Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Puppy Goldendoodle with suspected bacterial brain infection
By Loubser, L C et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2024·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Suspected bacterial ventriculitis in a nine-month-old Goldendoodle.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-month-old spayed female Goldendoodle was brought in for sudden seizures, which were initially thought to be due to idiopathic epilepsy. After three weeks, she experienced more severe seizures, prompting further tests that revealed bacterial ventriculitis, a serious brain infection. Despite starting broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive care, the dog sadly passed away just eight hours later. This case highlights the importance of considering bacterial infections in dogs with unusual seizure patterns.
People also search for: Goldendoodle seizures treatment · dog bacterial infection symptoms · puppy seizure causes
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.
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/39995051/