Laura Van Horn wrote:
> Many expressed a desire to hear the results of the autopsy on 'Skye'
> who suddenly became ill and passed on at the age of 5. The vet was
> 'flying blind' on treatment and wanted to know as much as we did
> about the cause. Samples of stomach tissue, brain, and blood were
> sent to the state lab in Kissimmee, FL. Results were returned today.
> GRANULOMATOUS MENEGITIS ENCEPHILITIS (Say that fast three times)
> It is a non-specific, UNtreatable condition that attacks the brain
> and causes GREAT pain. There was no raised blood titer, so a bird,
> etc. was not the carrier.
> It seems to attack middle-aged bitches (about 4-6 years of age).
> Poodles and toy breeds are predisposed to the malady--but evidently
> it is not limited to them. It is VERY sudden onset. As it progresses,
> the eyes are seriously affected. Skye was also showing those signs.
> The vet did not know any more re: a genetic predisposition, etc.
> He said this is his first and only case and does not care to see anymore.
> He did wonder if any other GPs have been affected. He stated she is was
> in tremendous pain.
> Any similar cases among GP owners???

Laura,
Kate Graham posted on Thu Feb 6, 2003, about her dog, "Bones," in message:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GermanPinschers/message/5264

<in part>
<<Just writing to those who remember me talking about our red GP Bones.
We put him to sleep last Friday night. He was 3 years old. When he was
8 months old he contract meningitis. It was a viral form, which is
slightly less deadly than bacterial. He was one a very few dogs who
survive the rare disease. How he got it is unknown - as it is in humans.
However, as we now know it left him with brain damage and hence a
temperament change. He also suffered on-going neck and head pain."

We were treating the pain regularly with Craniosacral therapy (similar to,
but more gently than osteopathy). Last week it reached the point where a
treatment only gave him relief for 2 days. His control was also starting
to deteriorate.

ON the Wednesday he had bitten me (again) for no reason and not remembered
it 5 minutes later. The vets think the brain damage was in the frontal lobe
and affecting his control centre. As he was getting old the deterioration
was leaving him less and less control. Due to the brain damage he had
recently become very unpredictable in his biting and in more and more pain
and so we made the incredibly hard decision to put him to sleep.

His full story is on our web site: http://firedragon.warpspeed.com.au

For anyone who ever has a dog which does contract meningitis
my advice would be to let them go at the time.
We fought to save him and have him for another 2 years,
but if I had known at the time what he would go though,
I would have let him go then.>>

--
Warmly, Joy LaCaille
Mailto:Holistic@... = Holistic@...
& the "Naturally Reared" Lakai German Pinschers
914 Lake Ella Road, Fruitland Park, FL 34731 (352) 365-9955
http://www.germanpinschers.com/lakai.html