Brain Disease

Intro

The brain is the control center for the body. When it get sick, a lot of things can go wrong. Many pet owners are understandably upset and concerned when their pet starts to show symptoms of brain disease. The brain is a very important part of the body, and we can’t live without it. However, many brain diseases are treatable, and some are even curable.

Symptoms of Brain Disease

Symptoms of brain disease may include any of the following. If new symptoms happen, or if symptoms seem to be getting worse, please check in with the neurology team.

Seizures
Change in personality
Loss of training
Difficulty staying awake
Difficulty sleeping
Difficulty walking
Dizziness or Vertigo
Circling
Blindness
Difficulty eating, drinking or swallowing.

Common Brain diseases

This is a list of common diseases that cause brain problems in dogs and cats:

Strokes aka Vascular Events
Brain Tumors
Brain Infections
Inflammatory Brain Disease
Infections of the Brain
Hydrocephalus
Malformations of the brain
Caudal Occipital Malformation Syndrome (Chiari-like Malformation)

Will my pet be okay? Is this even treatable?

Until we know the reason your pet is showing brain symptoms, we can’t predict how your pet will do. Some brain diseases, like strokes, can improve with just time. Ssome conditions, like infections and some inflammatory diseases, can be completley cured with medication. Other conditions like hydrocephalus or brain tumors can be treated but not cured in most pets. In these pets the goal is to improve their quality of life, and lengthen the time they have with a good quality of life. Finally, there are some conditions that we cannot treat, and are fatal no matter what we do. The range of possibilities is incredibly variable, and without knowing what is causing your pet’s symptoms, we won’t be able to predict what will happen.

Diagnosis of brain disease

Until we know the reason your pet is showing brain symptoms, it’s impossible for us to predict how your pet will do. Some brain diseases, like strokes, can improve with just time. Ssome conditions, like infections and some inflammatory diseases, can be completley cured with medication. Other conditions like hydrocephalus or brain tumors can be treated but not cured in most pets. In these pets the goal is to improve their quality of life, and lengthen the time they have with a good quality of life. Finally, there are some conditions that we cannot treat, and are fatal no matter what we do. The range of possibilities is incredibly variable, and without knowing what is causing your pet’s symptoms, we won’t be able to predict what will happen.