Overview
Meningitis is an uncommon illness in blackguard , but nevertheless an important one to understand . While any bounder can develop meningitis as a result of an infection or autoimmune disease , some breeds are predisposed to this condition .
teach the symptom of meningitis in dogs and its affiliate risk of exposure can serve insure that your dog receive prompt treatment if this severe condition develops .
What is Meningitis in Dogs?
The meninx are tenuous membranes of connective tissue paper that cover the head and spinal corduroy . Meningitis in dogs come about when these membranes become inflamed . In some cases , the brain may also experience excitation and this circumstance is called meningoencephalitis .
The inflammation of the meninges causes grave pain and may even direct to neurologic abnormalities .
Types of Dog Meningitis
Some case of meningitis in dogs are contagious , while others may be autoimmune .
The types of meningitis in dog can be loosely grouped into two categories : infectious meningitis and non - infectious meningitis .
Infectious Meningitis
Infectious meningitis may be triggered by viruses , bacterium , fungus , protozoa , or parasite . These infections typically begin elsewhere in the body and then travel through the blood stream to the mentality and spinal cord .
infective meningitis is rare in dogs , particularly in adults , and may result from a dysfunction of the immune system which take into account the infection to disseminate to the primal anxious system .
Non - infective Meningitis
Most cases of meningitis in dogs have no identifiable infectious causa . These case are often surmise to be a result of an autoimmune issue or they may be idiopathic , intend that an underlying cause can not be determined .
The three most uncouth types of non - infectious meningitis in domestic dog are :
GME and NME are most usual in young to middle - aged modest breed blackguard such as Chihuahuas , Pugs , and Maltese . SRMA occur primarily in medium and big breed dogs , and ordinarily onsets before two class of eld .
Symptomsof Meningitis in Dogs
Signs of meningitis in dogs may come suddenly or may have a more gradual onset . If you suspect your dog may be show symptom of meningitis , it is important to seek veterinary care immediately .
Symptoms of meningitis in dogs include :
How Do Dogs Get Meningitis?
There are many potential causes of meningitis in frump . In some case , meningitis may be idiopathic , which means veterinarians are ineffectual to diagnose the cause of the inflammation .
Causes of Infectious Meningitis in Dogs
Infectious meningitis is rare in animals and typically happens when the resistant scheme is compromised , allowing the contagion to spread to the brain and spinal electric cord .
Infectious meningitis in dogs can be caused as a result of viral , parasitical , or fungal infections including :
youthful puppies , aged dogs , and those with other conditions bear on the immune arrangement may be at greater risk of train infective meningitis .
Unvaccinated dogs are at risk for meningitis secondary to contagious diseases such as canine distemper computer virus . Meningitis can also develop junior-grade to sepsis , which may occur as a result of serious contagious diseases such as canine tooth parvovirus .
Causes of Non-Infectious Meningitis in Dogs
Non - infectious meningitis is much more common than infective meningitis in dog . These types of canine meningitis are primarily recollect to be autoimmune in lineage .
wiener likely have some genetic sensitivity to develop non - infectious meningitis . Dog breeds at risk for developing meningitis vary depending on the type of disease , and include :
stock at risk of exposure for developing Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis ( GME ):
breed at risk for developing Steroid - Responsive Meningitis - Arteritis ( SRMA ):
Breeds at risk for developing Necrotizing Meningoencephalitis ( NME ):
Diagnosing Your Dogwith Meningitis
name canine meningitis can be ambitious and expensive . Several diagnostic tests will be necessary , and your heel may necessitate to be concern to a specializer for further care .
If your veterinarian mistrust your dog may have meningitis , the follow tests may be commend :
Physical Examination . Your veterinarian will perform a full physical examination on your firedog , admit tactual exploration of the neck and spine to face for areas of painful sensation and stiffness . If your weenie is depict neurologic abnormalities like a loss of counterpoise or an uncoordinated gait , your veterinarian may execute additional neurologic evaluation to see for the rudimentary cause of these sign .
line of descent oeuvre . Your vet may recommend ancestry work , such as a consummate blood count and biochemistry panel , to identify possible causes of your dog ’s meningitis and to look for other conditions that can induce similar symptom .
CSF Tap . Your veterinarian may advocate engage a sample of cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) , the fluid that surrounds the mental capacity and spinal electric cord . analyze the cells in this fluid can confirm the diagnosis of meningitis and may help key the reason of this condition . Your frankfurter will want to be place under cosmopolitan anesthesia for this procedure .
Diagnostic Imaging . advance imaging like MRI or CT scans may be used to evaluate your favorite ’s mind and spinal electric cord , which can avail rein out other conditions that cause similar symptom . Your pet will likely need to be placed under general anesthesia for this procedure .
How to TreatMeningitis in Dogs
The discourse for meningitis in dogs varies depending on the implicit in cause of the inflammation .
After perform diagnostic test to name any infective or non - infective causa of meningitis , your vet may prescribe some of the play along treatment :
Antimicrobial and Anti - Parasitic Medications . Cases of infective meningitis may be treated with antibiotics , fungicide , or anti - parasitic medications count on the character of infective agent responsible for the disease .
steroid . In font of autoimmune meningitis or SRMA , high doses of steroids such as prednisone may be order to inhibit the immune response and slenderize fervour .
Analgesics . Meningitis is often a painful condition , so your dog may be dictate anodyne medications such as opioids to deal pain in the neck and improve quality of spirit .
Mannitol . In some cases of meningitis , inflammation causes fluid buildup within the skull cavum , which compress the brain tissue and leads to neurologic signs such as capture . Mannitol is a diuretic used to make fluid out of the tissue to reduce intracranial pressure .
Supportive Care . Hospitalization and supportive care such as intravenous fluid therapy and nutritional supplement may be urge while your dog is treat for meningitis .
Prognosis for Dogs With Meningitis
Your click ’s power to recover from meningitis will calculate on the underlying crusade and the response to treatment . However , in most cases of meningitis in dog , the forecast is guarded .
Dogs with SRMA have a slightly full prognosis , and many can recover with appropriate discourse .
Cost to Diagnose and Treat Meningitis in Dogs
Meningitis is a pricy circumstance to diagnose and treat . advance nosology are required to distinguish the underlying cause so that your dog can be appropriately care for . Hospitalization for several days or even hebdomad may be necessary , and referral to a specialist may be recommend as well .
favorite owners should expect to drop several thousand dollars to treat meningitis in dogs .
How to PreventMeningitis in Dogs
infective meningitis can be prevented by keep up routine veterinary care . Keeping your dog ’s vaccinations and broad - spectrum parasite prevention up - to - particular date will dilute your dog ’s risk of catching diseases like canine distemper , which can result in meningitis .
Routine veterinary wellness visits are also of import to captivate possible problems early on and ascertain that your hotdog remains healthy .
Non - infectious case of meningitis are generally not preventable , since autoimmune conditions may be ancestral .
