15 Month Old Greyhound Is Very Sick`~update Post #99

[Guest LadyChester]

Hoping you get some answers on Friday. They are excellent at Angell!

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

I'll pray for both Becky and Annabel Let's hope the worst is over

[Guest argolola]

I thought about her first thing this morning. More prayers are on the way.

[carronstar]

Sending lots more prayers and good thoughts.

[Guest BillF]

Annabel update-

 

In an earlier post I described how Annabel was doing better, but the swelling in her front legs returned this weekend. I took her in to the clinic Saturday night.

 

I've been to see her each night since then. Sunday she looked like hell. All four legs were swollen more than I've ever seen, from her paws to her shoulders. Her feet looked like she was wearing mittens. Monday night she looked better. She was sedated. They sedated her to draw fluid from her joints. She was lying on her chest with her rear legs out to the side. She was alert enough to be holding her head up, but she was just staring out into space. I didn't try to move her. Her legs looked better, but still swollen.

 

My girlfriend and I went back tonight. When Annabel saw us she stood up on her own. The swelling was gone and she was much more engaged in things. Not 100%, but enough that we took her outside to walk around. We took her off the leash and she walked around, smelled things, and came back to us. The vet tech told us she was getting up and down by herself without any troubles. When she was at her sickest she had a lot of trouble getting up - she couldn't get her rear legs under her hips and lift her weight.

 

We got about 15 minutes with the vet between surgeries - He is convinced this is just a tough infection. We went back through the list of "very bad things" and he explained away each one. They did get some more joint fluid. He said it was infected and they will try again to grow something. He said there are other tests, but they would be harder on her. For example - they could do a blood culture, but that would involve taking her off the meds, waiting for her to get sick enough to run a temperature, then doing the test. Since she had a good response to the change in antibiotics he doesn't feel that is justified. I'll find out exactly what the antibiotics are tomorrow. I know they took her off Doxy and added Baytril.

 

She gets to come home tomorrow. She will be on antibiotics for a while. When she's well enough she will have to get a part time job to help with the vet bills - maybe running at the track on weekends. :-)

 

As I find out more I'll post again. Thanks for all the good thoughts.

 

Bill

 

 

 

[iluvgreys]

Thanks for the update, Bill. So relieved to hear that your girlie is improving and will be coming home tomorrow! Keeping the good thoughts and prayers flowing.

[Fiona3]

I am adding my good wishes for Becky & Annabel to continue to improve. Hopefully the infections are finally under control - it's so frustrating trying to find the right solutions when you see them so uncomfortable and ill. Thanks for the updates.

[Guest jerrybird]

Thinking positive thoughts for both Annabelle and Becky.

[Guest 2Brindles]

So sorry I missed this thread - I also hope answers are forthcoming about Becky's condition! Poor sweet baby, I hope I get to meet her in robust health.

[Guest BillF]

Annabel is home. She got home yesterday evening. She has been doing fine. She's not 100% yet, and is a little subdued. She slept good through the night last night.

 

The swelling in her legs is gone. She is walking normally (but is on painkillers, so that could be part of it).

 

Her big bag of doggie meds includes-

SMZ

Baytril

Clindamycian

Previcox

Tramadol

 

We go back in a week for a followup appointment. My instructions are to confine her to a 6x8 area, and no free walking or play activity. She's not in a mood to run around now anyway.

 

So now we wait and see. Hopefully these antibiotics are the right mix. They did draw more joint fluid to try another culture. We'll find out next week if that worked or not.

 

I'll post again as things happen.

 

Thanks

Bill

 

 

[carronstar]

Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers for Annabel.

[Guest paulamariez]

Sending lots of prayers, love and light for both Annabel and Becky!!

[Tallgreydogmom]

Checking for an update on Becky

[Guest LindsaySF]

Bill, I hope Annabel continues to improve!

 

 

 

[Guest LindsaySF]

I went with Becky's foster mom to Angell Memorial today. (Quite a day, all 9 hours of it ). And it was expensive. We will be having an online auction soon to raise funds!

 

 

Becky was walking around more than I had ever seen her. She was so excited to sniff all the cool smells in the waiting area, meet new dogs, new people, etc. She was a total ham with the vet and the techs, roaching on her back on the cold cement floor, asking for belly rubs! She was a very good patient.

 

The vet was concerned with a false negative on the PCR tick panel, so blood was drawn for tick titering. Also titer for Toxoplasmosis and Neospora caninum. Blood drawn to test for heartworm microfilariae, to ensure the heartworm treatment she received back in June and July was successful. Slightly elevated bilirubin seen last time, liver panel done today.

 

Becky's skin is very dry and flaking, with some scabs and redness. Skin scraping was negative. Prescribed Derm Caps.

 

Chest x-rays showed no lung lesions indicative of fungal diseases like Valley Fever, and no heart enlargement as a result of the heartworm. Joint x-rays taken at Becky's regular vet were analyzed by Angell's radiology dept, no erosion of the joints seen.

 

Urinalysis (and I believe a urine culture) done. Vet mentioned something about seeing funal spores in urine? I think that is what she said. She also examined her eyes looking for fungal lesions.

 

The plan is to rule out everything infectious before prescribing prednisone. Becky must also be off the Rimadyl for at least 5 days before beginning prednisone. (She is on a fentanyl patch for pain, in the meantime). Tick titer results may take a while to come back, so prednisone will be started on Wednesday after the 5 days. Concurrent doxycycline and clindamycin given (starting today) in case this is an infection and prednisone worsens it. The vet said she suspects IMPA and that Becky should see improvement on the prednisone, but she wanted to cover all the bases.

 

 

Please keep thinking good thoughts for Becky!

 

 

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[Guest LadyChester]

Thanks for the pupdate ... continuing good thoughts for Becky!

[Guest LindsaySF]

Forgot to add, the fluid aspirated from the sore on Becky's rear was examined at her last CT vet visit and no bacteria showed up. CBC was normal and the ANA and RA tests were negative. The joint tap revealed some inflammation, so they are considering an immune system problem like IMPA.

 

We were hoping for more diagnostics and a better handle on this, which is why we went to Angell. If all the tests we did there today also come back negative, it looks like IMPA is our diagnosis.

 

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[greypuppyluv]

Thanks for the update. More prayers coming Becky's way from So Cal.

[Guest Carla]

Sending more prayers for sweet Becky.

[Guest AllThingsBiotha]

IMPA is something that we see more often than we care to admit with Bernese Mt. Dogs. Here is a link to a Berner-L discussion offering some treatment advice: IMPA Berner-L

 

Hope this helps some.

 

[carronstar]

Thanks for the update. Will keep sending good thoughts and prayers for Becky.

[2hounds]

Fingers crossed they are able to get her feeling better soon. Mia's IMPA is completely under control now with medication, but I remember not so fondly those first scary days of not knowing what was going on or why she was in so much pain and being desperate for the vet to come up with an answer.

[Guest paulamariez]

Sending lots of prayers, love and light to the sweet Becky. May the vets figure out what's wrong with her and heal her quickly. Tiger, Bueller and Domino are sending Becky lots of healing doggie kisses as well.

[Guest LindsaySF]

The new tick panel results aren't back yet.

 

The urinalysis, liver panel, and heartworm filter tests all came back negative. Her CK (creatinine kinase) level was normal.

 

The bad news: The Angell vets looked at her x-rays again after we left, when they had more time. The x-ray of her wrist is a little over-exposed, but they think there is mild erosion there.

 

Becky's diagnosis now is erosive polyarthritis. Her prognosis depends on whether or not she responds to prednisone, which is being started today.

 

Please keep Becky in your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[Guest packman]

It certainly could be any of the TBDs, and hopefully the vet has her on a large enough dose of doxycycline to adequately cover Lyme, ehrlichiosis and anaplasma.

 

If she has fluid in her joints, it would be helpful if the orthopaedist could aspirate some of that fluid for analysis. This can be used to identify infection (including TBD) as well as inflammation. Another possible diagnosis would be immune-mediated polyarthritis which can present with lethargy, migratatory lameness, swollen joints, fever, etc. My iggy is being treated for this, and it took 3 months to reach the correct diagnosis.

 

But first and foremost, have your vet pursue tick panels - and repeat them every couple of weeks to see if any of the titres are increasing. Your vet can also send blood down to NC State for PCR testing.

 

Good luck with this little sweetie!

 

Becky was seen by Dr. Dudley at VCA Northboro in MA and Dr. D did aspirate fluids from two of Becky's joints and she started Becky on a pretty high dose of Doxy. Dr. Dudely also send out blood for a complete tick panel (checking for 12 different tick borne diseases).

 

I just went to see Becky to let her out for her foster Mom who is away today and it's just heartbreaking to see her. Becky can only barely get up on her own, she collapses back down after just a couple of wobbly steps, she has to be carried outside to potty She really wants to interact with people but just does not have the strength. She is being fed as much food as we can get into her little body.

 

Please send white light Becky's way, she really needs it.

 

 

I have the exact same problem with my 10yr old hound Breeze. Same exact symptoms - swollen joints, not eating, hard time getting up, very unstable walking, urinary incontinence, extreme pain. It came on all of a sudden. It started with a swollen paw, which I thought was arthritis. All tests negative. I feel terrible for him. I'm force feeding him with Ensure from a syringe. He still is not eating solid food on his own. He's only been in the Doxy and appetite stim for 2 days. I hope it kicks in soon. I also had the full blood panel done and results should be back tomorrow.

 

I am on the same treatment plan as you - High Dose of Doxy (300mg/daily) and on an appetite stimulent (Mirtazapine) for a 65.5lb Grey.

 

I sure wish both of our hounds make a full recovery. I will update you when I get more information on lab results.

 

Btw...what are you feeding Becky? I can't get mine to eat anything....Prayers with Becky. I know it's hard...I'm losing my mind also.