Puzzled and no one seems to know the answer - Pug/Jack Russell Mix

[jenroo0920]

Hello,
I am hoping someone can help with a very frustrating issue.  I have a Pug/Jack Rusell mix (Marley) who is about 4 years old.  In November, Marley started having seizures that lasted about 2 min or less.  These occured about every 5 weeks (again in early January and then late February).  The vet finally decided we should put her on phenabarbitol (16.2 - 1/4gm; 2xs/day).  She has been on this for about 5 weeks now and has been fine (lethargic and gained weight, but nothing serious) until last weekend.

Last weekend, she got so weak in the legs that she could barely stand.  We took her to the emergency vet who did xrays and said it was a disc issue in her neck/upper back area and gave us 2 pain meds and an anti-inflamatory for her.  As the day progressed, she did not get any better and we were advised to take her to a specialty hospital in our area, which we did.  

The ER vet said that it was in no way a disc issue and that it seemed more neurological and could be the result of a "mini-seizure".  Also mentioned it could be encephilitis or pug encephilitis and to stop the anti-inflamatory.  Over the next couple days (Sunday and Monday), Marley seemed fine - jumping around and hard to keep calm.  

Then on Tuesday morning, she wasn't able to stand up again in the morning.  Her legs were stiff and she couldn't get them underneath her.  Once she worked it out, she seemed fine.

Wednesday, same thing.  She was weak in the morning but then seemed ok.

Today, she seems better but still stiff and leery of walking especially when she gets up from laying down.  

Our question is - does this seem more muscular in nature or neurological?  She is completely alert, not disoriented, eating and drinking normally.  But its so strange that one minute she seems fine and the next, she is down again.  It seems to be more in her rear end that front legs, but when we move or touch her back end, she doesn't wimper or act like it hurts.

ER vet said only way to rule out encephilitis completely is to do an MRI, which cost $3000 and I just dont have it.  Our normal vet does not seem to think encephilitis is the issue.

So puzzling and any information or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Jennifer

[Banjo88]

If she is still on phenobarb, it could simply be a side effect of the medication. Especially because it comes and goes, it could be that when the medication is wearing off, she starts to regain coordination, and then when you give her another dose, the level starts to shows its effects again. I'm surprised your vets didnt mention this to you. Looks it up, hind limb weakness and lack of coordination are very typical side effects of phenobarb.

[Ghilly]

The symptoms that you list along with the age that she was when this started is textbook for Pug Dog Encephalitis.  It manifests in pugs between the ages of 9 months and 4 years.  There are a couple of different versions of this disease.  There is a disseminated form of the disease, a focal form, and an ocular form.  The symptoms you describe sound like the focal form.

Pug Dog Encephalitis (real name is granulomatous meningoencephalitis) is passed genetically.  Can you contact the breeder of your pug and see if this disease is present in her line of dogs?  That would give you a major clue as to whether this is the direction in which you should look.  

The only other thing I can suggest is to just watch her for a while to see if any of the other symptoms manifest, like the nystagmus (rapidly darting eyeballs), sudden blindness with a dilated pupil (the ocular form of the disease causes this), stumbling, and dementia-like symptoms (acting totally out of character for her).  Unfortunately, your vet is right, the only way to be absolutely certain is to do MRI to see what's going on in the brain.

Please keep us up to date on how she is doing.

Ghilly