Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis in dogs: A review

: Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in dogs that is characterised by focal or disseminated granulomatous lesions within the brain and/or spinal cord, non-suppurative meningitis and perivascular mononuclear cuffing. The aetiology of the disease remains unknown, although an immune-mediated cause is suspected. This article reviewed the typical history, clinical signs and pathology of the condition along with current opinions on pathogenesis. The potential differential diagnoses for the disease were discussed along with current treatment options.     

Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis with peripheral nervous system involvement in a dog

A 9-year-old male neutered Labrador Retriever presented with signs consistent with multifocal neurological disease. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed a mononuclear pleocytosis and electromyography revealed abnormal electrical activity in distal appendicular and masticatory muscles. Treatment was declined and necropsy revealed disseminated granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis with extensive involvement of the peripheral nervous system.     

Multifocal retinitis in New Zealand sheep dogs

Thirty-nine percent of 1,448 working sheep dogs were affected with varying degrees of multifocal retinal disease on ophthalmoscopic examination. Lesions consisted of localized areas of hyperreflexia in the tapetal fundus, often associated with hyperpigmentation. Severely affected animals had widespread hyperreflexia with retinal vascular attenuation. Only 6% of 125 New Zealand dogs raised in urban environment were similarly affected. Both eyes of 70 dogs from New Zealand were examined histologically. Forty-seven of 70 dogs had ocular inflammatory disease. Ten other dogs had noninflammatory eye disease, and 13 dogs had normal eyes. Histologically, eyes with inflammatory disease were divided into three categories: Dogs 3 years of age or less with active inflammatory disease of the retina, uvea, and vitreous. Four dogs in this group had migrating nematode larvae identified morphologically as genus Toxocara. Diffuse retinitis and retinal atrophy in conjunction with localized retinal necrosis and choroidal fibrosis. Dogs in this category were severely, clinically affected. Chronic, low-grade retinitis with variable retinal atrophy. Most dogs in this category were over 3 years of age, and many were visually functional. The existence of a definable spectrum of morphological changes associated with inflammation, suggests that Toxocara sp. ocular larva migrans may be the cause of a highly prevalent, potentially blinding syndrome of working sheep dogs in New Zealand.     

Granulomatous nephritis and meningoencephalomyelitis caused by Halicephalobus gingivalis in a pony gelding

A ten-year-old Shetland pony gelding showed low appetite, ataxia, peculiar swaying, clouding of consciousness, and ultimately died. At necropsy, multiple coalescing granulomatous foci were detected in the kidneys, and small necrotic lesions were found in the cerebellum. Histologic examination of the renal tissue sections revealed extensive granuloma, and Halicephalobus gingivalis-like nematodes were seen. Similar nematodes were found in the granulomatous or necrotic lesions of the renal lymph nodes and cerebellum, and were also frequently detected in cerebrospinal meningovascular lesions. Morphologic features together with partial ribosomal RNA gene sequences of the nematodes in the lesions revealed that they were H. gingivalis. The present results indicated that H. gingivalis caused granulomatous nephritis and meningoencephalomyelitis in this pony gelding.     

Granulomatous meningoence-phalomyelitis in 21 dogs

Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME) is a well recognised disease entity affecting dogs. It manifests in a wide variety of clinical syndromes. The lesion is characterised by focal or disseminated non-caseating granulomas in the brain and spinal cord, non-suppurative meningitis and marked perivascular lymphoid cuffing. The clinical signs can be acute and rapidly progressive or can manifest as a chronic relapsing disease. In this survey, 12 clinical cases were referred to Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital and nine cases were submitted for necropsy. While cerebrospinal fluid examination in seven of these cases suggested inflammatory disease, necropsy confirmed the presence of GME. An immunohistochemical technique for detection of distemper virus antigen failed to identify the presence of distemper virus antigen in any of the cases. It was concluded that distemper virus was not involved in the aetiology of these 21 cases all of which were confirmed by post mortem examination.     

Giardia infection of cats and dogs in New Zealand

Giardia intestinalis is a pathogenic protozoan which infects humans and a wide range of animal hosts, including cats and dogs⁽¹⁾. However, the status of animals in New Zealand with respect to Giardia infection has not received much attention, so we undertook a preliminary study of cats and dogs in Palmerston North and Hamilton to determine the prevalence of infection, as indicated by the presence of cysts in faeces.     

Observations on mortality of young dogs in New Zealand

Changes in the plasma concentrations of cortisol were recorded in 5–6 weeks-old lambs during the first 480 minutes after surgical castration and tailing in order to define the full post-treatment cortisol response and to determine whether or not the handling associated with repeated blood sampling delayed the return of cortisol concentrations to pretreatment values. Four groups of six or seven lambs were studied: One group was bled regularly throughout the 480 minutes of the study, and in the other three post-treatment blood sampling began at 90, 240 or 480 minutes. Plasma cortisol concentrations increased after treatment and returned to or approached pretreatment values by 480 minutes. No significant differences in mean cortisol concentrations were observed between the groups at any stage. It is concluded that the acute distress response of these lambs to surgical castration and tailing lasted about 8 hours and that repeated handling for blood sampling did not contribute significantly to this distress.     

Progressive myelopathy and neuropathy in New Zealand Huntaway dogs

AIM: To investigate the nature and cause of a progressive ataxia in three 20-month-old Huntaway dogs that were litter mates. METHODS: Affected dogs were examined before they were humanely killed and submitted to necropsy. Selected formalin-fixed tissues were examined by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: The lesions were those of axon and myelin degeneration within sensory, proprioceptive and motor tracts of the spinal cord and to a lesser degree some peripheral nerves. CONCLUSION: A progressive myelopathy and neuropathy, tentatively described as a central-peripheral distal axonopathy, was present in all 3 dogs. The cause was not determined but was likely to be either genetic or nutritional. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In the early stages of this disease, careful examination may be necessary to distinguish the signs of ataxia from orthopaedic disease such as hip dysplasia. Affected animals are unlikely to be of use as working dogs.     

Characteristics of magnetic resonance images of granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis in 11 dogs

The characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (mri) of the brains and spinal cords of 11 dogs with histologically confirmed granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (gme) were determined. The lesions were in the brain of eight of the dogs, in the brain and spinal cord of two, and in the spinal cord alone in one dog. A single lesion was present in four of the dogs and multiple lesions were found in six. In one dog with intracranial signs, no visible lesions could be detected on mri. No meningeal enhancement was detected in T1-weighted images post-contrast, or in fluid attenuation inversion recovery (flair) images, but there were histological lesions in the meninges in nine of the dogs. The T2-weighted images and flair sequences were characterised in all cases by hyperintensity, whereas the signal intensity of the lesions on T1-weighted images was variable. After the administration of paramagnetic contrast, some of the lesions showed no enhancement, but others showed marked patterns of enhancement. The lesions in 10 of the dogs were easily identifiable by mri and the images had several unifying characteristics, but they could not be considered disease-specific.     

Progressive myelopathy and neuropathy in New Zealand Huntaway dogs

Aim: To investigate the nature and cause of a progressive ataxia in three 20-month-old Huntaway dogs that were litter mates.

Methods: Affected dogs were examined before they were humanely killed and submitted to necropsy. Selected formalin-fixed tissues were examined by light and electron microscopy.

Results: The lesions were those of axon and myelin degeneration within sensory, proprioceptive and motor tracts of the spinal cord and to a lesser degree some peripheral nerves.

Conclusion: A progressive myelopathy and neuropathy, tentatively described as a central-peripheral distal axonopathy, was present in all 3 dogs.The cause was not determined but was likely to be either genetic or nutritional.

Clinical relevance: In the early stages of this disease, careful examination maybe necessary to distinguish the signs of ataxia from orthopaedic disease such as hip dysplasia. Affected animals are unlikely to be of use as working dogs.     

Ciclosporin use in multi-drug therapy for meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ciclosporin therapy alone or in combination with corticosteroids and/or ketoconazole in dogs with diagnosis of meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology. METHODS: Medical records of 10 dogs diagnosed with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology and treated with ciclosporin therapy alone or in combination with corticosteroids and/or ketoconazole were reviewed at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Laboratory abnormalities, side effects, clinical and cerebrospinal fluid responses to treatment and association between blood ciclosporin level and response to treatment were evaluated. Histopathological diagnosis was available in three patients. RESULTS: No significant abnormalities were detected on serial complete blood count and serum chemistry panel in any of the dogs. Side effects of ciclosporin therapy included excessive shedding, gingival hyperplasia and hypertrichosis. Overall median survival time for all dogs in the study was 930 days (range, 60 to more than 1290 days). In all dogs, serial cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed a marked improvement in the inflammation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Results suggest that ciclosporin either alone or in combination with ketoconazole may be a safe and effective treatment for meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology in dogs.     

Prevalence of Neospora antibodies in New Zealand dairy cattle and dogs

Abstract

Extract

Neospora caninum is a major cause of disease in cattle and dogs, manifesting with abortions in cattle, and hind limb paresis in mostly young dogs ⁽¹⁾ Dubey, JP and Lindsay, DS. 1996. A review of Neospora caninum and neosporosis. Veterinary Parasitology, 67: 1–59. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Previous reports from New Zealand suggest that around 30% of bovine abortions may be due to Neospora ⁽²⁾ Thornton, RN, Thompson, EJ and Dubey, JP. 1991. Neospora abortion in New Zealand cattle. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 39: 129–133. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] ⁽³⁾ Thornton, R. 1992. Bovine abortions — Laboratory diagnosis 1991. Surveillance, 19: 24–24.  [Google Scholar] and that about 40% of recently aborted dairy cows have antibodies against Neospora ⁽⁴⁾ Reichel, MP and Drake, JM. 1996. The diagnosis of Neospora abortions in cattle. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 44: 151–154. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].     

新西兰检疫犬项目的发展和启示

一、历史墨西哥是世界上第一个使用工作犬来进行植物产品检疫的国家。到了上世纪70年代末,美国农业部(USDA)也开发了一个类似的项目:使用工作犬来对国际邮件和国际机场入境旅客的行李进行检查。1984年,USDA开始了一个试点项目称之为“比格犬大队”(B e a g l eBrigade)。由于长