Tuff Love
Boxer Insane
Is Milo showing any other neurological symptoms? Issues with balance? Seizures? Tremors? Head tilt? I know when I was doing research on the subject of meningitis and encephalitis my head was spinning. They're essentially the same thing differing in what part of the brain/spinal chord is affected- meningitis: meninges, encephalitis: brain itself. Both are very serious and potential recovery depends on what's causing the inflammation- a bacterial infection of some sort, a virus, immune disease, or something else. Tuff's was idiopathic GME with unknown cause, and although steroids helped his balance at first, he relapsed in a matter of weeks and progressively got worse over the course of 4 months before we made the heartbreaking decision to give him peace. I don't know if it will help you at all, but you can read about our struggle here:
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/152027-lame-hind-legs.html
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/154088-sigh-tuff-getting-worse.html
A lot of my posts in there are hysterical and confused, because I was. What the neuro's best diagnosis in the end was that Tuff had GME (confirmed with swelling of the brain and spinal fluid leak) and may or may not have also had a glioma (likely slow growing if indeed there was one). We wouldn't know without the spinal tap or the biopsy of his brain and Tuff couldn't be put under anesthesia at that point because he was reacting so poorly to it. I hope what your specialist finds is easily treatable. I wouldn't wish our experience on our worst enemy... just re-visiting the memory right now brings tears to my eyes.
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/152027-lame-hind-legs.html
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/154088-sigh-tuff-getting-worse.html
A lot of my posts in there are hysterical and confused, because I was. What the neuro's best diagnosis in the end was that Tuff had GME (confirmed with swelling of the brain and spinal fluid leak) and may or may not have also had a glioma (likely slow growing if indeed there was one). We wouldn't know without the spinal tap or the biopsy of his brain and Tuff couldn't be put under anesthesia at that point because he was reacting so poorly to it. I hope what your specialist finds is easily treatable. I wouldn't wish our experience on our worst enemy... just re-visiting the memory right now brings tears to my eyes.
and hope that the steroid treatment goes very well.