Myositis in dogs - swelling of muscle tissue, painful compaction with an increase in local temperature, the movement of the dog is accompanied by lameness. Myositis in dogs - purulent, rheumatic, chewing muscles

Myositis in a dog is a disease characterized by inflammation of the muscles. In the practice of the DobroVet veterinary center, purulent, rheumatic and eosinophilic myositis are most common.

Acute aseptic myosi t manifests itself in dogs as inflammation of the muscle tissue, which occurs, as a rule, when squeezing, running on uneven terrain or high jumps. In these cases, stretching of the flexor muscles occurs, sometimes with a rupture of individual muscle fibers and blood vessels, which manifests itself in the appearance of hemorrhages of a different nature. As a result, edema, thickening, painful with elevated local temperature, is formed in the muscle tissue. When moving, the dog begins to limp.

Myositis in dogs, symptoms of purulent inflammationcharacterized by necrosis and breakdown of muscle fibers. The reason for such myositis is incorrectly performed intramuscular injections, especially if antiseptic rules are not followed, accidental injuries, or when inflammatory processes pass from surrounding tissues. Sometimes the inflammation is limited (after an injection) or diffuse, diffuse (cellulitis).

Clinically, purulent myositis manifests itself in compaction at the site of inflammation, painful swelling, followed by the formation of an abscess. If you make a puncture, then the punctate will be a brown pus, sometimes with gases. The general condition of the dog is depressive with symptoms of fever.

Eosinophilic myositis in dogs manifests itself for reasons not yet fully understood. Dogs have acute inflammation of the masticatory muscles with convulsions and prolonged tension. The muscles are swollen, at the same time there is hyperemia of the conjunctiva with protrusion of the eyeballs. A blood test shows leukocytosis and a predominance of eosinophils. The owner of the animal observes such phenomena for 2-3 weeks, then the animal recovers completely. With frequent relapses, the muscles gradually atrophy and grow into connective tissue. Treatment is not developed, most often used cortisone and blood substitute fluids.

Rheumatic form of myositis has an acute or chronic course. Characteristic is the formation in the intermuscular and perivascular tissue of peculiar nodules - granulomas (chronic cases).

The cause of muscular rheumatism is not fully understood, but infections (colds) and allergies are thought to be predisposing factors. Most often recorded in hunting and shepherd dogs, as well as in pets that spend a lot of time in damp rooms, on cold ground, in the rain. The lack of basic living conditions also contributes to the development of rheumatic myositis.

The acute form of muscular rheumatism begins with a serous or serous-fibrinous process, sometimes, in difficult cases, specialists of the DobroVet veterinary center register blood effusion, degeneration and complete atrophy of muscle fibers.

Symptoms that should alert the owner: sudden onset of high temperature, rapid breathing, tension and pain in the muscles. A sick animal moves very carefully, is afraid to make an unnecessary movement, when touched, they squeal and snarl. The act of defecation sometimes stops, as it causes pain and the inability to "sit comfortably." The “working muscles” most commonly affected are the shoulders, hips, neck, back, lower back, and croup. The lobes are wandering, due to the disappearance of the rheumatic process in one muscle group and the appearance in another. Sometimes tonic convulsions are recorded.

Myositis in a dog, treatmentdepends on the form of myositis, the neglect of the process and the condition of the animal. In any case, the dog is provided with complete rest with good living conditions and therapeutic treatment with the appointment of appropriate drugs.

Veterinary center "DobroVet"

Myositis is inflammation of the muscles. There are purulent, parenchymal, interstitial, fibrous and ossifying myositis.

According to etiological signs, myositis is traumatic, rheumatic, infectious, according to the clinical course - acute and chronic. In small domestic animals, purulent, rheumatic and eosinophilic myositis is most common.

Myopatosis

Myopathy is a non-inflammatory muscle disease. Rheumatic myositis occurs suddenly, quickly passes and recurs. The reasons are not entirely clear. It is believed that the disease is a consequence of an infection, an allergic condition or neurodystrophic disorders, as well as a cold.

Diseases are more common in dogs of short-haired breeds with damage to the muscles of the lower back, pelvic and shoulder regions.

The disease is acute and chronic. There is a sudden shaky and bound gait, hunched back, curvature of the neck, and the general body temperature of the animal rises. Relapses are due to the fact that new muscles are involved in the process. When pressed, soreness and tension of the affected muscles are noted. The chronic form of this disease proceeds more poorly.

Treatment

For the period of treatment, animals are transferred to a warm room. Salicylic acid preparations are prescribed inside (sodium salicylate 0.1-0.5 g 3-4 times a day, acetylsalicylic acid in the same dose, butadiene 0.2-0.4 g 2-3 times a day). The following preparations are locally used in the form of liniments in various combinations: ammonia 150 g, salicylic acid 15 g, methyl salicylate - 15.0 g, bleached and linseed oil 100 g each, camphor oil, bleached oil and methyl salicylate - 25 g each. Effect of treatment increases if physiotherapeutic procedures with heat (sollux lamp), diathermy, mud therapy, etc. are used.

In chronic cases, methyl salicylate and veratrin (0.25 g of veratrin, 5.0 g of methyl salicylate, 50.0 ml of ethyl alcohol) are injected subcutaneously, 0.5 ml once a day until the animal recovers. Dimaxit gives good results on a 2% solution of novocaine, with which wipes are moistened and cover the affected area for 20-30 minutes. Napkins are covered with a protective film and insulated.

Eosinophilic myositis in dogs.

The causes of the disease have not been elucidated. The disease is characterized by very acute inflammation of the masticatory muscles and convulsive and often prolonged tension. Muscles swell. At this time, hyperemia of the conjunctiva and protrusion of both eyeballs develop. In the blood, leukocytosis develops with a predominance of eosinophils. The attack lasts 2-3 weeks, after which the animal recovers. Relapses are possible, in which muscle atrophy occurs and their germination with connective tissue. Effective treatment has not been developed. Cortisone and blood-substituting fluids (syncol, polyglucin) are recommended.

For the treatment and prevention of purulent myositis and myopathosis, the following drugs are used.

For wetting the skin, easy rubbing of the muscles in acute myositis and myopathy: menthol (15.0 g), anesthesin (3.0 g), novocaine (2.0 g), ethyl alcohol 70% (80.0 g).

With myositis, bicillin-5 is administered intramuscularly at a dose of 100,000 units for cats, 300,000-500,000 units for dogs. Repeat after 5-7 days. The drug is dissolved in a 0.5% solution of novocaine.

With myositis and myopathy, a 2% solution of novocaine is prescribed at a dose: 0.5 ml for cats, 1-1.5 ml for dogs intramuscularly at 3-4 points around the zone of greatest pain. Repeat 3-4 times with an interval of 2-3 days.

Myositis- inflammation of muscle tissue. The classification of myositis is based on the nature and localization of inflammation, on etiological signs.

There are the following forms of the disease:

Parenchymal;
intercystial;
purulent;
ossifying;
fibrous.

There are infectious, rheumatic and traumatic myositis. The disease can occur in chronic and acute forms.

In dogs, eosinophilic, rheumatic, and purulent myositis are most commonly observed.

Myopatitis is a non-inflammatory disease that affects the muscles. The reasons for the development of myopathy have not been elucidated. Rheumatic myositis is characterized by a sudden onset, rapid course and subsequent relapses. It is generally accepted that the cause of myopathy may be an infection, or neurodystrophic disorders. Sometimes myopathy is a consequence of a cold.

The disease mainly affects short-haired dogs. Most often, the muscles of the shoulder and pelvic regions and the lower back are affected.

Symptoms of myopathy in dogs

The dog's gait becomes bound, wobbly. The dog stoops, there may be a curvature of the neck, an increase in the body temperature of the animal. On palpation, muscle tension is detected; when pressed, the dog reacts painfully.

Treatment of myopathy in dogs

For the duration of treatment, it is better to place the dog in a warm room. For oral administration, acetylsalicylic acid and its derivatives are prescribed. For topical application, a liniment of salicylic acid, ammonia, bleached, linseed and camphor oils is used. Physiotherapeutic thermal procedures, mud therapy, diathermy are effective.

With exacerbation of chronic myositis, subcutaneous injections of methyl salicylate and veratrin are prescribed, compresses from dimexide with novocaine.

Eosinophilic myositis- acute inflammation of the masticatory muscles, accompanied by their convulsive tension and swelling. To date, the causes of the disease have not been fully elucidated.

Characterized by protrusion of the eyeballs and hyperemia of the conjunctiva. A blood test reveals leukocytosis and an increased content of eosinophils.

The disease lasts 15-20 days. The dog recovers, but often the disease recurs. Atrophy of the muscles with the germination of connective tissue in them is possible. For treatment, cortisone, infusions of polyglucin and syncol are prescribed.

Eosinophilic muscle inflammation is a specific disease in dogs that is characterized by inflammation of the masticatory muscles and an increase in eosinophilic white blood cells.

Etiology

signs

External masticatory muscles (masseters), temporal muscles and internal masticatory muscles (mm.pterygoidei) are very swollen, but not hot or painful. The eyelids of both eyes, together with the conjunctiva and the third eyelid, are also edematous, but exophthalmos is not observed (Fig. 1). In the blood, leukocytosis with eosinophilia up to 30% is observed. After a few days, the swelling subsides, but within 2-3 weeks they may reappear and disappear several times. And thus, all chewing muscles atrophy and sclerotize.

Diagnostics

Studies of blood biochemistry, total creatine kinase activity are needed. Blood tests are often positive for Ehrlichia and Toxoplasma. An x-ray of the facial part of the skull is needed for differential diagnosis.

Antihistamines have been used successfully. Histamine H1 receptor blockers relieve histamine-induced hypotension and spasms of smooth muscles, reduce capillary permeability, prevent the development of histamine edema, reduce flushing and itching, and thus prevent the development and facilitate the course of allergic reactions. Various authors recommend antihistamines: Soventol, Avil, Phenergan, dose: 0.05 once or twice a day intramuscularly, as well as intravenous calcium therapy.

Schulze and Habura (Germany) treated eosinophilic muscle inflammation in dogs using dextrans. Dextrans are polymers of glucose, they can have different degrees of polymerization, depending on which the solutions obtained from them have different functional purposes (Fig. 2). Due to the high oncotic pressure, which is 2.5 times higher than the similar pressure of plasma proteins, they pass very slowly through the vascular wall and circulate in the vascular bed for a long time, normalizing hemodynamics due to fluid flow along the concentration gradient - from tissues to vessels. As a result, tissue swelling is reduced. Solutions containing medium molecular weight dextrans are used as detoxifying agents. With their introduction, blood fluidity improves, aggregation of formed elements decreases. They also stimulate diuresis by osmotic mechanisms (they are filtered in the glomeruli, create high oncotic pressure in the primary urine and prevent water reabsorption in the tubules), which contributes (and accelerates) the removal of poisons, toxins, and degradative metabolic products from the body. Dextrans are retained in the bloodstream for a long time: 1 g binds 25 ml of water. The dextrans themselves are non-toxic, excreted unchanged by the kidneys. Dextran is produced by microbes on sugar-containing media and is a water-soluble high molecular weight polymer of glucose. In 1943, by hydrolysis of native dextran, the Macrodex fraction was obtained (Fig. 3), whose aqueous solutions were similar in properties to blood plasma. Dextran is a 5.5% solution of a polydisperse glucose polymer with the addition of 0.9% sodium chloride, and Macrodex is an improved dextran formula. Schulze and Habura used Dextran (60-80 ml intravenously per day, 3 to 6 days) as well as Macrodex in the treatment of eosinophilic muscle inflammation. They managed to remove the acute attacks of the disease and, at the same time, the treatment did not affect the blood picture in any way. All drugs should be used in accordance with the instructions for use.

Literature:

1. Chrisman, C., Clemmons R., et al. Neurology for the Small Animal Practitioner. 2003.

2. Curtis W. A Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology. 2008.

3. Evans J., Levesque D. Canine Inflammatory Myopathies: A Clinicopathologic Review of 200 Cases. J Vet Intern Med. 2004.

4. Neumann J, Bilzer T. Evidence for MHC I-restricted CD8+ T-cell-mediated immunopathology in canine masticatory muscle myositis and polymyositis. 2006.

5. Pitcher GD, Hahn CN. Atypical masticatory muscle myositis in threeCavalier King Charles Spaniel littermates. J Small Anim Pract. 2007

6. Tappin S., Murphy K. Masticatory muscle myositis and Neospora infection in a 4 month old femaleCavalier King Charles Spaniel. University of California, San Diego. 2006.

Myositis is an inflammatory process in the muscles of a dog. There are several varieties of this disease, and with any of them, the pet experiences severe pain and cannot move normally. What are the symptoms of this disease, and how to deal with it?

Myositis is an inflammation of the muscle tissue of a dog. It can occur both in an acute form and in a chronic one.

There are several varieties of this disease:

1. Traumatic myositis - develops as a result of sprains, bumps, ruptures and other injuries of muscle tissue.
2. Purulent myositis - develops due to infection in the damaged muscle tissue (streptococci, staphylococci, etc.). With this form, abscesses filled with pus form.
3. Rheumatic myositis - often develops in immunocompromised dogs. The neck and back muscles are usually affected.

Myositis often develops in those dogs that are regularly exposed to increased stress (hunting, service and shepherd breeds). The muscles of the shoulder, hips, lower back, back and neck are usually affected. Here are the main symptoms of different types of myositis:

Type of disease and its symptoms

1. Traumatic. The dog moves slowly and carefully, noticeably protects the affected area. On palpation, seals in the diseased muscle can be detected. Tissues feel hot and swollen. Many pets eat poorly, become lethargic.
2. Purulent. Such myositis is often the result of a traumatic form. An abscess forms in the affected muscle, in which pus accumulates. At autopsy, a brown liquid (a mixture of pus and blood) flows out of the wound. With purulent myositis, the temperature rises in the animal. The pet is depressed, refuses to eat, tries to walk as little as possible.
3. Rheumatic. With this form of myositis, the dog rises heavily to his feet, is very nervous if he touches the sore muscles. Inflammation can flow from the affected area to the adjacent one, which causes severe pain to the pet. With this form of the disease, the muscles of the back and lower back are usually affected, so the dog hunches over and defecates with difficulty.

Important. All types of myositis are united by one symptom - severe pain in the affected muscle tissue. A pet suffering from such an ailment tries not to make unnecessary movements, eats poorly and is in a depressed state.

Myositis often develops in active animals that run a lot, overcome obstacles and work in conditions of high humidity (hunting in swamps, etc.).

Here are the main causes of the development of the disease in dogs:

• hypothermia of muscles (swimming in reservoirs in the cold season, a long stay in the rain, walking after swimming);
• colds;
• age (rheumatic myositis often develops in older dogs);
• excess weight (in this case, the load on the muscles of the animal increases);
• allergic reactions;
• weakened immunity;
• injuries, bruises, sprains;
• wound infection in the muscle.

Myositis affects many dogs of hunting breeds., which for a long time pursue prey through fields and wet grass. After such work, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, and hypothermia only accelerates the development of the disease.

A dog suffering from myositis must be kept in a warm room, as cold and dampness will only aggravate the condition.

Before proceeding with treatment, the animal should be examined.

Diagnosis of myositis includes the following procedures:

• ultrasound examination (with its help, the veterinarian finds swelling, bruises and muscle tears);
• Voll diagnostics (this method allows you to evaluate the conduction of nerve impulses)
• dopplerography (assessment of blood flow in the affected muscle).

In traumatic myositis, cold is applied to the affected area in the first couple of days after a bruise or sprain. To prevent infection, the veterinarian makes a blockade with an antibiotic (Bicillin-5, etc.). A good effect is the use of warm compresses and paraffin applications.

Purulent myositis is treated according to the following scheme:

1. The resulting abscesses are opened, the liquid is removed (a mixture of blood with pus), the affected areas are washed with hydrogen peroxide.
2. If the affected area is large, the veterinarian sutures. Be sure to make drainage (a hole in the skin through which pus and other fluids that accumulate in the wound come out).
3. A mixture of novocaine and an antibiotic (Bicillin-5, Penicillin, etc.) is injected into the inflamed muscle.
4. For oral administration, anti-inflammatory and painkillers are prescribed (Rimadil, Ketoprofen, Baclofen, Mydocalm, Diclofenac, Analgin, etc.).

With any of the forms of myositis, rubbing of the diseased muscle is sure to be done (with a purulent and traumatic variety, wounds and abscesses heal first). To do this, use a mixture of camphor or bleached oil, salicylic acid and chloroform. Ointments are successfully used to warm the muscles: Nikoflex, Horsepower gel, Finalgon, etc.

A good addition to the main treatment will be massages and VHF (ultra short wave) therapy. Pain in the affected muscle can be relieved with dry heat (a heating pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel).

Myositis is a disease that causes severe pain to the pet and impairs the quality of life. Do not allow the dog to become hypothermic, do not allow her to swim in ponds in spring and late autumn. Older animals are best kept in a warm room. If your pet has begun to limp, contact your veterinarian.