Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suspected bacterial ventriculitis in a nine-month-old Goldendoodle.
- Journal:
- Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Loubser, L C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A nine-month-old spayed female Goldendoodle started having sudden seizures, which led her to be examined by a veterinarian. Initially, the tests didn’t show any obvious problems, and she was thought to have idiopathic epilepsy, a type of epilepsy with no known cause. However, three weeks later, she had more severe seizures, and an MRI scan revealed she likely had bacterial ventriculitis, a serious brain infection. Despite starting broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive care, she sadly passed away just eight hours after treatment began. This case is notable as it is the first reported instance of suspected bacterial ventriculitis in a dog in South Africa.
Abstract
Bacterial ventriculitis is an uncommon, often fatal complication of intracranial bacterial infection. This case report describes a nine-month-old spayed female Goldendoodle that presented with a history of acute onset generalised seizures. The initial clinical examination, neurological examination and minimum database laboratory tests were unremarkable, and the dog was diagnosed with probable idiopathic epilepsy. Three weeks thereafter, the patient developed breakthrough clustering orofacial and generalised seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were consistent with bacterial ventriculitis. Broad-spectrum antibiotic and supportive therapy was initiated pending cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, serology and bacterial culture; however, the patient died eight hours after initiating treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of suspected bacterial ventriculitis in a dog in South Africa and describes its atypical clinical presentation, progression and unique MRI findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39995051/