Bailey's In Trouble

[Guest WCorder]

Hi,

 

My 12 year old darling girl is having serious trouble. After much time in the vet hospital, and so much money, we still don't know what's wrong. She's become so weak and unstable, especially in her hind quarters, and she stopped eating.

 

I had two huge surprises when I took her to the vet on Monday, May 5. The first was that she's lost ten pounds in a month! (That started me crying right there.)

 

The second was that my vet said the problem was originating from her neck and not from either her hind end nor the back leg that was seriously injured in a dog attack.

 

She spent the next day and night, her 12th birthday, in the hospital receiving IV fluids and getting exrays and even MRIs.

 

Not finding anything specific from those tests (no neck cancer or herniated disc, but a spot on her liver that doesn't look like cancer, finger's crossed), the Neurologist said it was "Inflammatory disease."

 

They gave us Prenisone, Tramadol, and some antibiotic saying: "When she feels better she will eat." Baloney.

 

That was Wednesday, a week ago.

 

In the meantime, she developed a spasm in her neck. I think it's like a charlie horse, my partner insists that it's a tremor: but I think we can agree that it's a spasm.

 

I made a video of it and sent it to her Neurologist and Vet. The Vet is at a loss, and the Neurologist says: "It looks like he is having spasms of his neck muscles which suggest some

nerve irritation and resulting neck pain." (Except, she's a she, and not a he . . . not encouraging)

 

I posted the video here . . . I made a blogspot spot for this . . . I don't know how to insert video here. (The video is still uploading at 2:40PM.)

Oh, I really need help.

 

By the way, I started force feeding her on Saturday (one envelope of Knox Geletin, 1/3 c. cold water, 1/3 c. hot water, two can's of Mighty Dog Prime Cuts.) We got two cans worth in her on Saturday, three or four cans in Sunday: AND YESTERDAY SHE ATE FOUR CANS ALL BY HERSELF!

 

 

[Trudy]

Call your vet or neurologist and ask them to give you an Rx for a muscle relaxant.

[Guest WCorder]

Oh, we started to give her 5mg. of Valuum too. Twice a day. Do you think that's ok for a muscle relaxant? She's already on steroids, pain killers, and antibiotic.

[Guest ss556]

She looks like she's shaking. Is she still in pain? Can you lightly massage her? The vet has to do something for her. Sending many prayers.

[Burpdog]

Acupuncture and chiropractic may help. Email me your city/state and I'll do some looking Burpdog@msn.com

 

Instead of valium, I'd go with robaxin.

 

Sending prayers!

[Trudy]

Yes - Ryan was on all of it at the start of his problems.

But your vet can have the final say

[Guest EmilyAnne]

I really think chiropractic adjustment would fix this. Here's a link to help you find one if you are interested: http://www.avcadoctors.com/avcadus.htm

 

I'll be right back with a link to a post about how my husband was unable to be diagnosed by regular doctors (and MRI's, cat scans, x-rays, ultrasounds) and was in agony, until he went though chiropractic, voila! He was fixed right then as soon as they adjusted him.

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?s=&amp...t&p=3359483

 

My husband was also having severe charlie horse type cramps, multiple times a day.

[Guest WCorder]

She's shaking even worse this evening. I'm trying to post another video at the same sight. Please take a look, and ask your friends to take a look. I hope to G-d that someone will recognize the symptom! and give me some clues!

[Guest argolola]

I will pray for your little sweetheart. Please keep us posted.

[Burpdog]

Please email me and I'll try & find someone close to you to help.

[Guest EmilyAnne]

I am praying for Bailey, and I posted a link to your blog on my blog in hopes of generating answers asap.

[Guest EmilyAnne]

Your blog currently only accepts comments from others who have blogger accounts.

 

Go to 'customize', (or sign in) at your top right corner of blog

 

then 'settings',

 

then go to ‘comments’,

 

then the second option on that page will say ‘Who can comment?’,

 

Click ‘Anyone’, then scroll down and click onto ‘Save Settings’.

 

This hopefully will get you more responses.

 

[Guest WCorder]

Your blog currently only accepts comments from others who have blogger accounts.

 

Go to 'customize', (or sign in) at your top right corner of blog

 

then 'settings',

 

then go to ‘comments’,

 

then the second option on that page will say ‘Who can comment?’,

 

Click ‘Anyone’, then scroll down and click onto ‘Save Settings’.

 

This hopefully will get you more responses.

 

 

done

[Guest jurishound]

Our Cricket had a very similar "tremor" in her neck/head region. We believe that it was either caused by the prednisone she was on, or was a reaction to pain. Did it start after she went on the pred? If not, can you talk to the vet about increasing the tramadol to see if that helps?

Edited May 15, 2008 by jurishound

[Guest WCorder]

Our Cricket had a very similar "tremor" in her neck/head region. We believe that it was either caused by the prednisone she was on, or was a reaction to pain. Did it start after she went on the pred? If not, can you talk to the vet about increasing the tramadol to see if that helps?

 

 

Wow, really? Yes, the tremor started after the prenisone. She did have something going on, similar . . . but nothing like this. I will talk to the vet to see if she knows of this being a sideeffect.

 

Thank you!

 

Please email me and I'll try & find someone close to you to help.

 

Thank you. I am in the Northern Virginia area. Springfield, Fairfax County.

 

I am praying for Bailey, and I posted a link to your blog on my blog in hopes of generating answers asap.

 

 

Thank you.

[Guest ss556]

How is Bailey doing????

[Guest WCorder]

I've added two more video's to Bailey's Blog..

 

The shaking was terrible when I got home last night. I gave her a pain pill right away, and sat and gently massaged her neck with a heating pad. That definitely gave her some temporary relief. Although the Valium may have helped with her appetite, we are switching to Robaxin tomorrow. I also have a call into an Acupuncturist, they're closed today, but they are open some Saturdays. Additionally, I've sent a letter with the links to the video to Dr. Guillermo Couto of Ohio State University's greyhound research department. I have high hopes that he will have some advice for our doctor's.

 

She ate 20 oz of food, willingly, so I only force fed her another 5.5 can plus the accompanying gelatin. I'm using 1/3c cold water, 1/3c hot water, 1 env. Knox Gelatin, 2 cans of Mighty Dog Prime cuts. So she gets half a recipe at a time. She actually seems grateful for it. Unbelievable.

 

Thanks for your help!

Wade

[patricia]

Sending more prayers for your sweet baby.

[Guest jurishound]

Vanilla Ensure seems to be well received by many hounds - though I've never tried it. Sending good wishes to you and your girl.

[Guest WCorder]

"Stanislaw" suggested that I look into Hyperparathyroidism and Canine Stress Syndrome. I don't know if they got an MRI of the parathyroid gland, nor if they checked her CBC for signals indicating CSS.

 

But both sound terrible!

[Guest ss556]

Please update here when you know something new!

[Guest OurGreytLife]

Sending a prayer for your poor baby, Bailey. Keep us posted.

[Guest WCorder]

Well, the doctor doesn't think it's hyperparathyroidism or Canine Stress Syndrome. She, the doctor, is quite upset that she doesn't have a chrystal ball, she can't figure out what it is!

[Guest ss556]

Is Bailey any better?

[4greyhounds]

Bless her heart, we are sending lots of prayers and white light.