A Case of A 13-Year-Old Dog with Old Dog Encephalitis: A Rare Form of Canine Distemper

Abstract

13 year-old male dog with complaints of fever, loss of appetite, stagnation as well as respiratory signs such as purulent nasal and eye discharge, cough and neurologic signs including apathy, ataxia, quadriplegia, muscular atrophy and myoclonus which admitted to the Animal Hospital of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Selcuk University. "Old dog encephalitis" was determined by clinical, laboratory examinations and rapid distemper test. Clinical findings revealed hyperthermia, tachypnea and tachycardia. Intravenous 0.9% NaCl and 5% dextrose solution, vitamin and amino acids, ceftriaxone, n-acetylcysteine for improving clinical appearance and for controlling myoclonus pregabalin were used. In conclusion canine distemper virus may affect mature dogs over six years old as "old dog encephalitis" and this condition may provide a valuable model for further study of demyelinating diseases including measles in humans.