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Canine encephalitis — inflammation of the brain

02 June 2019
Clinical
13 mins read
02 June 2019
Volume 10 · Issue 5

Abstract

Encephalitis is described as inflammation of the brain and can be defined as infectious and non-infectious. Susceptibility to the condition can depend on the genetic makeup of the dog and the location in which they live, as geographic-specific pathogens can play a large part in causing infectious encephalitis. The disorder is diagnosed as non-infectious immune-mediated encephalitis when there is no pathogen as the cause. This article explores the condition of the canine central nervous system, discussing the type, cause, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment. It outlines the importance of nursing care for the neurologically impaired patient.

Clinical signs such as depression, head tilting, circling and seizures can indicate various diseases or conditions when seen separately, however, if a combination of neurological signs are presenting together, it can mean the patient has inflammation of the brain, known as encephalitis.

Encephalitis is divided into two categories; infectious and non-infectious. Infectious encephalitis includes bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic, whereas non-infectious encephalitis of unknown origin (Coates and Jeffery, 2014) is commonly as a result of an immune-mediated disease. All variations of the disease have a guarded prognosis (Lowrie et al, 2013) and veterinary staff should work quickly to diagnose and treat the condition. Diagnosis is most effectively achieved via analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Treatment depends on the pathogen or cause of the condition and most commonly involves broad spectrum antibiotics, antivirals and immunosuppressive corticosteroids (O'Neill et al, 2005).

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brain
inflammation
infectious
neurological
canine