Introduction

• Thought to be the result of infection with canine distemper virus (CDV) Canine distemper disease.
• There is some speculation that this form of distemper no longer exists as a spontaneously occurring disease.
• Signs: cerebral, eg visual deficits, circling, seizures, ataxia, and behavioral changes, eg head-pressing, continual pacing and an incoordinated high-stepping gait.
• May or may not be history of distemper-like episode in past.
• Diagnosis: definitive diagnosis may be difficult because of low specificity of signs.
• Clinical picture is milder than in the acute form seen in younger animals.
• Treatment: corticosteroids, anticonvulsants.
• Prognosis: poor - recovery does not occur.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• Believed to be caused by a variant of canine distemper virus.

Predisposing factors

• Presently unknown.

Specific

• Presently unknown.

Pathophysiology

• The underlying pathogenesis is presently unknown, however, the virus-host cell interaction appears different from that of multifocal distemper encephalitis.
• Recent studies suggest the ODE is a variant of virulent CDV-induced canine neurological disease that can evolvede novowithin the CNS of subclinically infected dogs in absence of external sources of re-infection.
• This is a highly cell-associated virus. Viral mutations occur after infection.

• The virus appears to have a predilection for cerebral cortex and upper brain stem leading to progressive cortical/subcortical signs (the 'clinical signs').

Timecourse

• This is a subacute/chronic neurologic disorder that may span many months.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Outcomes