcocystis neurona encephalitis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1.5-year-old male Feist dog was brought to the vet because he was having trouble standing on his hind legs. The vet treated him with dexamethasone, which initially helped, but his condition worsened, leading to severe weakness and unusual behavior. Unfortunately, the dog was euthanized after tests revealed inflammation in his brain caused by a protozoan infection called Sarcocystis neurona, which had not been previously documented in dogs. This case highlights a rare but serious brain infection in dogs that can lead to severe neurological symptoms.
People also search for: dog reluctance to stand · Feist dog brain infection · Sarcocystis neurona treatment · dog neurological symptoms · why is my dog acting strange
Abstract
A 1.5-year-old male Feist dog was presented to a veterinarian for reluctance to stand on the hind legs. Treatment included dexamethasone and resulted in a favorable initial response, but posterior paresis returned and progressed to recumbency, hyperesthesia, and attempts to bite the owner. The dog was euthanized. The brain was negative for rabies by fluorescent antibody analysis. Multiple foci of encephalitis were found in the cerebrum and particularly in the cerebellum. Protozoa morphologically consistent with Sarcocystis sp. were identified at sites of intense inflammation and malacia. Additionally, multiple schizonts were identified in areas without inflammation. Immunohistochemistry using both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies specific for Sarcocystis neurona was strongly positive. No reaction to polyclonal antisera for Toxoplasma gondii or Neospora caninum was found. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the protozoa were S. neurona. Additional aberrant hosts for S. neurona other than horses have been identified, but S. neurona encephalitis has not been documented previously in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18039914/