Corgi recovers from life-threatening brain inflammation at UC Davis

A 5-year-old corgi named Aika is back to her normal, playful self after surviving a life-threatening episode of meningoencephalomyelitis, an inflammatory disease affecting the brain. Her case, from the University of California, Davis, William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), is a reminder of how much subtle neurologic signs can matter, and how quickly a case can turn critical without rapid intervention.¹

When Aika arrived at the hospital's emergency room, Christine Toedebusch, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology), was the clinician who first flagged that something serious was presenting.

"When she was placed on the exam table, something felt wrong. She stayed on her side and never tried to get up," Toedebusch said.¹ "For a young dog, that's not normal behavior—I immediately suspected something was affecting her brain."

Rather than wait for the next shift, Toedebusch pushed to start the workup immediately. "Work shifts were ending, but I knew we needed to investigate Aika's condition that night rather than in the morning," she said.

A rapid workup uncovers diffuse brain inflammation

Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis pointed to meningoencephalomyelitis, an inflammatory brain disease. Aika was also hypoventilating and required mechanical ventilation to stabilize her.

Getting Aika through the acute crisis took a multidisciplinary team of neurology, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, critical care, and oncology specialists working in close coordination.

Chemotherapy drug proves key to recovery

Once stabilized, Aika's treatment plan centered on an immunosuppressive protocol not typically associated with a brain disease: an overnight intravenous infusion of a drug more familiar to oncologists than neurologists.

"Interestingly enough, even though this is not a cancer, it is responsive to a chemotherapy drug called cytarabine," Toedebusch said.

Aika was discharged after 4 days in the hospital and has continued on long-term corticosteroids along with monthly cytarabine infusions to manage the underlying inflammatory disease.

Back home and thriving

For owner Hanna Lao, the outcome was a dramatic turnaround from a frightening emergency visit.

"We're so grateful for everyone at UC Davis. They treated us so well," Lao said.¹ "She's walking, running, playing…doing all the normal things a dog should be doing."

References

1. Dog with severe brain disease recovers from near fatal illness. News release. University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. July 24, 2026. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/dog-severe-brain-disease-recovers-near-fatal-illness