Is meningomyelitis contagious in dogs? Diseases of the nervous system in dogs. General cerebral symptoms include

- This inflammatory disease membranes of the brain and spinal cord.

Causes of occurrence.

According to etiology, meningitis is divided into infectious And non-infectious.

According to the nature of the inflammatory process on serous And purulent, by localization on spinal And cerebral.

There are two forms of this disease: primary And secondary meningitis. Primary meningitis develops if, when the body is infected, the disease immediately affects the brain (, Aueszky's disease, viral,).

Aseptic meningitis includes steroid-dependent meningitis, granulomatous meningoencephalitis, pain syndrome, meningitis, meningoencephalitis. The causes of steroid-dependent meningitis are still unknown, but due to the positive effect on steroid therapy, they are classified as autoimmune diseases.

Depending on the localization of the inflammatory process, focal and cerebral symptoms may develop.

General cerebral symptoms include:

Fever

Pain and stiffness in the muscles of the neck and forelimbs

Extreme sensitivity to touch (hypersthesia)

Loss of appetite

Lethargy

Nausea, vomiting

Gait disturbance (becomes unsteady, the animal stumbles, tries to raise its legs high)

Inability to bend legs

Oppression

Progressive paralysis

Convulsions

Disorientation

Loss of coordination.

Aggression

Meningitis can lead to fatal outcome. When the medulla oblongata is damaged, death occurs from paralysis of the vascular-vegetative and respiratory centers.

TO focal symptoms include:

Uneven pupil dilation

Trembling eyeballs

Strabismus

Lowering upper eyelid and ear

Dropping of the lower jaw

The prognosis is cautious, often unfavorable.

If the dog is noticed similar symptoms, you must immediately contact veterinary neurologist. Early diagnosis meningitis is important for it successful treatment and recovery.

To treat aseptic forms of meningitis, steroids are used, which in most cases have a positive effect.

Anticonvulsant therapy is prescribed for dogs suffering from seizures.

Other types of meningitis, including bacterial meningitis, are more difficult to treat. To combat infectious agents, it is necessary to administer antibacterial drugs that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reach therapeutic concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid.

Unfortunately, some dogs die despite treatment, while others make a full recovery. Early diagnosis and timely active treatment can significantly increase your dog's chances of recovery.

The first thing that catches your eye is the uncharacteristic behavior that accompanies meningitis in a dog. She does not eat food, does not want to go for walks, looks lethargic and depressed, and has shortness of breath. The animal's body temperature rises significantly. As the disease progresses, disturbances in the coordination of the pet's movements are observed, which are accompanied by an unsteady gait.

The animal's reaction to external influence. The appearance of anxiety is a sign of severe damage to the cerebral cortex. In this case, they appear following symptoms meningitis in dogs:

• excitation;
• shiver;
• photophobia;
• dilated pupils;
• inactivity of the eyeballs.

Additional clinical sign- paralyzed limbs. In addition, vomiting, aggression, and convulsive muscle contractions are observed.

Paying attention to the dilated pupils, you can notice the trembling of the eyeballs. The dog may have squint, one ear may be lowered, lower jaw Her jaw drops.

Causes

Of all domestic animals, meningitis most often affects horses and dogs. And although dogs get sick in the same way as cats, there are some characteristic causes for the appearance and development of meningitis.

This disease can become a complication of otitis and other ear inflammations that could not be cured in time. It is in dogs that ear pathologies account for 20% of the total number of diseases that are detected in them. Causative agents of otitis media include:

• staphylococci;
• Proteus;
• streptococci;
• fungi.

Their peculiarity is that they can long time be present in the animal’s body without pathological manifestations. They become the cause of inflammatory processes as a result of some external factor which leads to a decrease in the dog’s immunity: hypothermia, wrong diet, overexertion, allergies. So trigger mechanism may be excessive feeding, frequent treats of sweets in large quantities, etc.

Another common cause of the disease is fleas, which are carriers of helminths and pathogenic bacteria. The pathogens get on the animal’s fur and skin, penetrate the tissue of the brain membrane, and provoke inflammatory processes.

Some causes of the disease are unknown to science. For example, for large breeds Dogs are characterized by steroid-sensitive meningitis. Doctors find it difficult to answer why it appears in this particular category of animals.

Diagnostics

For an accurate diagnosis, a simultaneous combination of general infectious and meningeal syndromes and inflammatory transformations of the cerebrospinal fluid are necessary. If meningitis is suspected, in addition to traditional tests, electroencephalography (EEG) is performed.

The disease is indicated by impaired bioelectrical activity of the brain. By various reasons In each specific case, the severity of the violations may differ. Research shows pathological changes age-related rhythms of the brain, the frequency of the background rhythm slows down. In this case it is diagnosed acute meningitis with violation metabolic processes in cortical neurons. The veterinarian comes to the conclusion that the activity of the dog’s brain structures is impaired.

CSF is being collected. His condition indicates the type of disease:

1. Transparent indicates serous meningitis;
2. Cloudy - for purulent inflammation.

The presence of the first confirms an increase in neutrophils, the second – lymphocytes. Diagnosis of meningitis is necessarily accompanied by establishing the type of pathogen using stains:

• according to Gram;
• according to Ziehl-Neelsen.

Alternative methods for identifying pathogens are immunological and polymerase chain reaction, which allows you to distinguish viral disease from bacterial.

Pronounced symptoms of pathology are observed when bacterial meningitis. Laboratory research point to increased level squirrel and decreased performance on sugar. Other forms of the disease do not manifest themselves so clearly; tests will not show strong deviations, for example, in sugar.

Treatment

The veterinarian's job is to reduce inflammation, eliminate bacterial infection, and control epileptiform manifestations—nervous seizures and seizures. For this purpose, corticosteroids, antibiotics for meningitis in dogs and anticonvulsants are used, respectively.

The prescribed treatment is aimed at suppressing inflammation in short time, restoration of functional neurological functions in the dog. Steroid-sensitive meningitis is treated with steroids. They help stop development pathological process, alleviate the pet’s condition. To prevent damage muscle tissue, its rupture during attacks, medications are prescribed against seizures and muscle tension.

The bacterial type of disease is difficult and long to treat. The key to success is the right antibiotic. It must not only suppress a specific pathogen. The effectiveness of treatment is higher if the drug can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It protects the brain from the entry of blood molecules and cells, regulates the entry into it biologically active substances. An incorrectly selected product will not reach the area of ​​inflammation in the required quantity, and bacteria will not be suppressed.

The dog owner needs to tune in a long period therapy, which can last the entire life of the pet. If the root cause of the disease is rabies, the animal is euthanized.

Symptoms

Veterinarians note that meningitis in cats occurs at any age; all breeds are susceptible to this disease. Most often, the pathology is secondary; animals suffer from viruses.

The main symptom of meningitis in cats is dysmotility. The animal's coordination of movements is impaired, and its psycho-emotional state changes.

The owner may note an unusual reaction to any external stimuli; the cat behaves restlessly, it is easy to notice profuse drooling. The pet's pupils constrict, he is in a state of shock - weakness, rapid breathing and heartbeat, body temperature drops, and the cat is shivering.

In addition, meningitis is indicated by:

• fever;
• loss of appetite;
• vomit;
• low blood pressure.

The animal exhibits uncharacteristic timidity and increased sensitivity, can jump due to any sound. This occurs due to hypertension of the sensory organs - hearing, smell - which increases and decreases with different intensities. It can cause severe pain experienced by the animal even when touched. Such manifestations indicate the peak development of pathology.

Secondary meningitis is indicated by:

• muscle spasms;
• paralysis;
• strong painful sensations;
• paresis;
• convulsions.

These symptoms are consequences of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system. Observed if the disease is provoked by another, underlying pathology.

The peculiarity of meningitis in cats is that it is not dangerous for its owner. The causative agents of pathology in humans and animals are different.

Causes

• plague;
• Aujeszky's disease;
• rabies;
• viral meningoencephalitis.

Meningococci found inside the cells of the cerebrospinal fluid cause viral meningitis. Advanced otitis or respiratory diseases can cause the appearance and development of inflammation on the membrane of the brain or spinal cord.

Diagnostics

The veterinarian needs to know when and under what conditions the symptoms began. Suspicion of meningitis will force him to prescribe:

1. Full analysis blood;
2. Biochemistry;
3. Analysis of urine;
4. Seeds from biological material.

Research will help identify primary disease and a pathogen that caused inflammatory processes in the tissues of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. A spinal puncture may be necessary if the doctor suspects myelitis.

Studying the results of biochemistry helps to identify inflammatory processes in the kidneys and liver and the type of infection. On chronic form disease indicates increased amount leukocytes in urine. Her studies help detect pus, pathogenic bacteria, which launched the pathology. Precise definition infections allows you to select effective antibiotic.

Additionally carried out:

1. X-ray abdominal cavity;
2. CT and MRI;
3. Ultrasonography(ultrasound);
4. Scrapings and seedings.

The veterinarian monitors the dynamics of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment by checking the cerebrospinal fluid, which is done several times.

Treatment

Therapy is carried out in the clinic at the stage of preventing the death of the animal. After determining the type of infection that triggered the pathological process, the veterinarian selects an effective antibiotic for meningitis in cats. In each specific case the remedy is different.

For example, for bacterial meningitis, drugs are used wide range actions. Corticosteroids are prescribed to control swelling of the lining of the brain. They reduce the intensity of inflammation and stop nervous attacks.

Antibiotics are administered intravenously or into the cerebrospinal fluid. This increases the effectiveness of the drug on the pathogen. To eliminate intoxication and severe dehydration, droppers with a buffer composition are prescribed.

The cat's chances of recovery once the pathogen has reached the central nervous system are slim. Therapy for an animal will require a lot of time and careful care from the owner, depending on the disease itself and the degree of its development.

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis in dogs is divided into meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and its membranes), encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) and meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain, spinal cord and membranes).

Causes of encephalitis in dogs

Encephalitis, depending on the cause, is divided into infectious and immune-mediated.

Bacterial encephalitis can be primary (listeriosis) or secondary (with the spread of infection due to sepsis, otitis media, or as a result of skull injuries).

Viral lesions of the nervous system appear with canine distemper, rabies, parvovirus, and herpesvirus. Such encephalitis occurs with symptoms of the underlying disease and often develops after the first signs of the disease appear.

Fungal encephalitis is caused by Aspergillus, Blastomycetes and Histoplasma. This type lesions of the nervous system are most rarely encountered in practice veterinarian neurologist.

The most common autoimmune encephalitis in dogs is granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, necrotizing meningoencephalitis, and steroid-dependent meningitis. These diseases are common in toy and toy breed dogs. young, are less common in large dogs and mestizos.

With encephalitis, dogs develop fever, convulsions (often with the development of status epilepticus), behavior changes (lethargy, depression, etc.), and possible damage vestibular apparatus(in this case, tilting of the head, walking in a circle, uncoordinated movements are observed), damage to the cranial nerves (changes in the size of the pupils, paralysis of the facial muscles, drooping eyelids, the appearance of drooling and impaired swallowing, blindness), pain when rotating the neck and/or palpation of the spinal column.

Diagnosis of encephalitis in dogs

To determine the cause of inflammation in the brain, a neurologist:

1. Determines the localization of the pathological process during a neurological examination, during which it evaluates the reaction of the cranial nerves (if they are disturbed, the doctor concludes that the process is localized in the brain) and conducts staged reactions and measures tendon reflexes: if they are absent, weakened or strengthened you can determine the location of the lesion in the spinal column;

2. Conducts general clinical analysis blood to detect an increase in leukocytes during a bacterial infection or a decrease in lymphocytes during a viral nature of the disease;

3. Conducts a biochemical blood test to differentiate encephalitis from encephalopathies (non-inflammatory diseases of the brain);

4. Conducts X-ray examination for detection foreign objects and gross violations of the integrity of the skull/spinal column;

5. Conducts analysis of cerebrospinal fluid to differentiate infectious encephalitis from immune-mediated encephalitis and determine the causative agent of the disease and select therapy;

6. Conducts magnetic resonance therapy (MRI) to confirm the diagnosis of encephalitis;

Fig 1. MRI scan of a dog with necrotizing meningoencephalomyelitis

7. Conducts electroencephalography (EEG):

To determine the localization of the pathological focus in the brain before MRI;

Rice. 2. Taking an EEG for a dog with epileptic seizures before an MRI

After diagnosis, to determine the effectiveness of the therapeutic solution;

Rice. 3. Electroencephalogram of a dog admitted with status epilepticus

8. Conducts PCR/ELISA diagnostics and cultures to identify the pathogen in infectious encephalitis.

Treatment of encephalitis in dogs

Depending on the cause of the encephalitis, treatment will vary.

At bacterial cause disease, a course of antibiotics is prescribed. They are selected based on the results of cerebrospinal fluid culture and titration (determining the sensitivity of the bacterium to antibacterial drugs). Until the results are obtained, broad-spectrum drugs are prescribed, with preference given to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.

If encephalitis is caused by a fungus, then antifungal drugs, and in case of viral nature of brain inflammation, symptomatic therapy and treatment of the underlying disease are used.

When an animal is admitted in a state of status epilepticus, it is immediately placed in an inpatient unit and anticonvulsant therapy is started, intensive measures are taken to relieve seizures and control cerebral edema.

For immune-mediated encephalitis, the mainstay of treatment is corticosteroids. If they do not show sufficient effectiveness, immunosuppressants are additionally prescribed.

There is no universal treatment regimen for encephalitis - each animal requires adjustment of prescriptions depending on the results of examinations.

Therefore, the neurologist prescribes follow-up examinations and additional examinations to determine the timing of therapy. For immune-mediated meningoencephalitis, treatment will often be lifelong and require constant monitoring of the animal by the attending physician. For steroid-dependent meningitis, the prognosis is good and the dog can stop taking the drugs after long-term corticosteroid therapy. Therefore, it is very important to make an accurate diagnosis in time and decide on treatment tactics.

To monitor the course of the disease, repeated EEGs and MRIs, blood tests are sometimes necessary to assess the functioning of the body as a whole and monitor side effects drugs. Less often, a repeat examination of the cerebrospinal fluid is required. During therapy with anticonvulsants, the level of drugs in the blood is periodically monitored and the dose of the antiepileptic drug is adjusted.

Prognosis for encephalitis in dogs

The prognosis depends on the cause of encephalitis and the severity of the lesion.

Favorable prognosis in animals with infectious encephalitis and limited small lesions that respond well to therapy with antibiotics/antifungals, etc.

For animals with immune-mediated encephalitis, the prognosis is most often guarded. The disease may be treatable and the dog will feel well for a long time, but a sudden rapid progression of the disease with an extremely negative prognosis, even death, cannot be ruled out.

For autoimmune encephalitis, the prognosis depends on the time of initiation of treatment. That is, the faster it is delivered correct diagnosis, those more likely favorable outcome of the disease. Therefore, if you notice signs of encephalitis in an animal, immediately consult a neurologist.

Just like in humans, the system of membranes that envelop the central nervous system of dogs is called the meninges. If the meninges are in any way infected with bacteria or viral infection, the patient is diagnosed with meningitis. Meningoencephalitis, in turn, is inflammatory process of viral origin in the meninges or in the brain itself, and meningomyelitis is an inflammation meninges or spinal cord. Infection of the meninges in most cases leads to secondary inflammation of the brain or spinal cord in dogs, which entails much more serious consequences for the health of the animal’s nervous system. Long-term inflammation of the meninges causes disruption of the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (the protective nutrient substance that surrounds the brain and spinal cord).

Symptoms and typology

Neurological symptoms diseases such as meningitis, meningoencephalitis and meningomyelitis usually include movement disorders, changes mental state and convulsions, and can also be both weakly and strongly expressed. The combination of the following is vivid severe symptoms your pet is likely to have indicates that he has one of the listed diseases:

Depression

State of shock(without visible prerequisites)

Significantly reduced blood pressure

Fever

Abnormal sensitivity to external stimuli (light, sound, taste, etc.)

Causes

The most common cause of meningitis is, as mentioned above, bacterial infection . Meningoencephalitis is often caused by infections of the ears, eyes, or sinuses. Meningomyelitis mainly develops as a consequence of osteomyelitis. In puppies and adult dogs with weakened immune system Such infections easily reach the brain or spinal cord through the blood.

Diagnostics

You will have to provide the veterinarian with your pet's entire life history, not leaving out any disease or illness. Then the doctor will conduct an initial visual inspection of his furry patient, and then prescribe a series of tests - clinical blood test, blood culture for biochemistry and urine analysis. Biochemical analysis, for example, will indicate disturbances in the functioning of the liver and kidneys, and general analysis will reveal an increase in the number of whites blood cells (which indicates an infection raging in the animal’s body). A urine test will help detect purulent discharge and bacteria in dog urine. Other auxiliary procedures to detect diseases of this kind include magnetic resonance imaging, abdominal ultrasound, x-ray chest, as well as swabs from the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and oral cavity. It can also be very useful to establish an accurate diagnosis cerebrospinal fluid analysis.

Treatment

In severe cases of meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningomyelitis, your dog will be hospitalized to prevent more serious consequences and complications. The veterinarian will administer the antibiotics intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, treatment may be prescribed hormonal drugs(steroids). If your dog is significantly dehydrated, he will likely be prescribed several fluid therapy sessions.

Life after treatment

Operational and complex treatment - a vital key to success for the health of your beloved pet. The results of treatment are very unpredictable, and, in general, the prognosis is not always favorable. Unfortunately, a large number of dogs die from infections, affecting the central nervous system, even despite emergency treatment. If treatment is successful, it may take at least four weeks for symptoms to completely disappear. The dog's activity during this recovery period should be limited until complete recovery.

Prevention

Take care of your pet's ears, throat and nose, and also reduce walks outside with your dog on especially frosty days.