Does anyone have experience of canine meningitis? what are the symptoms etc.?

Thanks
Lynn

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges (the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), especially of the pia mater and arachnoid—caused by a bacterial or viral infection and characterised high fever, severe headache, and stiff neck or back muscles. Taken from the handy medical dictionary.

There are some articles on the web about canine menigitis, but none that seemed to be general in nature. I believe that diagnosis is normally reached through examination of spinal tap fluid. There are drug courses used to treat the illness, though how effective, I don't know.

My bitch had meningitis as a pup twice! We nearly lost her the first time because as you say Sierra she had a stiff neck and was initially treated for 2 weeks for a slipped disc. She was hospitalised on a drip for a week, they did a spinal tap and she was given broad spectrum antibiotics and when given steriods she responded very well. Vets came to the conclusion that it was a steriod responsive meningitis.

However, she is now immunodeficient, of course we don't know for certain that it was the meningitis that caused this because she was only 7 months old her immunity had never been checked eg. titre test. It could have been her puppy vaccinations. She also had a lot of muscle wasteage on her right hind leg, that has improved as the nerve slowly repaired itself, also her right pupil will often stay small when the other one is larger. When it came to booster time we got a titre test done and found that she had natural immunity to parvo and distemper, no immunity to lepto and hepatitis. We keep her on homeopathic vaccines, she gets her lepto once a year because it is a killed vaccine but can't be given any of the other vaccines because they are all live. At the time I called every drug company I could think of and no one could supply a killed vaccine :-( When she got meningitis the second time she was in her second week of her first season, apparently the immune system can be affected during seasons so we got her speyed meaning she only had one season, we couldn't take any chances. The second time she only stayed in hospital overnight as we instantly recognised the signs and she was treated within a couple of hours.

We are now very careful with her as she is extra special, we keep a stock of synulox just incase she looks like she is going downhill. She is now 3 years old and I keep my fingers crossed she will be with us for many years to come.

I would certainly be interested on anyone elses experiences of meningitis or immunodeficiency. I'm afraid that even though we saw a specialist they still don't know as much as they would like.

Steriod's will reduce the bodies own immune system. It does seem that some individuals have a reduced immunity anyway, may be they are born that way may be they accquire it, I don't know. I have one dog who has had reduced immunity all his life, and now in his old age we are having to give him steriod's for the pain in his joints, having tried non-steriodal methods and had no luck we had to take the decision that even if the steriods shortened his life at least he would not be in pain. He is now able to run around the field with the others and has taken on a new lease of life. Very difficult now he is enjoying his life again, as we know we may be hastening his end and we love him dearley. JH

Jackie that's a pretty tough decision to have to make but I can see how and why you have made it. I would like to think that I would be brave enough to make that decision as well, you have put the dog first and your own feeling second and that's what it is all about.

How old is your dog and what breed? I would be interested to know because of your dogs reduced immunity if you have had many problems with his health over the years.

If we ever have to give our bitch steriods which we always use as the last resort then she is on antiobiotics usually for 10 to 14 days. I do wonder though if her immune problems could have stemmed from her puppy vaccines rather than the meningitis. Also when I asked the vet how she could have contracted meningitis he said that one possibility was when she had cystitis a few weeks earlier which we treated with antiobiotics it is possible that not all the bugs were killed and although difficult one bug could have made it's way into the spinal fluid! I'm not sure if/how that can happen.

Going back to the main topic here - Lynn please give us an update on the little fella, I'm sure everyone would like to know how he is doing, good news I hope.

Hi Clare, Thank you for your interest in my old boy. He is just approaching 12years and is an Elkhound. He has had his share of problems but only Demodectic Mange can be directly attribiuted to the immunity problems. He has suffered from bouts of digestive trouble although that has not been a problem in his latter years, he now has recuring skin infections.
His Adrenal glands have been causing trouble in the last year, he is producing too much female hormone, exciting for my other dogs but not so good for him. I'm inclined to blame this problem on his being speyed, but I might well be wrong.
He also has an adverse reaction to one brand of wormer.
Apart from the above he has always been a happy active naughty boy, and still is, he is not beyound stealing toilet rolls along with the puppy.
Thank goodness he has never had anything as dramatic as meningitis. JH

My 2 year old Italian Greyhound had Meningitis last year although this was not confirmed with a spinal tap. I got him to the vet within an hour of him displaying the first visible signs which was severe neck pain which made him scream. His neck was held out stiffly in an awkward way. His temperature was sky high. He was immediately put on a drip and pumped full of antibiotics.He came home the next day
and apart from being depressed for a few days he responded to the tablets he was given and has luckily not had any fits which could have happened. I think it was because he was treated so quickly he recovered so quickly.( I made an appointment to see the Doctor today, my appointments Wednesday late afternoon!! says it all really!)