Hydrocephalus-in-Dogo-Argentino-Puppies--

Hydrocephalus is can result from trama, a brain tumor or as a congenital condition. Hydrocephalus is excess cerebrospinal fluid on and around the brain. The brain may produce too much fluid or the body may not be able to drain the fluid from the nervous system properly. Dogs with Hydrocephalus the ventricles in the brain fill with too much fluid which causes pressure, the fuild and pressure causes the brain to not develop properly and can cause brain damage.

The symptoms of Hydrocephalus are,

1) A domed shaped head.

2) A soft spot on the top of the head filled with Fluid

3) The dog may be blind.

4) The dog may be mentally retaired. with a limited ability to learn.

5) The dog may have seizures.

6) The dog may have trouble walking and stumble a lot.

7) 75% of dogs with Hydrocephalus are impossible to potty train.

Dogos with Hydrocephalus have a very limited life span, most do not live past two years.

Treatment for Hydrocephalus.

1) A shunt can be installed from the brain into the abdomen to drain off the excess fluid but this is very expencive and can cause infections.

2) Prednisone and Lasix can be use as a lifelong treatment.

3) Occasionally the fuild can be drained off from a vet.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is often presumed, based on history and physical examination, without taking additional steps to confirm the condition. Severe cases, however, will become unmanageable well before then and require a definitive diagnosis via CT scan or MRI in order to determine the extent of fluid accumulation. If available, EEG, or electroencephalography, may help support the diagnosis of hydrocephalus. An ultrasound can also be helpful but may only be possible when the skull has not fused completely. Even when hydrocephalus is diagnosed, the underlying cause is often unknown.

All affected dogs should be removed from the breeding pool.

Female Dogo Argentino puppy with Hydrocephalus

This is Mira a female Dogo Argentino that we got from another breeder. When I picked the puppy up she had a bump on her head the breeder told me that the pup had bumped her head and that her head was not like that the day before. I called my wife frantic after I had stopped and saw how big the bump had gotten thinking the puppy was going to die, we came to the conclusion that if it was cerebral the puppy would already be dead. When I stopped at a hotel for the night and the puppy was playing and was really sweet so I guessed that it was just a bump and she would be ok. The next morning I got up and drove 400 miles and took the puppy directly to my vet, he checked the puppies head and said that he could find nothing wrong with her skull and drained the fuild. He told me to keep and eye on her and she should recover.

Within two days the pups head swelled up again, I called the vet and he said just give the puppy some time to heal and if it did not get better to bring her back in a couple of days if nothing improved.

I taked to the breeder and told him what was going on and he said to give it some time and if things did not get better he had another puppy for me.

Four days later she stilled had a bump so I took her back to the vet he said that it might be Hydrocephalus but the only way to really know would to have a MRI done and than if she did a shunt would have to be installed to drain off the fuild. The tests and the shunt would cost about $7000 dollars.

I contact the breeder and he agreed to meet me again and swope out the puppy for a new one. We really loved this puppy but she was becoming very aggressive and biting us all the time, my kids would not even go near her. We all knew that it was not her fault, she was sick and she had no control over her actions.

10 days after we got Mira we returned her to the breeder, it was sad because I knew that the poor little girl was going to have to be put down.

Picture of Mira aka Maria the 1st

There are some pictures that really show the domed shape of her head due to the Hycrocephalus and the leaking cerebral fluid.

The last picture I took of Mira right before she was picked up by the breeder. Below there are videos of her fits of aggression.

The whole situation with this puppy was sad, we loved her but there was really nothing we could do to help her. We showed her nothing but love and compassion for the brief time we had her. I hope that this page can inform people about Hydrocephalus, if you have come across this page and want to talk to me about it please feel free to call me at 417-435-2679. I will help you in anyway I can. Thanks and God Bless James and Stephanie

Yo Amor Dogos