I posted the below last week. We have since found out that our dog has encephalitis and we are in ge process of trying to determine the cause. My main reason for posting again is that his main symptom was pacing, which came on somewhat suddenly And other symptoms Quickly followed (head tilt, weakness in hind legs, circling, loosing footing). Time is of the essence in this condition and the prognosis can be poor. Just to let everyone know that pacing is not always behavioral.
So sorry to read about your dog's illness, that is really nasty, thank you for sharing the information. How old is he and what is his name? How close are you to determining the cause?
I am so very sorry. It is very brave and kind of you to share your story, so this can help others in a similar and worrying situation Please do keep us posted x
Encephalitis can have some odd causes. Although it can be caused by bacterial and viral infections, it can also be caused by some odd auto-immune problems. I hope treatment is effective
Thank you all. Sorry for the lack of details- Oso is 4. We’ve had him since he was 11 weeks. He is very dear to us. We are treating for bacterial (though that is the least common cause) and testing for fungi. The most common cause is the autoimmune form, which is treated with steroid. The testing can take up to two weeks is we just have to hope he doesn’t decline rapidly within that time. It’s sad to see him so disoriented. We are just hoping and loving him (though with some behavioral changes it’s not as easy - he can be snappy now). Please never ignore pacing- the earlier it is caught, the more treatable. Thank your everyone.
Thank you so much. I should clarify, it’s not hard to love him but his behavior is changing making snuggles a little more difficult. But there’s still hope.
I hope the treatment is successful and Oso soon shows signs of improvement. Thanks for flagging up the pacing symptom.
It’s been almost two weeks since my first post about Oso. He has not gotten better, though not much worse either. He is not the same dog though. What we have learned is that it is not due to a fungal infection and probably not bacterial since he didn’t really respond to antibiotics. We are just going day by day and he has been put on pain meds as he was crying a lot (abnormal behavior for him). He still cries but not sure what else can be done. Thanks for all your thoughts everyone.
