Introduction
Meningitis is not a specific disease but instead refers to the pathological condition of inflammation of certain tissues surrounding the brain. The causative agent can be anything that triggers the inflammatory process in a particular dog, including bacteria, virus, fungus, chemical toxins and other agents. Meningitis is a very serious condition, and if your dog is exhibiting any of the signs associated with this disorder you should take your dog to a veterinarian immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to a successful outcome. Without treatment, the prognosis is poor.
Symptoms of Canine Meningitis
Most cases of canine meningitis happen as secondary complications of other diseases caused by bacterial infection. Dogs of any age, breed or gender can be equally affected; newborn puppies seem to be especially at risk.
With meningitis, the affected dog is almost always systemically ill. Clinical signs normally include fever, stiffness, painful spasms in the back, rigidity of the muscles of the neck and forelimbs and extreme sensitivity to touch (called “hyperesthesia”). A high fever can cause decreased appetite and lethargy. Affected dogs may vomit. The dog’s gait may become very stilted, and it may be unable to bend its legs. The stiff neck that often occurs is sometimes so extreme that the dog’s head will tilt sideways and its chin will be turned toward its back. When someone touches the dog it may jump, become aggressive or yelp.
Advanced cases of meningitis can cause extreme depression, blindness, progressive paralysis, seizures, confusion, agitation and/or aggression. Severe cases can also cause ataxia, which basically means lack of muscular coordination. Affected dogs may be unable to coordinate their movements. They might move in uncontrollable circles, stand up then stumble when trying to walk, or stand and walk with their front legs spread abnormally far apart.
The clinical signs of meningitis can mimic those of other disorders. In order to successfully diagnose meningitis in dogs, a series of tests and examinations will need to be performed by a veterinarian.