Beagle Pain Syndrome (BPS), Canine Pain Syndrome, Neck Pain Syndrome or Necrotizing
Vasculitis, is a condition of sterile meningitis and polyarteritis. The
problem exhibits with cervical pain symptoms, shaking, hunched back stance, fever, lack of
appetite, stiff neck, muscle spasms (especially in front legs and neck), lethargy, and
unwillingness to move can be noted. These symptoms may appear quickly. The
beagle may be hesitant to bark and opening of the jaw seems to be painful.
Typically it is first seen in puppies from 4 -10 months of age but can be seen in older
dogs. Male and female beagles are affected equally. Left untreated, the first
episode may resolve within a few days, although a relapse will probably occur within a few
months. This same type syndrome is also seen in Boxers and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
On necropsy, research beagles have shown changes associated with irritation or infection in the small vessels of the cervical spinal cord, mediastinum, and heart.
Bacterial meningitis, diskospondylitis, spinal tumor and cervical disc disease should be ruled out, as the symptoms are very similar to BPS. X-rays of the cervical area will often be unremarkable, and lab work may show anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hypoalbuminemia, and alpha2 macroglobulinemia.
Treatment with steroids, specifically prednisone at dosages between 1 - 4mg/kg/day for short term therapy, has been suggested and long term treatment with lower dosages may be indicated for some beagles. Your veterinarian is the best person to work with you on the appropriate treatment protocol. Antibiotics are usually of no benefit to a beagle with BPS.
Steriod treatment will make your beagle drink more water and may cause water retention. Frequent trips for "potty" breaks usually are needed, as well as keeping you beagle in a quiet non-stimulating environment. Remember, moving can be painful for them, so if you have an active household with kids and other dogs, confining your beagle in a crate or separate area is suggested.
An immune mediated basis is suspected with a probable hereditary factor. This syndrome is similar to Kawasaki disease in humans.
My fourteen month-old beagle female walked with her head down, as if she had a headache. If she was close to my leg as I moved and turned to get out of the way, or to go around a door, or if a littermate bumped her, she would cry out in pain. I took her to my vet, and he started treatment for cervical disorder, starting her on meds. Over the next few days, she got better, and all signs of pain were gone. On occasions, sometimes months apart, she would become painful again; and I would automatically start her back on her meds. My vet is a long term friend, and I would call him and let him know her status. So her bouts of neck pain were managed well.
When she was seven years-old she started with the same usual symptoms: crying out in pain; hunch back; and stiff neck. This time the usual meds did not help. She progressed to muscle spasms in her front legs and was obviously in severe pain. Reminding me of someone with a migraine, she would squint her eyes. She also developed shaking in her rear legs, something I thought was secondary to pain. Lab work and x-rays were unremarkable. She was started on antibiotics, pain med, muscle relaxers and higher doses of dexamethasone. Gradually, she improved. But this episode was longer and more severe.
At the age of 8 1/2, she again started with pain when turning her head, muscle spasms in front legs and the pain progressed to the point where all she could do was lie on the couch. I had to keep her sedated with valium for muscle spasms, as well as flexaril. She was on dexamethasone and rimadyl, as well as antibiotics. Again, the basic labs test were unremarable, and x-rays showed possible narrowing of a disc, mid-back. This would not explain the chest and neck pain. She became so bad, my only option was to try and transport her to a vet school, hours away for an MRI and possible surgery for disc disease. I decided that I would not put her through this and would PTS if she showed no improvement in 48 hours. We had been working on her for almost two weeks, and she just was not improving. She would eat, but only if hand fed, and every time I took her outside I had to be prepared to hear her cry out in pain.
I was researching cervical pain, when I found an article about beagle pain. A lightbulb went off. She fit the description. As a last ditch effort, my vet agreed to start her on high dose steroid treatment. Within 24 hours, I could see a marked improvement in her; and within 48 hours, she was off all meds other than the prednisone. Her recovery was short of a miracle. She was maintained on the high dose for 14 days, and then gradually weaned off all pred. She never had another severe episode, but at the first sign of her "headache look", I would start her on prednisone for one week. She lived to be 16, and ultimately died of cancer.
Here are three other links to additional information on this syndrome.
Bernese Mountain Dog Health
Links
University
of Prince Edward Island DataBase
Another Case OF BPS
References:
The Five Minute Veterinary Consult Page 388,
Journal of the American Veterianary Medical Association. 201[10]:1553-8,
Nov 15, 1992. "Systemic Necrotizing Vasculitis in Nine Young
Beagles."
Journal of Veterianary Internal Medicine. 4[2]:112 Mar/Apr 1990.
ACVIM, 8th Annual Forum. "Systemic Vasculitis {Canine Pain Syndrome} in young
beagles."
Journal of Veterianary Internal Medicine. 2[1]:26-35 Jan/Mar
1988. 123 Refs. "Canine Meningitis:A Changing Emphasis"
The Veterinary Record, June 17, 1978. "Polyarteritis in a colony of
beagles."
The Veterinary Record, April 7th 1973. "Polyarteritis in the Dog: A
Case Report."
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JUDY MUSLADIN FOR HER ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ARTICLE.
Ruth Darlene Stewart -- AlaDar Beagles-2002
Reprinting of this article only with permission from author