Canine Meningitis

[Macha]

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I'd like to hear from anyone with experience of dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis.

My whippet has been ill and this condition is suspected. He's responding well to treatment. You can see further details in the autoimmune disease thread in the general dog topics section

 

[Macha]

I'd like to hear from anyone with experience of dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis.
My whippet has been ill and this condition is suspected. He's responding well to treatment. You can see further details in the autoimmune disease thread in the general dog topics section

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or anyone whose dog suffered similar symptoms

my dog suddenly became very lethargic and weak, off his feed and water, with a low fever (103-104 degrees). He was given antibiotics, showed some improvement and then declined again. He wet his bed a few times when weak, other times he would get up and walk to the door when he needed a ****. On day 6 he developed the meningitis type symptoms - very stiff neck held a bit down and to one side, staggering and buckling at wrist/ankle joints of his left legs. He improved a bit after sleeping and never got as bad again. Day 7 he was given blood tests, with normal results (white blood cell count low by "artifact" as cells clumped), and was put on a course of steroids. He has been steadily improving over the 4 days since treatment started.

 

[nina]

Hi, ive only just joined the forum but couldn't beleive it when i read your post. I have recently had an Italian Greyhound very ill with meningitis.

It started as you have said with her being very lethargic & off her food, but then i noticed her holding her head strangely cocked to the side, then she would scream out for no apparent reason.

I kept taking her back & forth to the vet & they kept diagnosing everything from pulled muscles in the neck to back injury etc but she was not getting any better.

Finally she collapsed, luckily i had subsequently had a conversation with a friend of mine in IG's & she told me these symptons were identical to a dog she had had many years ago with meningitis.

Anyway i rushed her back to the vet & after much argument i finally got them to admit they could have been wrong.

Anyway they admitted her immediately as she was so ill & kept her in for a week & put her on medication & steroids for meningitis. within a week she had picked up considerably.

She was allowed home with medication & has been monitored over the months since & we have now weaned her off all medication & touch wood she seems ok.

Apparently from what i can find out unfortunately it can re occur at anytime & in bitches can be bought on by hormonal changes. Also there is only one true test to diagnose it & that is to take fluid from i think the brain? which can be very risky.

Anyway i dont know if any of this will help you at all but anything i can do, just mail me.

I wish both you & your little all the best.

Nina

 

[Karen]

I had a dog with the same condition many years ago. It did re-occur once or twice allways in the late summer when the weather was hot. He would have a few days where he would get the stiff neck (never as bad)and just have another steriod injection. He lived til he was 14. I can remember him having it as if it was yesterday, I just lay on the bed with him for days feeding him small pieces of chicken, the house, husband, work, everything just came to a complete standstill. Try not to worry Im sure if they get through it they are never as bad again. I think the low whites are a good indication also.

What does worry me is the amount of times Ive heard that vets are thinking its neck muscles or similar, even when owners are saying that the dog has been down or NOT seemed to have had any accidents.

 

[nina]

I agree with you, most vets are so reluctant to think of anything else other than muscle injuries etc.

It took me to have a blazing row with them & tell them if they did not treat her for meningitis i would take her somewhere else & they finally agreed!

Nina

 

[Macha]

My dog has been absolutely fine after being ill for two weeks in Sept. He was on steroids for not more than two weeks (after a week of antibiotics only); the dose was gradually tailed off. We don't know what ailed him and the last vet we saw at the large practice didn't agree with the meningitis hypothesis.

But I wanted to let you know about a forthcoming talk on autoimmune diseases and whippets:

"THE AGM OF THE WHIPPET CLUB WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY 25TH MARCH 2006 AT HORSPATH VILLAGE HALL.

THE AFTERNOON SPEAKER WILL BE PROF JEFF SAMPSON WHO WILL GIVE A TALK ON AUTO IMMUNE DESEASE, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO WHIPPETS.

ENTRY TO THE LUNCH AND TALK IS BY TICKET ONLY AND THOSE INTERESTED IN

ATTENDING SHOULD CONTACT THE CLUB SECRETARY MR DENNIS MAYGER ON

01494-523372 "

(from http://www.thewhippetclub.com/ )

 

[BeeJay]

>My dog has been absolutely fine after being ill for two weeks in Sept. He was on steroids for not more than two weeks (after a week of antibiotics only); the dose was gradually tailed off.

Great news Macha :thumbsup:

 

[imperative]

Our dog Jack developed a stiff neck in Dec and we thought it was a muscle problem.He seemed lethargic and listless so we took him to vet.The vet wasnt that concerned as Jack seemed fine apart from stiff neck.Vet decided not to give him steriod based vaccine.That was the saturday.Sunday morning he started having major fits and we rushed him to emergency vet. Bloods were taken and they calmed his fits.By 7pm I got a call to say my handsome boy had passed away, AND WE WERE NOT WITH HIM!!!.Gutted is an understatement.High level of globins were found in his blood revealing that he had inflammation of spinal cord and brain.Had never heard of such a disorder in dogs.All I can say is WE LIVE AND LEARN.

Jack is pictured on my signiture middle pic,wasnt he handsome!

Miss him.

 

[nina]

Our dog Jack developed a stiff neck in Dec and we thought it was a muscle problem.He seemed lethargic and listless so we took him to vet.The vet wasnt that concerned as Jack seemed fine apart from stiff neck.Vet decided not to give him steriod based vaccine.That was the saturday.Sunday morning he started having major fits and we rushed him to emergency vet. Bloods were taken and they calmed his fits.By 7pm I got a call to say my handsome boy had passed away, AND WE WERE NOT WITH HIM!!!.Gutted is an understatement.High level of globins were found in his blood revealing that he had inflammation of spinal cord and brain.Had never heard of such a disorder in dogs.All I can say is WE LIVE AND LEARN.

Jack is pictured on my signiture middle pic,wasnt he handsome!

Miss him.

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Jack was truly beautiful :wub:

How VERY sad, my heart goes out to you.

My bitch went into fitting & thought i would lose her, if it wasn't for the advice of a VERY experienced breeder i would have not known what the hell it was either.

You do LIVE & LEARN but it doesn't ease the pain i know.

Nina :huggles:

 

[BeeJay]

When someone I know took her dog into Bristol Vet's School at Langford they said your dog has meningitis. Why because they see a lot of running dogs with the problem. In his case after the tests they found that he didn't have it. I know of several whippets who have had meningitis.

 

[kim & Tilly]

Could we have a link where the simptoms (SP, its early :b :- " ) are listed like they do for people meningitis.

I didnt know dogs could get meningitis so thank you for this thread i will be on my look out

Kim