Pug Dog Encephalitis Resource

April 30/2008 I just lost my puggie to PDE it took only 8 days from start to finish She was depressed would not jump down from furniture. I took her to my regular vet and she was treated for a sore back. the next night she suffered a massive seizure and 2 more in the night. I took her to the emergency clinic in the morning and she was treated with epilepsy meds and siezure free for 24hrs and I was allowed to take her home. She appeared to be blind and could not walk very good. I hoped it was from the rapid amount of meds that were given to her and the vet said this was probably the cause and the symptoms would ease as the meds levels reduced in her body. I picked her up at 6pm and she had a great dinner of steak and potatoes and a lick of whip cream for dessert. By midnight she could no longer stand and cuddled back into bed with me. At 6am she seemed to show mannerisms of being blind and streached her head and neck up did a few shallow breaths and stopped breathing. She was 1 yr and 10 months old. My heart and my childrens hearts are broken and my house feels so empty. I pray for a cure for this horrible disease.

My advise to anyone with questions is definitely check out the websites on this subject. When my Pug suddenly seized and went in to the hosp and they told me they suspected the PDE- I looked it up right away. I saw what the symptoms were and up to this point, it’s all right on. And if your vet isn’t helping, or giving any sort of diagnosis- I’d get a second opinion. At least with medicine, you may have a chance to have them around alittle longer and have a decent goodbye.

MRI and Spinal tap are the only good ways to get the (unconfirmed) diagnosis while they’re alive. I have the University of Penn just 25 minutes away from me and they gave her the (unconfirmed) diagnosis of PDE after the two tests. That was on May 2. I’ve been lucky to have her home for a month since diagnosis, she’s a fighter. But she started to have mild, cluster seizures last week- that were brought under control by extra meds. But they returned on Monday and her meds were increased yet again. She’s now aggressively circling and extremely aggitated alot of the time. I’m thinking that it’s about time to make the decision to put her at rest, but it’s breaking my heart. I just can’t live watching her be on more medicine then an adult human should be on, with the confusion, circling and aggitation. I’ve done everything I can for her, given her more love and special treats and treatment since she got sick and now I think it’s time.

I believe we will allow U of Penn use her for research because I’d like to have something good come of this awful experience. We won’t have a confirmed diagnosis of PDE until she’s gone- but we all know that’s what it is. It was so sudden, she was healthy as a horse and 4.5 years old! So young, yet on the brink of missing the PDE cut off. I will miss her, but I’d rather she be at peace then like she is now.

Does anyone know of any other good sites out there for PDE? I’ve seen a few, but I still have some questions that I can’t seem to get answered. Thanks.

7-05-08 Recently our 8 month old puppy became sick with PDE. Our Vet. treated her with antibiotics for infection and Phenobarbital for seizures.The Vet.did a spinal tap for a positive I.D. The test came back positive.The Vet.knew of a treatment and we went for it. The treatment worked and our puppy is home and doing great.This treatment is not a cure but it is a god sent answer to our prayers and maybe yours.I hope that someone out there can use this info. to find a cure before our puppies time is up.The treatment is Chemo IV .If anyone has used this I would like to how well it worked.

Our pug Girlie was 1st diagnosed 3 1/2 weeks ago with epilepsy.  3 days later she was back in the hospital and being refered to a neurologist for the possibility that she had PDE.  It was confirmed right away and since then she has been in and out of the hospital 5 times and is on various cocktails of drugs.  If this doesnt work when we pick her home tonight we have some rough decisions to make.  My heart hurts so much I cant believe this has happened to us.  I just pray she hasnt spent her last days in and out of the hospital with me going on false hope.

I read your comments about Rocky and in my opinion he does seem old to develop PDE.  I went through the terrible disease with our 1 year old Howie.  He was only able to hold on for 3 days after his first seizure.  Getting spinal taps and MRI’s is not going to save your pug as we unfortunately found out.  I would keep him on the meds and stay with what’s working.  I will definitely pray for the best and I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Could anyone tell me what causes PDI. My vet said the disease is not clearly understood. The person I purchased him from has a show kennel of champions and 30 years of breeding the same lines and has never had a pug with PDI. This paticular dad and mom has had 4 litters and the puppies from these litters has not had PDI.I to have a pug with this disease and I would like answers.

I have a 2 yr. old female pug who was diagnosed w/ PDE.  Spinal Tap is really the only test that will give this information.  Hazelnut started having a cluster seizure episode last week and are starting a chemotherapy type treatment.

My sweet Isaac died of PDE on May 23, 2008.  Within 24 hours.  Like some others on this site, in hindsight, for about 3 weeks prior to the day he died, he stopped wanting to jump off his favorite chair.  I noticed it but could come up with real-good no-big-reasons why.  I had said to a few friends, he’s just a little funky - but I couldn’t explain it any better than that. And I still can’t. He had no overt signs.  He was totally happy and fine and eating normal, walking and going to the bathroom all normal. Personality all the same.  Sweet as sweet can be.  He was 6 yrs old.  And then at 11pm, on the 22nd,something changed.  He got up and went to the other side of the couch from me and looked vacantly into nowhere.  I stayed up with him all night until my vet opened in the am.  Went from there to the hospital and heard about PDE for the 1st time.  12 hours later he was dead.  When we got there they did an MRI and spinal tap.  His brain had swollen twice its size and was pushing 1/2 of it out of the brain cavity.  THey strung me along and implied that maybe they could help him with steroids and by keeping him there.  THe hospital should have been honest and humane with me and Isaac and told me that he had only hours and let me stay with him or send him home….but we were separated and Isaac died alone in their metal cage.  I will live with that forever. I allowed them to autopsy his brain for the sake of pugs and their owners everywhere.  THere is nothing like the love of a pug.  I have a new one that I rescued. I still miss Isaac and I love this one, Enabelle, like crazy! THey both came from pet stores which tend to have poorly bred dogs - which they think may be a influencing factor in PDE.  My vet says as common as PDE is - it is still rare.  I can only pray.  And I will pray for all pugs and the people who love them.

This is the saddest thing ever.  Four days, and now our beloved Portia is gone.  She died last night in her sleep (which has been all too fitful, with stretching and crying last night), lying between us.  Our hearts, too, are broken by this experience.  The vet thought it was a “tweak” and muscle strain.  She had the classic “won’t-jump-from” bed or chair beginning on Monday.  The muscle spasms were occasional, and then the straining, looking up, seemingly blind, and then disoriented.  We know epilepsy, and we could tell the difference.  We are grateful for this site, as I’ve tried to make more sense of two visits to the vet and the diagnosis of “a muscle pain.”  We are glad she died with us, but that was only because it was so rapid.  She came from a home breeder who seemed to have less than an optimal situation.  If we had the money, we would send her to Texas to help in the research.  My heart goes out to all of you who have experienced the same very tragic loss.

Well,  our little Bernie just turned 1 in October.  He has had 3 seisures within the last few days that have caused he head to just bobble while sleeping.  It reminded me of Parkinsons.  After surfing the web, I was introduced to this terrible desease called PED.  I could not beleive it.  I have 3 pugs and one of them is Bernie’s Brother.  At first look the vet seems to think Epilepsy.  I hope he is correct. My symphathies to all who have lost thier little buddies!!

I am about to cry, my baby Stitch is starting to lose control of his back legs and is getting a little temperamental-  I hope this is not PDE- but what else could it be.  He has been such a joy to me in his short, ten month life. ( I nicknamed him LLD, Lovable Little Dude)  He has such personality, and now I may lose him.  I walked him last night and came home to find that his little feet were bleeding from scraping on the ground, I didn’t even hear the scraping- I have an appointment with a doggie neuro on Tuesday- ok, before I “lose it” I will sign off- 

Extremely sad pug-a-lug owner in VA
Michele

How ironic that I would google the symptoms of PDE and find this site, and in just half a day lose our beloved Georgie.

He started acting strange late last night, eye sight and walking problems, trouble jumping on the couch. Then this morning, the circle pacing, blindness in one eye then facial spasms. My wife immediately took him to the vet, and as mentioned here all tests were normal, although the vet wanted a specialist to check his eye, we were convinced it neurological. Then the seizure hit, after that down hill all the way. More seizures follow back at the vet.

We transferred him to an emergency vet to be watched overnight. They had heard of PDE, but just confirmed everything I read here. It looked very bleak. They treated him with steroids and Valium. An hour later we checked on him, they said he had had another seizure but the Valium had him resting comfortably. Not ten minutes later they called to tell us he had passed.

Unbelievable, all this in less than 12hrs. My daughters are devastated, as this would have been Georgie’s first Christmas with us.

This is our second rescue Pug, we’ve had him for less than a year, he was only about 2yrs old. Of course he fit right in and loved having a family that loved him right off the bat.

I’m extremely angry that there was absolutely nothing that could be done for our little guy. He was just his chipper little self not two days ago, our family is crushed.

I received a call from my sister two days ago regarding her 5 yo male pug.He had walked circles around the couch, stopped and acted as if he was trying to vomit. He then fell over on his side, eyes open and unblinking. When I arrived he was still in the same position,breathing and did not react to painful stimuli. We rushed to the vet. They were going to draw blood but the second Dr. came in and got our Dr. because “Lilo” was crashing. The Dr. returned to say they started an IV and he was breathing again. They offered little information. PDE was never mentioned. All they said was maybe cardiac, neuro,toxins or a blood clot. They said he acted anestitized. Lilo died minutes later. The entire event was less than an hour with no warning signs that we noticed. The only thing unusual was excessive thirst starting two days prior. RIP Lilo little guy. We miss you.

Hello. We’re thinking of buying a particular pug tomorrow. We’ve already put down a deposit on her. I’m so scared of this PDE, though! I don’t think I could bear watching my puppy go through that! How common is PDE anyway? It seems very common, although that just may be what I’m reading. I’m really reconsidering this, because it sounds awful. My son is only 5, and I don’t think he’d be able to deal with that kind of horror either.  Help?  Advice?  Thanks.