This precious girl is Maggie, a beagle who loves chewing on everything. Like other members of her breed, Maggie has an unquenchable zest for life. She patrols her home looking for her next adventure. She greets each day with a wagging tail and unending curiosity. Beagles are a busy breed who need an active life with lots of exercise to keep them out of trouble.
Unfortunately, Beagles, Bernese mountain dogs and German shorthaired pointers sometimes get a debilitating disease characterized by fever, depression, anorexia and severe neck pain. If not treated, the disease may worsen and cause neurologic problems including paralysis. Give the common name for this syndrome.
Diagnosis: Beagle Pain Syndrome
Beagle pain syndrome is a debilitating problem of young – usually less than 12 months old, Beagles. It causes severe neck pain. Affected dogs may have a gradual or acute onset of pain. Also called juvenile polyarteritis or necrotizing vasculitis, the syndrome is diagnosed by clinical signs, blood work and a CSF tap. Treatment involves reducing the inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in mild cases and steroids in more severe ones. Unfortunately, some dogs may relapse and not respond to further therapy. Beagles are great dogs and often serve our country as food sniffers for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You may have seen them in action at an airport.