Bailey's In Trouble

[Guest EmilyAnne]

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!

Your vet is doing her best I am sure. Keep in mind many who leave comments on your blog are not greyhound savvy. While they might give some ideas, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Batmom]

How's your pupper doing today? Better or at least holding her own, I hope!

 

Can't offer any terribly useful advice, except possibly in terms of feeding: Feed her what she'll eat. Some things that go down well here for sick, underweight dogs include spaghettios (yes, those nasty things in the cans!), pepperidge farm cinnamon swirl bread, graham crackers, scrambled eggs, poached chicken livers (not too many -- 2 or 3 a day), poached boneless skinless chicken breast, gently cooked ground beef (maybe drain off some of the fat till you see how her tummy handles it), Tripett or Solid Gold Green Cow Tripe (two different brands of canned green tripe; I soften it with some warm water so they can lap it up), and almost anything with honey, molasses, or vanilla ice cream drizzled on top.

[Guest K9_Lady]

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!

I agree. My Malinois has a compressed disc in his neck and the Robaxin along with Electro-Acupuncture helped him very much! The best of luck

[Guest WCorder]

She's not any better. Robaxin started yesterday. I wish I knew what this shaking was. We've got a moist towel and heating pad on her. I don't think it helps. I'm force feeding her, but she'll eat a little bit on her own. We started force feeding a week ago. Last Monday she ate all by herself, that was great; but it didn't continue. I'm taking her to another Neurologist on Wednesday. I'm going to have to cancel the initial visit with the Acupuncturist. It's a $185 exam, and I can't get out of work to take her to two doctor's visits. She limped on a front leg this morning, I don't know what that's about either. I hate this.

[Burpdog]

Sending prayers. Has she been treated for a TBD?

Edited May 17, 2008 by Burpdog

[Guest ss556]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I hope and pray you find an answer soon.

[Guest sugarmom]

Hi. I don’t post here often – I’m really more of a lurker, but your situation sounds eerily similar to what I experienced with my Sugar beginning last September. We didn’t have the visible neck spasms your Bailey is experiencing, but did have extreme neck pain complete with trembling in the neck that I could feel but not see. She limped on her front left leg and screamed in pain often. She has a history of cervical disc disease and in fact had disc surgery about 2 years before the most recent neck pain event, so we thought she’d ruptured another disc. We took her back to the neurology docs at the nearest vet school where they did an MRI, a spinal tap, and blood tests for everything they could think of. Nothing. Sounding familiar yet?? The good news was that my dog didn’t have cancer, for which I was very grateful, but no one could tell me why she was screaming.

 

We still don’t know the source of her pain, but have managed to control it pretty well with a very aggressive pain management program. BTW we tried acupuncture (which did help her before when she ruptured a disc) but had limited success this time. I’d give it a shot though as when it works, the results are amazing. She takes the following daily:

 

Tylenol 4 (w/ codine) 3x per day

Meloxicam 2.5mg 1x per day (the human version of meticam on $4 list a Wal-Mart – you have to cut up a 7.5 mg tab)

Gabapentin 100 mg 1x per day in the am

Amantidine 100 mg 1x per day in the afternoon

 

I know it sounds like a lot, but she is now very comfortable, wants to play, eat and go for walks. I play with the dosages of Tylenol and meloxicam to try to give as little as possible, but for us controlling pain for a good quality of life is most important. I’d definitely try acupuncture and chiro before throwing the pharmaceutical kitchen sink at your pup, but I wanted to let you know that you aren’t the only one with weird unexplained debilitating neck pain. We’d reached the point of desperation and had even had the euthanasia talk with the vet. FYI, Sugar turned 10 in March. You may have said, but have the checked Bailey for tick born disease?

Edited May 17, 2008 by sugarmom

[krissn333]

She takes the following daily:

 

Tylenol 4 (w/ codine) 3x per day

Tylenol is toxic to dogs, at least that's what I've ALWAYS read, are you sure that's what she takes?

 

To the OP, I would recommend the robaxin coupled with a pain reliever and chiropractic/acupuncture.

Edited May 17, 2008 by krissn333

[Guest sugarmom]

The tylenol was perscribed by the docs at Auburn University vet school and I must trust that they know what they are doing. I did ask about this, as I had heard the same, and they said that it was OK at the dose they perscribed. I was not recommending any drug proticol for Bailey as I'm not qualified to do so. I was only letting her mom know of our very similar experieince. For us, it was the drug protocol or euthenasia.

[swiftwhips]

I'm just now reading this thread about poor Bailey. I had a similar experience a few years ago with one of my Whippets. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and was put on Tramadol, Deramax & Robaxin. He continued to tremble miserably for days and after researching possible side effects of the drug therapy I discovered that Tramadol can indeed cause tremors. I discontinued it and the trembling decreased greatly within hours and stopped shortly thereafter. I discussed this with both the neurologist & his regular vet - neither had seen trembling as a side effect from Tramadol, but I am convinced that it was the cause. A year or so later when symptoms returned I once again tried the Tramadol/Robaxin therapy and he began trembling. This time I immediately discontinued the Tramadol & once again the trembling stopped. Now when he has an occasional flare up I use Robaxin and Metacam with great success. I have used Tramadol without problems on my other Whippets, but just wanted to share with you the possibility that Bailey may be having an adverse reaction to it. Sending prayers & white light for Bailey.

 

Hugs,

 

Stef & the silly 7

[gryhnd_adoptee]

Rather than heat you might want to try icing the area instead. We had a senior with two degenerating disks, one in her neck and one midway down her back. When she would overdo it, we laid on the floor with her while icing the areas. It seemed to reduce the swelling and in conjunction with her pain meds helped her quite a bit.

 

Gentley hugs to your sweet Bailey. I just wish they could talk to us!

 

She's not any better. Robaxin started yesterday. I wish I knew what this shaking was. We've got a moist towel and heating pad on her. I don't think it helps. I'm force feeding her, but she'll eat a little bit on her own. We started force feeding a week ago. Last Monday she ate all by herself, that was great; but it didn't continue. I'm taking her to another Neurologist on Wednesday. I'm going to have to cancel the initial visit with the Acupuncturist. It's a $185 exam, and I can't get out of work to take her to two doctor's visits. She limped on a front leg this morning, I don't know what that's about either. I hate this.

 

[Guest WCorder]

I'm so upset. I feel like a major sugar crash - but it's just the exhaustion of all the vet appointments. Today Bailey first had accupuncture - although it was painless, I was still stressed out. Then an hours wait for the neurologist, then that appointment.

 

She thinks that Bailey is systemically sick. She's lost so very much weight and continues to get worse, plus the weakness, atrophy, refusal to eat, and has general apathy.

 

Since the clindomiacin antibiotic didn't work, then the type of nerve disease is probably a sterile disease like meningitis, which can only be diagnosed with a spinal tap. But to do a spinal tap, she'd have to be intubated and anesthetized again, which is risky on such a sick dog. Plus, being on prednisone could mask some of the data needed to prove it's meningitis. And the drugs for meningitis are bad news immunosuppressants.

 

Or maybe it's a tick borne disease. A little less likely, but we can start her on Doxycycline tabs to see if that causes any improvement. So, we're doing that as well as sending off her blood sample to see if that's what it is. If it isn't, then I have to decide whether or not to have another very expensive and dangerous test done, to see if dangerous drugs are called for; or not.

 

Not a happy thought.

 

We're tapering off Prednisone, stopping the Tramadol, keeping the Robaxin, and adding Doxycycline. She weighed 45.5 lbs. today. She weighed 64 lbs two months ago. We'll keep force feeding, that is going well, and we have to get her to drink a lot more water. Doc says she's dehydrated.

[ozgirl2]

There's an acupuncturist at the specialty clinic in Springfield - can't remember the name of it though!! Cody had to go there to see a neurologist - and she got acu while there!! And they may know of a chiro for her... If I remember the name, I'll post it - it was a GREAT place!!!

 

Sorry - I see you've found an acu... they are NOT cheap!

Hope you get some answers soon!

Edited May 21, 2008 by ozgirl2

[Guest argolola]

More prayers for your sweet girl.

[Burpdog]

Many times the TBD panel comes back negative yet they respond to meds. Hopefully you are using the suggested dose of 5mg per # of body weight twice a day. Some vets kick off with a doxy shot. (many vets underdose doxy )

 

Sending lots of prayers.

[Guest paulamariez]

Poor Bailey. What a nightmare your sweetheart is going through. Just a note, after Bueller got attacked by the Mastiff, he was taking the Tramadol for pain and he absolutely would NOT eat anything but some boiled chicken I made for him. And I had to feed him mini meals throughout the day and night otherwise he would wake up retching and trying to puke. Even though the vet insisted that the Tramadol wouldn't make him sick to his stomach, I knew better. He was like this for the whole week and a half he was on the Tram. The very next day after taking Bueller off the Tram, he started eating again. Took him a couple days to get back to his normal amount though. I'm wondering if the meds are making him Bailey not hungry or upsetting his stomach. I will keep your precious Bailey in my thoughts and prayers. I truly hope they figure out what's making your poor baby sick and get her well pronto! Tiger, Bueller and Domino are sending Bailey lots of healing doggie kisses.

Edited May 21, 2008 by paulamariez

[Guest WCorder]

Oh, my back. I'm lifting her each time I want her to stand, and I'm lifting twice each time she has to go outside, both down and up the steps. And she fell off the steps yesterday. She was too quick for me. I opened the door, and she marched right down the six steps. Had a pee and turned around to come right back up. Before I could finish saying "Stop! Don't you want to take care of some more business while you're down there" > > >she had started up the steps. When she got her hind leg's on the bottom step, they collapsed, and she went down to a wobbly sitting position and tumbled straight back, head, chest, shoulders first onto the ground. And she cried.

 

I got her right up, and carried her in. I didn't see any damage, no limping. I went ahead and force fed her, which is time consuming, but strangely easy. She's had pancreatitis in the past, so I'm not open to giving her much food that would be considered unusual. I force fed 7 servings of the dog-food Jell-O Jigglers, and she ate on 5.5 oz can of Mighty Dog by herself. I also got most of a chicken breast down her, and she almost finished the remainder by herself. She stopped by the food bowl many times yesterday, and always had at least a bite. Doc says she's dehydrated, so we were getting her up every hour (oh, my back), to encourage her to drink more.

 

Can I tell you, I was late this morning. We took her out every time she stood up overnight. It may have been a mistake, How can I know? But it seems to us that she only gets up by her own motivation when she has to pee. And once she's up, she pees. (Anyone know of a good / reliable / and affordable oriental / Persian rug cleaners? ? ?) Anyway, I carried her out and back at 3:30, 5, and 8, myself (oh, my back), and was seriously considering going back to bed even though I was already late for work. And then she started to make herself comfortable on her bed in the sun room, stopping at a shakily supported sit, leaning against the couch . . .she was panting and making total eye contact. "Yeah, I want to go back to bed" I thought, "But if she'll hold that pose, it's perfect for force feeding." And she did try to hold that pose, shaky front paws and everything, gratefully accepting dog-food Jell-O Jiggler's the equivalent size of a pan of brownies!

 

 

[Guest ss556]

Sending more prayers for Bailey.

[Guest WCorder]

 

This is Bailey in 2005.

Edited May 22, 2008 by WCorder

[iluvgreys]

Sounds like you're doing everything possible for your precious Bailey. Hopefully she'll get stronger soon. I bought a wearable sling for Phoenix, my senior with wobbly legs from Carol Beck in Florida, and it works great for helping a hound walk. Might save your back. Maybe someone here knows how to contact her. I lost that info.

[Guest WCorder]

This video is proof that I am stupid. How could I let her attempt to walk up the steps again, while videoing??? Just stupid.

Look here.

[Guest MZH]

Hi,

 

You are not stupid; you're trying to capture what she looks like when she's having a problem. Sometimes that's the best way to get a diagnosis --by showing a video to the vets.

 

Do you have a deck at the top of those steps? If so, you might want to set up a potty area for her up there so she can stop putting stress on her neck and front legs by going up and down those daunting steps and using a box upstairs.

 

There is an article in an early issue of CG Magazine on how to build one of these things. It could be a Godsend for you all. I can dig out a copy of the article for you if you'd like. I may still have the file or I can get you a copy of it.

 

Marcia in SC

[Guest WCorder]

Hi,

 

You are not stupid; you're trying to capture what she looks like when she's having a problem. Sometimes that's the best way to get a diagnosis --by showing a video to the vets.

 

Do you have a deck at the top of those steps? If so, you might want to set up a potty area for her up there so she can stop putting stress on her neck and front legs by going up and down those daunting steps and using a box upstairs.

 

There is an article in an early issue of CG Magazine on how to build one of these things. It could be a Godsend for you all. I can dig out a copy of the article for you if you'd like. I may still have the file or I can get you a copy of it.

 

Marcia in SC

 

 

Could you scan it? I wouldn't mind the trouble, because I really am desperate. Does CG have a website with articles? Thanks for the tip. I'm going to take a look. >>>> no, they don't have articles on line. What a shame. If you can scan it, I can scan stuff at the office, though I have to ask for help, but, if it doesn't cost anything, and you can manage it, please send it to: Vigarrigo@Yahoo.com.

 

Thank you for your kindness.

 

V.

Edited May 23, 2008 by WCorder

[Guest MZH]

I will get the article to you somehow, V. Hang in there.

 

Marcia in SC

[Guest ss556]

Is Bailey not better? I didn't want to look at the video:(

What is the latest that the vet has said? Is there a diagnosis?