Functional neurological recovery in a dog with presumptive spinal‐only meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin with absent nociception

Abstract A 1‐year‐old, female, spayed P1omeranian presented to the emergency service for acute paraparesis, following 3 weeks of prior weakness. Neurological examination indicated a T3–L3 myelopathy; the owners elected medical management. Three weeks later, the dog re‐presented with absent nociception in both pelvic limbs, prompting further diagnostics. Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed a diagnosis of meningomyelitis. Treatment began with cytosine arabinoside and dexamethasone, followed by prednisone and cyclosporine for ongoing immunosuppression. Two weeks post‐treatment, the dog regained nociception and had made a near‐complete neurological recovery, despite experiencing a relapse during treatment tapering. Unfortunately, after a total of three relapse episodes, and 15 months from the initial diagnosis, the dog was euthanased due to progression of the disease despite aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. This report describes a rare case of meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin with clinical signs limited to the spinal cord, which functionally recovered despite presenting with absent nociception.