Changes In Memphis

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Memphis has made some noticeable changes over this last year and definitely in the last few months (a while ago he had stomach trembling for a few days - you could see it trembling from across the room... however it never seemed to affect him any other ways... and left as quickly as it came)

 

Memphis is only 8yrs old... still quite young in my opinion. He will stare at the wall for a while.... or walk toward a wall and stop and wait as if he is waiting for a door to open... I usually call after him a couple times and then he will look at me start wagging his tail like "Wow didnt know you were there Mom! Gimme some scritches!" and then lumber over to me.

 

It's almost like hes going senile... He will stand locked up for quite a while.... another example is he will stand in my doorway staring in until I wake up and I call him but he wont enter the room... then I have to get out of bed - go over and touch him and then he will follow me in and lay on his bed...

 

He is having a hard time laying down and getting up... well not so much a hard time but you can tell it's "tender" for him. (reminds me of my Harley boys arthritis) I've been giving Memph Get Up and Go Glucosomine for 2 years everyday... I'm wondering if maybe I need to give him another supplement. He also will not run now - he lumbers a slow trot... and has no interest in the neighbor dogs which used to be a great form of running excitement. (it is a blazing 105+ degrees here lately so I can't blame him) AND he is also no longer getting on the couch or my bed. He used to love to pile on the bed once David left for work and I became a greyhound burrito... I can't even bribe him on the bed.

 

He is eating like a horse as usual.... and he is the same Memph as far as mood.... he loves getting his ear scritches.... But this standing and staring at the wall or off into lala-land is weirding me out. And when he is standing like that he doesnt respond to his name the first couple calls.

 

Sorry to ramble

 

thanks for any advice!

 

Amanda

Edited July 30, 2007 by guinness_the_greyt

[Guest Snowy8]

Stomach trembling....maybe its just me, but I think I'd have your vet take a look. When I came home & found Bool in pain, his tummy was extended & he was trembling...turned out to be a ruptured tumor that had taken over his abdominal area.

On the senile part, my vet told me that dogs don't get alzheimer, but they do get senile. Pacing the floors, standing in corners, loss of sight & hearing.

[Guest LynnM]

They absolutely can have cognitive dysfunction, but that's generally limited to the very elderly.

 

It's definitely worth a vet appointment. Between now and then, start a journal and document the abnormal episodes. Include the episode itself, behavior leading up to and after, anything particularly unusual going on that day, and whatever else you feel is relevant.

 

Some things to rule out are Tick Borne Illness (Ehrlichia can affect vision in some cases), seizures (not all seizures are all-out Grand Mal doozies, and seizures can also be caused by tick borne illness), vision loss due to other causes, or hearing loss.

 

Lynn

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Stomach trembling....maybe its just me, but I think I'd have your vet take a look. When I came home & found Bool in pain, his tummy was extended & he was trembling...turned out to be a ruptured tumor that had taken over his abdominal area.

On the senile part, my vet told me that dogs don't get alzheimer, but they do get senile. Pacing the floors, standing in corners, loss of sight & hearing.

 

I called the vet about the trembling and he told me to monitor for pain or any signs of distress. Memphis didn't even get diarrhea... And stayed close and monitored. Never any pain... just like it was a muscle spasm.

 

I don't know if you know this but I had gone to dinner with a friend and when I came home I found my Harley on the floor... he couldn't stand up. He had an internal tumor rupture. They were unable to find the source of the internal bleeding in time at the Evet. Harley had been at the vets office 2 weeks before that for his yearly check up. There was no warning.

[Guest Snowy8]

Ohmygosh, I did not know that. That sounds like Bool, he had been at the vet in December & had been xrayed for a tummy ache. NO tumor. Then in late February, the tumor had taken over the kidney, was attached everywhere.

The day before, he had been outside running & playing chase. No signs what so ever!

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Also... Memphis was tested for TBD last year... I do a full blood panel on him because he has Valley Fever but his titer is so low the vet and I chose to not medicate and to monitor yearly. (Brooklyn also has VF and was on meds for 2 years and now has been weened off and is only on her supplements and monitoring with yearly bloodwork PLUS if her lympnodes inflame then she immediately goes in for bloodwork,)

[Guest Scouts_mom]

The standing at a wall and staring sounds a lot like what my sister's old collie did when he had doggie Alzheimer's (yes, it is not alzheimers in dogs, but it is very similar). However Red was 12--old for a Collie. 8 is not old, more like middle aged so your dog should not be having these problems.

 

I agree that you should document what you see and then visit a good vet. Something is not right.

Edited July 22, 2007 by Scouts_mom

[Guest Snowy8]

My norwegian elkhounds started doing the pacing, standing, corner standing when they got up to about 13...

The tender tummy has me concerned....

Amanda, I'm glad you're back on line, I've missed you guys!

[Remolacha]

I have nothing useful to add, unfortunately but I will keep Memphis in my . He might have been mine, if he hadn't been so fond of the kitties . Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Edited July 22, 2007 by Remolacha

[Guest PhillyPups]

Oh Amanda... No greyt words of wisdom from me, but I do know how we worry about our hounds, especially when they do something out of the ordinary. to you and please know we have missed you.

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

No Advice only Hugs for Memphis and you

[Guest vahoundlover]

I have no wisdom either, sending many prayers

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Thanks for the advice! I got a notebook out to document everything. He is also retreating to the bedroom also and not laying in the livingroom with everyone else. That concerns me about masking pain. (Although now I may be worrywart and reading too much into things!!)

 

I told David about writing down his odd behaviour.... so he will fill in anything when I'm not home and he is.

 

I will be making an appointment in the morning.

 

(Oh yeah... and Jan, The mellow man Memphis loves you too.... and he would have loved to have the loved the kitties too! Loved them for lunch that is! )

Edited July 23, 2007 by guinness_the_greyt

[Burpdog]

Retest on the VF and check his eyes and do you have a certified chiropractor? I know most vets are familar with VF but did he check with protatek on treatment?

 

Sending prayers!

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Retest on the VF and check his eyes and do you have a certified chiropractor? I know most vets are familar with VF but did he check with protatek on treatment?

 

Sending prayers!

 

His eyes appear normal to me.... they are not clear clear but they are not milky either. I used an acupunturist with Harley and his arthritis... then later when he had the one stint of pancreatitis... I will call him and see if he can suggest a good chiropractor. I don't know if you remember meeting Memphis in Solvang by chance... But everyone always remarks about his "sway back" I was originally concerned when he came to live with me (Memphis had bad skin that was very oily and stinky and lots of hairloss ) I had the vet do an xray for my own benefit and his back was ok.... I have met one of his siblings and that hound had the same sway back.

 

I wrote in my notebook about asking about Protek treatments.... I will ask at my appointment.

 

I had already planned on a full blood panel. I tested for TBD previously because Memphis was getting nosebleeds... ended up being allergies. He hasnt had any nosebleeds in a year.

 

Should I also request a TBD test again... can TBDs lay dormant?

[DianeFG]

I'll be keeping Memphis in my prayers.

 

Fudgie did what you described. He was almost 10 when he passed away.

 

My DH would say to me that sometimes Fudgie looked like he didn't know where he was... I'd let him in the backyard and he'd stand on the porch and look around like it was all new. Also, we had a bunch of mystery vet appointments because Fudge would stand in the corner of the kitchen with his forehead up against the cabinet. He was probably at my vet 7 times in a month, xrays, blood tests, you name it nothing showed up. (Funny little side note, when the vet came in and put up the xrays I could see what I thought was a big mass in his tummy. I started to cry because I was sure it was cancer.......it was gas

 

It was sad to watch him fumble about. Thankfully he had Goods, he would follow Goods around a lot. I miss him.

 

(((Hugs))) to you.

Edited July 23, 2007 by DianeFG

[MarcR]

No words of advice, but I hope you find out what's troubling Memphis and that he makes a full recovery.

[Guest KennelMom]

Our Erin had canine cognitive dysfunction - but she was 13, and it wasn't until she was 14 - almost 15 when the symptoms got really bad. Eight seems awfully young for it. It's something to talk to your vet about, but I would suspect something/anything else before CCD. We tried the prescription meds for CCD with Erin but did not really see any improvements

[Burpdog]

Should I also request a TBD test again... can TBDs lay dormant?

 

Yes, they can. A very long time.

 

I'd have his eyes checked by a specialist.

[Guest SillyDog]

I'd also make sure to get his clotting factor checked. I don't know if that's part of a regular blood panel or not. But, it can be helpful in determining if there's a need to check for tumors. Tumors take up a lot of blood and reduce clotting factor overall. With dogs who have abdominal tumors that rupture, lack of clotting factor is part of the challenge of saving them.

[NevadasMom]

To me it almost sounds like he may have some vision issues & possibly his back is hurting him? When Nevada hesitates to jump on my bed, I know that she is hurting.

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Just an to let everyone know.

 

We have a vet appointment at the end of the week... going to do full blood work and have him evaluated and whatever tests they want to run then.

 

(David thinks he flinches when he presses on his back... When I press and I press very firmly he makes no sign of flinching so I don't know if maybe he is being stoic for me. David is going to wake me today before he goes to work to show me what happens... sheesh its like having a car making a noise and you get it to the shop and it never makes the noise again)

 

I also have a consult with a different acupuncturist (Thanks Diane) and see what she has to say...

 

Thanks for everyone's input... I have compiled it into my notebook to take with us to the vet. (I have a terrible memory when I get to see the doc... I have NO IDEA WHY!!! I even do this at my own doctor... Its like everything I wanted to discuss slips my brain.)

 

 

[patricia]

Sending many prayers for Memphis. We had a babe that was standing and looking at walls...and it was his vision. Please keep us posted.

[Guest Winterwish]

Oh Amanda,I hope it's something with a relatively simple solution. Sending good thoughts out for Memphis!

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

I took Memphis in today to the vet... it was driving me nuts waiting until Friday.

 

The Dr said his temp, heartrate, lungs, lymphnodes, eyes all appeared fine.

 

He did think that Memphis was in pain.... he felt his vertabrae and Memph's backend almost hit the floor.... he did some movements with his feet and I could tell the Dr didnt the response of one of Memph's paws.

 

He did not want to speculate on whats going on with Memphis other then it appears neurological.... we did a full blood work up - Testing for VF, TBD, Thyroid and everything else in between. I will have the blood results Monday before noon.

 

I really dont know anything... Just have to wait and see. I just hate thinking about Memphis being in pain and I didnt realize it.

 

Thanks again for all your help.