Canine Inflammatory Brain Disease

A dog̵7;s central nervous system (CNS) can become inflamed, and disease can be more specifically diagnosed depending on what part of the system is inflamed. Encephalitis describes inflammation of the brain.

  1. Causes

    • Inflammation occurs for a number of reasons. Less common are infections due to viruses, bacteria, protozoa or fungi. More typical occurrences of inflammation are breed-specific disorders or an immune-mediated disorder called granulomatous meningo-encephalitis (GME)

    Granulomatous Meningo-encephalitis

    • GME happens when the immune system gets over excited and inflames itself. There is no solid answer for why this happens.

    Symptoms

    • Confusion, bumping into things, imbalance, stumbling and acting oddly are all signs of encephalitis.

    Diagnosis

    • Veterinarians diagnose encephalitis by using an MRI to look at the brain. An MRI shows if a dog has GME, meaning its white blood cells attack the dog̵7;s brain rather than other infections.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for an over-excited immune system consists of immune-suppressing drugs, typically corticosteroids. Other medications include azathioprine, cytarabine, mycophenolate, cyclosporine and cyclophosphamide to be used in combination with corticosteroids.

    Prognosis

    • Most dogs must remain on medication for months or years to live normal lives. Some may not be able to improve if the inflammation is too severe.