Meningitis Symptoms in Dogs

Symptoms of meningitis may vary depending on your dog’s condition. Common symptoms include:

Fever or sudden fever

Muscle stiffness or spasms (especially in the neck, back, and forelimbs)

Stiff or unsteady walking

Tactile sensitivity (hyperesthesia)

Lethargy

Loss of appetite

Vomiting

Weight loss

Head tilt

Hypotension

In severe cases, you may see:

Blindness

Severe depression

Epileptic seizure

Paralysis

Lost/Confused

Loss of muscle coordination (ataxia). This may manifest as uncontrolled movements or abnormal walking.

Agitation or aggression

Causes of meningitis

Meningitis most commonly occurs as a secondary complication of infection originating elsewhere in the dog's body.

If the infection spreads to the central nervous system, it can cause inflammation of the protective membranes, leading to meningitis.

Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections can all enter the central nervous system, some common causes of meningitis include:

Ear infection

Eye infection

Nasal infection

Sinus infection

Bacterial infection of injuries (such as bites)

Rabies

Canine distemper

Lyme disease

Intervertebral disc chondritis (intervertebral disc inflammation caused by infection)

Vertebral osteomyelitis (spinal bone infection)

Meningitis can also be caused by exposure to certain toxins or drugs; is immune-mediated, meaning it is the result of an erratic immune system response; or it may be idiopathic, meaning the cause is unknown .

Meningitis may be caused by:

Drugs

Drugs

Diet

Infections (bacteria, viruses, fungi)

Chemicals

Vaccines (complications caused by vaccination)

Environment

Stress

Types and treatment of meningitis

Bacterial meningitis

Causes

Bacterial meningitis is a common disease in dogs and cats A rarely reported condition. Animals of any age may suffer from this disease, but adult dogs are usually more likely to suffer from the disease, with the average age being about 5 years old. Bacterial infections of the central nervous system most commonly occur from hematogenous spread of distant lesions in the body (eg, pulmonary or splenic abscesses, vegetative endocardiuminflammation, pleurisy, and urinary tract infections), extend directly from the sinuses, ears, and eyes, due to trauma (such as a bite), entry of the meninges along nerve roots, or contaminated surgical instruments (such as spinal needles).

Symptoms

Regardless of the causative agent, bacterial meningitis is usually acute at onset and is often characterized by a cluster of clinical symptoms, including hyperesthesia, fever, cervical pain, and often cervical stiffness. In addition, vomiting, bradycardia, anorexia, occasional cranial nerve deficits, and seizures may be observed. Seizures may be caused by hyperthermia, hypoglycemia, cerebral edema, or inflammation, while vomiting may be caused by increased intracranial pressure or direct effects on the vomiting center.

Treatment

Even with appropriate treatment, death is common, and even with timely intervention, the probability of recurrence is high. Appropriate use of antibiotics, based on culture results, is the basis for successful treatment of bacterial meningitis (encephalomyelitis). Antibiotic therapy should be maintained for several weeks after clinical symptoms have resolved. Daily chloramphenicol (up to 50 mg/kg IV, IM or SC, bid), metronidazole (10-15 mg/kg PO, tid), trimethoprim-sulfonamide (30 to 60 mg/ kg, PO) NOTE: Complications may include sulfonamide urolithiasis in dogs and nephrotoxicity in cats, penetrating the central nervous system at therapeutic concentrations. Ampicillin and penicillin enter the central nervous system only upon meningeal irritation.

Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis

Symptoms

The clinical course is usually acute and relapsing. More persistent disease may follow relapses and inadequate treatment. Signs include recurrent fever, hyperesthesia, cervical stiffness, and anorexia. There may be a crawling gait with an arched back and a suppressed, crouching posture. Some dogs with long-term disease may show clinical signs of parenchymal involvement, such as ataxia, paresis, quadriplegia, or paraplegia.

Treatment

Untreated dogs often have a course of remission and relapse. The following long-term treatment (e.g., at least 6 months) is recommended, especially for dogs with any relapse: Prednisolone 4 mg/kg/day, orally or intravenously. After 2 days, the dose is reduced to 2 mg/kg daily for 1 to 2 weeks, then 1 mg/kg daily. Dogs are reexamined every 4 to 6 weeks, including cerebrospinal fluid analysis and hematology tests. When signs and cerebrospinal fluid are normal, the dose may be reduced to half the previous dose until a dose of 0.5 mg/kg is achieved every 48 to 72 hours. Treatment was stopped 6 months after clinical examination, and the cerebrospinal fluid and blood type were normal. In refractory cases, other immunosuppressive drugs such as azathioprine (1.5 mg/kg orally every 48 hours) may be used in combination with steroids (e.g., alternating each drug every other day).