polyradiculoneuritis

An acute polyneuritis that involves the peripheral nerves and spinal nerve roots.

• ganglionic p. — see ganglioradiculitis.
• idiopathic p. — an acute, progressive ascending paralysis, usually leading to complete tetraplegia, that occurs in dogs and rarely cats. A slow recovery is usual but occasional cases are chronic or relapsing. The condition follows raccoon bites in some dogs, hence the name ‘Coonhound paralysis’, but the etiology is unclear; other cases occur sporadically with no known cause. Similar to guillain–barré syndrome in humans.
• protozoan p. — canine neosporosis.