Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)--There is no cure for PDE. Unfortunately very little is known about this disease. What is known about PDE is it's an inflammation of the brain. It is noted that it strikes Pugs up to the age of 4 years---More common in females than in males It is a belief that it is a genetic disease Seizures can be from a few seconds to a few minutes. Seizures cannot be maintained by the use of medications. Some dogs even have temporary remissions. Seizures are the main symptom of PDE although it is important to PLEASE NOTE THAT VERY FEW PUG SEIZURES ARE ACTUALLY CAUSED BY PUG DOG ENCEPHALITIS. They could suffer from Epilepsy, gasses, low blood sugar, exposure to toxic chemicals, or any other unknown causes.
What to Watch For :
• Seizures
• Walking in circles before or in between seizures
• Pressing their heads against the wall, furniture and or people
• A staggering walk
• Apparent blindness
• Neck pain
• Sudden Death
• Agitation or Aggression
• Lethargy /Listlessness (Lethargy can mean many things check with your veterinarian)
• Loss of muscle coordination (this can also indicate other problems such as neurological issues and a side effective to convulsive activity brought out by inner ear disturbances Generally affects litter mates and closely related dogs. PDE can only be positivelydiagnosed by an autopsy on the brain stem. Your vet may do routine blood work and urinalysis to check for encephalitis although it is rarely diagnosed this way. Chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound or lymph node aspirates may find signs of an infection; however, many animals with encephalitis will not have systemic abnormalities. Therefore, encephalitis is usually diagnosed by a spinal tap. A spinal tap will tell exactly what is going on inside the nervous system. A significant increase in white blood cells in the spinal fluid usually indicates encephalitis. Spinal fluid is usually collected at the base of the skull in cases of suspected encephalitis.
2 Classifications of PDE:
Slow Progressive: This classification of PDE features seizure activity and sometimes the additional symptoms preceding the seizure activity. The seizures will strike, last anywhere from just a few seconds to a few minutes and then recur in a matter of days or weeks. In between these seizures, the Pug will return to normal and demonstrate no symptomatic characteristics associated with PDE.
Rapid Progression:This classification of PDE features seizure activity that is often more frequent, but not always. In between the seizure activity however, the Pug does not return to normal but instead does demonstrate symptomatic characteristics associated with PDE. These characteristics between seizures are commonly depression, bewilderment, disorientation and signs of lacking muscular coordination such as having difficulty walking. The end result of either classification of PDE unfortunately is the same. Whether it strikes in the slow progressive or the rapid progressive form, PDE will eventually kill the Pug. Those Pugs that have been diagnosed with PDE and said to have survived are believed to have been misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed conclusively.
Idiopathic encephalitis: A term used when an infectious cause can't be found. In many cases of idiopathic encephalitis, an underlying immune-mediated cause is suspected because these animals improve after suppression of the immune system. Immune-mediated diseases occur when the body's white blood cells mistakenly attacks normal tissue, in this case brain or spinal cord. There have been a number of different types of idiopathic encephalitis described in dogs
For More Information On PDE click link below
PDE Information
Hemi-Vertebrae: Incomplete or abnormal fusion of the vertebrae. Can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the spine
Hip Dysplasia: The hip joint is a ball and socket connection. If the joint is malformed the head of the femur will not properly align with the cup of the hip socket. Mild dysplasia is usually without symptoms in the pug due to their stocky muscular build. Severe dysplasia can lead to pain & arthritis later in life. More common in males than females
Heart Disease: Can be hereditary, how efficiently the heart is able to pump blood. Signs of heart disease can include exercise intolerance, poor growth, weight loss, chronic cough, a pot bellied appearance, and even fainting episodes. Many heart problems can be detected on physical exam.
Luxating Patella’s-Slipping Knee caps: Hereditary or due to injury. Mild luxation causes some discomfort with high levels of activity. When a dog luxates its patella it may carry the leg briefly, or stop and stretch the leg backwards in an attempt to reseat the patella back in its normal groove.
Elongated Palate/Collapsing Trachea:May cause breathing problems, airway obstruction in Pugs. The soft palate is abnormally long and causes breathing problems. Facial fold dermatitis: an infection of the facial skin caused by unusual or excessive skin folds.
Hanging tongue:a syndrome where the tongue does not retract into the mouth properly, due to neurologic or anatomic defects
Stenotic nares:The openings of the nostrils are too small. This puts a strain on the dog's system and can lead to an enlarged heart. An indication of stenotic nares is the dog tends to mouth breathe or has foamy nasal discharge. Surgical correction can enlarge the nasal opening. Pugs have large, round, expressive eyes. Pugs eyes are set shallowly into their heads, sometimes eyes do come out. Some Pugs go through their lives without any eye problems, some have chronic problems. Below are some eye conditions…
Bilateral Cataracts: Cataracts in dogs can be identified as opaque spots on the lens of the eye. These spots may cause total or partial loss of vision. Some cataracts are hereditary while others are not. In some cases surgery may help the dog recover
Corneal Ulcers: Any scratch or injury to a dog’s eye can result in an ulcer. Ulcers must be treated by a veterinarian immediately orthere will be some loss of sight.
Dry Eye: This condition is caused by the lack of tear production. This can be due to lack of nerve stimulation of the tear glands, failure of the tear glands, or blockage of the ducts that carry the tears to the eyes. Full diagnosis can only be performed by a Veterinarian to determine the cause. Treatment will be dependant upon the cause and severity of the condition.
Distachiasis: Eyelashes growing on the inside of the lid, causes irritation on the eye as the dog blinks, can be 1 hair or many.
Entropian:The rolling of the eyelid(s) into the eye, this is common due to the shape of the pug’s head, placement of the eyes & the over-nose wrinkle. The hairs or eyelashes will rub on the eye causing irritation. Generally, it will only be the inner corner of the bottom eyelid & as the pug grows & matures the problem self-corrects.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: PRA is a hereditary eye disease causing the breakdown of the cells of the retina. The breakdown is gradual leading to mid-life blindness
What to Watch For :
• Seizures
• Walking in circles before or in between seizures
• Pressing their heads against the wall, furniture and or people
• A staggering walk
• Apparent blindness
• Neck pain
• Sudden Death
• Agitation or Aggression
• Lethargy /Listlessness (Lethargy can mean many things check with your veterinarian)
• Loss of muscle coordination (this can also indicate other problems such as neurological issues and a side effective to convulsive activity brought out by inner ear disturbances Generally affects litter mates and closely related dogs. PDE can only be positivelydiagnosed by an autopsy on the brain stem. Your vet may do routine blood work and urinalysis to check for encephalitis although it is rarely diagnosed this way. Chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound or lymph node aspirates may find signs of an infection; however, many animals with encephalitis will not have systemic abnormalities. Therefore, encephalitis is usually diagnosed by a spinal tap. A spinal tap will tell exactly what is going on inside the nervous system. A significant increase in white blood cells in the spinal fluid usually indicates encephalitis. Spinal fluid is usually collected at the base of the skull in cases of suspected encephalitis.
2 Classifications of PDE:
Slow Progressive: This classification of PDE features seizure activity and sometimes the additional symptoms preceding the seizure activity. The seizures will strike, last anywhere from just a few seconds to a few minutes and then recur in a matter of days or weeks. In between these seizures, the Pug will return to normal and demonstrate no symptomatic characteristics associated with PDE.
Rapid Progression:This classification of PDE features seizure activity that is often more frequent, but not always. In between the seizure activity however, the Pug does not return to normal but instead does demonstrate symptomatic characteristics associated with PDE. These characteristics between seizures are commonly depression, bewilderment, disorientation and signs of lacking muscular coordination such as having difficulty walking. The end result of either classification of PDE unfortunately is the same. Whether it strikes in the slow progressive or the rapid progressive form, PDE will eventually kill the Pug. Those Pugs that have been diagnosed with PDE and said to have survived are believed to have been misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed conclusively.
Idiopathic encephalitis: A term used when an infectious cause can't be found. In many cases of idiopathic encephalitis, an underlying immune-mediated cause is suspected because these animals improve after suppression of the immune system. Immune-mediated diseases occur when the body's white blood cells mistakenly attacks normal tissue, in this case brain or spinal cord. There have been a number of different types of idiopathic encephalitis described in dogs
For More Information On PDE click link below
PDE Information
Hemi-Vertebrae: Incomplete or abnormal fusion of the vertebrae. Can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the spine
Hip Dysplasia: The hip joint is a ball and socket connection. If the joint is malformed the head of the femur will not properly align with the cup of the hip socket. Mild dysplasia is usually without symptoms in the pug due to their stocky muscular build. Severe dysplasia can lead to pain & arthritis later in life. More common in males than females
Heart Disease: Can be hereditary, how efficiently the heart is able to pump blood. Signs of heart disease can include exercise intolerance, poor growth, weight loss, chronic cough, a pot bellied appearance, and even fainting episodes. Many heart problems can be detected on physical exam.
Luxating Patella’s-Slipping Knee caps: Hereditary or due to injury. Mild luxation causes some discomfort with high levels of activity. When a dog luxates its patella it may carry the leg briefly, or stop and stretch the leg backwards in an attempt to reseat the patella back in its normal groove.
Elongated Palate/Collapsing Trachea:May cause breathing problems, airway obstruction in Pugs. The soft palate is abnormally long and causes breathing problems. Facial fold dermatitis: an infection of the facial skin caused by unusual or excessive skin folds.
Hanging tongue:a syndrome where the tongue does not retract into the mouth properly, due to neurologic or anatomic defects
Stenotic nares:The openings of the nostrils are too small. This puts a strain on the dog's system and can lead to an enlarged heart. An indication of stenotic nares is the dog tends to mouth breathe or has foamy nasal discharge. Surgical correction can enlarge the nasal opening. Pugs have large, round, expressive eyes. Pugs eyes are set shallowly into their heads, sometimes eyes do come out. Some Pugs go through their lives without any eye problems, some have chronic problems. Below are some eye conditions…
Bilateral Cataracts: Cataracts in dogs can be identified as opaque spots on the lens of the eye. These spots may cause total or partial loss of vision. Some cataracts are hereditary while others are not. In some cases surgery may help the dog recover
Corneal Ulcers: Any scratch or injury to a dog’s eye can result in an ulcer. Ulcers must be treated by a veterinarian immediately orthere will be some loss of sight.
Dry Eye: This condition is caused by the lack of tear production. This can be due to lack of nerve stimulation of the tear glands, failure of the tear glands, or blockage of the ducts that carry the tears to the eyes. Full diagnosis can only be performed by a Veterinarian to determine the cause. Treatment will be dependant upon the cause and severity of the condition.
Distachiasis: Eyelashes growing on the inside of the lid, causes irritation on the eye as the dog blinks, can be 1 hair or many.
Entropian:The rolling of the eyelid(s) into the eye, this is common due to the shape of the pug’s head, placement of the eyes & the over-nose wrinkle. The hairs or eyelashes will rub on the eye causing irritation. Generally, it will only be the inner corner of the bottom eyelid & as the pug grows & matures the problem self-corrects.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: PRA is a hereditary eye disease causing the breakdown of the cells of the retina. The breakdown is gradual leading to mid-life blindness
