My pet has GME. What tests are needed and can they be saved?

My guess would be possibly meningitis from diskospondylitis or SRMA. I'm not sure what testing, if any, has already been done but I think you are going to need quite a bit of testing done to get this sorted (x-rays, blood testing, etc). What treatments have already been administered? Have steroids been tried? I think SRMA may be the cause. Suggest this to your vet and see what they think. It is hard for me to comment too much as I have not examined the dog myself and I do not know what testing has been done (or the results) or what treatments have been tried. Here is a link to an article about SRMA: http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/neurology/steroid-responsive-meningitis-arteritis-srma/ Hope this helps. If you have more question feel free to post again.

Hello. GMB is an immune mediated disease in which the cells in the eyelid margins are stimulated to attack the underlying tissues. Other immune mediated disease include Lupus & Rheumatoid Arthritis. We do not know why the body sometimes turns on itself, but with treatment, the symptoms often subside & sometimes go into remission. Good luck with your little one & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If you want to get a definitive diagnosis and your vet thinks the MRI would give more information than it would be worth it to have the test done. However, if it is not going to change treatment in any way and your dog seems to be improving on the steroids than you might want to hold off on having the test done. Discuss with your vet as he/she know the complete medical history and should be able to give you the best advise.

An MRI is useful to determine if Smodge is having seizures caused by a primary issue with the brain. This would be caused by a number of considtions for example a mass, or fluid changes within the brain. These conditions would be visible on the MRI scan. MRI scans are rarely if ever stopped, as the animals underlying the MRI are sedated so they do not move and interrupt he process. As well as to protect them from stress. If you do not wish to have the MRI performed you can ask your vet to try medical treatment for the seizures. If you take this route you won't know the precise cause of the seizures, but Smudge will still be receiving care. Some seizures are cause by idiopathic epilepsy and this would not be visible on an MRI, but it is a diagnosis reached when no other cause of the seizures can be found. If the MRI comes back clear, idiopathic epilepsy would be the most likely diagnosis. Medical treatment would then be started. I hope that is helpful information. Happy to help more in a consult or if you want to post any further questions in the forum.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Myasthenia gravis is an immune attack against the receptors to acetylcholine on cells. Medications that are used to treat this disease are used to increase the relative amount of acetylcholine that remains at the nerve-cell interface and others are used to try and decrease the immune attack against the receptors on the cell. Mestinon decreases the destruction of acetylcholine and therefore increases its activity of the acetylcholine. This usually helps with muscle weakness. Prednisone and azathioprine are immune suppressant drugs. Myasthenia gravis may occur as a primary (idiopathic) disorder or maybe secondary to other diseases such as cancers. If another cause is discovered (such as cancer) then then you need to treat the primary condition to try and resolve the myasthenia gravis. Unfortunately, many pets with myasthenia gravis can still have signs of esophageal dysfunction. Megaesophagus (dilation and weakness to the esophagus) commonly occurs and sometimes may not resolve even with otherwise effective treatment. This leaves many pets with myasthenia gravis at risk for developing aspiration pneumonia due to chronic regurgitation. A veterinary neurologist is often helpful to have involved in these cases.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive neurologic condition that is more common in the German Shepherd Dog, but affects other breeds as well. I am assuming your vet suspects this condition because of hindlimb weakness/wobbliness. Because many things can cause similar symptoms, especially if pain is a component of the process, getting more of a definitive diagnosis can be helpful. There is a DNA genetic test for degenerative myelopathy that can help aide in diagnosis. You could talk to your vet about this if this would be helpful for you to know. Mainly because this can be a sad disease to help the pet through, especially in later stages. Most of the treatment is centered around supportive care, assistance walking, booties on feet, physical therapy. The person who would have the most up to date information on the treatments of this disease would be a veterinary neurologist. You could also talk to your regular vet about a referral if you feel that this would be helpful for you as well. The treatment you describe above likely comes from a specific veterinary neurologist that suggested some medications may be beneficial but this has not likely been backed up by reasearch yet unfortunately. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry Summer has MMM! The best way to treat it is with prednisone, and it sounds like she may be advanced in the disease process if she has lost a considerable amount of weight in her face and her eyes are sunken in. My previous dog also had MMM, so I understand how hard it is when your dog has this autoimmune disease. Other immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporin, azathioprine, mycophenolate, cytarabine, and cyclophosphamide can be used in combination with the steroids, but that is up to your vet to decide if they are appropriate. Prognosis for this is fair, and if improvement is seen, the medications can be tapered back to a lower dose. Using these medications is the best way to help her jaw and regain muscle mass.